A whitepaper from 5G Americas highlights that 6G development is centered on a technology known as Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), which could effectively transform national mobile networks into extensive, real-time sensing systems similar to radar.
ISAC operates on a radar-like principle: a mobile base station transmits a radio signal that reflects off objects in the environment. By comparing the transmitted signal with the returned echo, the network can determine an object’s shape, size, speed, and position.
This capability also extends to “passive” objects that are not connected to the network. Sometimes a single base station transmits and receives its own signals—a mode known as monostatic sensing. In other cases, multiple base stations cooperate, with one transmitting and others receiving reflections, producing a more detailed and accurate representation of the surroundings.
Viet Nguyen, President of 5G Americas, said, “ISAC is a transformative technology that combines radar-like sensing with traditional communications, turning wireless networks into intelligent infrastructure capable of perceiving the physical world.”
While similar concepts have appeared in consumer Wi‑Fi systems for tasks like intruder detection, scaling ISAC to national 5G or future 6G networks opens up powerful, high-value applications that previously required expensive, specialized equipment.
Unsurprisingly, ISAC is widely viewed as a critical enabler for 6G success—promising new revenue streams and accelerating adoption of the next-generation standard.
From keeping drones at bay to predicting floods
What can a network that “sees” actually do? The report outlines a range of practical and transformative uses.
A prominent application is defence and security: detecting and tracking uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones. Creating safe corridors for commercial drone traffic and identifying unauthorized drones in restricted airspace represent significant business and public-safety opportunities.
Beyond object tracking, ISAC can serve as a powerful environmental monitoring tool at scale.
Because it leverages existing infrastructure, ISAC provides a cost-effective way to monitor environmental conditions. The network could infer rainfall intensity by measuring how radio waves scatter from raindrops, or give early flood warnings by detecting rising water levels on streets and riverbanks. In a time when public safety and resilience depend on rapid environmental awareness, these capabilities are invaluable.
The potential applications touch nearly every part of modern life: optimizing traffic flow at busy intersections, helping emergency services plan the fastest and safest routes, tracking automated vehicles inside factories, monitoring passenger movement in airports, or detecting falls in hospitals.
Amitava Ghosh, a Nokia Fellow and contributor to the whitepaper, commented: “ISAC development is a cornerstone for enabling context-aware services and digital twin technologies in 6G. It also opens the door for carriers to offer advanced, data-driven services that improve safety, streamline automation, and support next-generation mobility.”
Turning a sixth sense into a business plan
For mobile operators, any new capability must make financial sense. The report examines how the ISAC “sixth sense” could be monetized.
A key concept is “Sensing-as-a-Service,” where network operators act as providers of real-world sensing data. In this model, operators not only generate sensing information but also fuse it with data from other sources—public cameras, weather stations, vehicle sensors—through a process called sensor fusion.
Operators would process this combined data and offer access via dedicated platforms to third-party developers and enterprises. Consider an app that delivers real-time warnings about hazardous road conditions, or a logistics company that tracks an entire fleet with high positional accuracy—these services create tangible commercial value.
Solving the tough questions of ISAC
Realizing this future presents technical, regulatory, and societal challenges.
Technically, engineers must design radio waveforms that simultaneously support high-speed communications and high-resolution sensing without degrading either function. Achieving that balance will require innovation in signal design, hardware, and network coordination.
Privacy and civil liberties are major concerns. A network capable of tracking movement and activities could be perceived as intrusive if deployed without robust safeguards. Strong security mechanisms, transparent governance, and clear regulatory frameworks will be essential to maintain public trust and ensure ethical use.
Despite these hurdles, work is already underway. Standards bodies are incorporating ISAC concepts into future mobile specifications, and several companies have demonstrated proof-of-concept implementations using current 5G equipment.
Paul Tse, Director of Strategy and Technology at Ericsson and the working group leader for the whitepaper, said: “ISAC redefines the capabilities of cellular networks by embedding sensing directly into the fabric of communication infrastructure. It offers both technical and economic benefits while advancing the capabilities of smart and automated systems.”
With collaboration across industry and continued innovation, networks may soon do more than connect people—they could sense and interact with the physical world, delivering benefits across public safety, environmental monitoring, transportation, healthcare, and beyond for years to come.
See also: Vodafone uses satellite-guided sensors to align mobile antennas
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