Mobile networks have evolved over decades, increasingly expanding their role in the digital economy. While the first generations focused on basic connectivity, and 5G has driven new capabilities for industry and digital services, the next technological frontier points to something even more ambitious: that networks not only connect devices, but also perceive the physical environment.
In this context, Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) emerges, a concept that is gaining prominence in research towards 6G. This technology proposes using radio communication signals themselves to detect objects, distances, movements, or characteristics thereof. opening the door to a new generation of perception-based digital services.
Although still in an early stage of development, ISAC is emerging as one of the innovations that could redefine the role of mobile networks in the next decade.
What ISAC is and Why it is Relevant
The principle of ISAC is to integrate communication and sensing (detection) into the same network infrastructure. Instead of using independent systems—such as radars or specific sensors—the radio signals used to transmit data could also be employed to analyse the environment through the reflection of electromagnetic waves.
This would allow the network to detect information about the space surrounding it, such as the presence or movement of objects. One of the most notable advantages is that the detected objects do not need to be connected to the network, which considerably expands the scope of these capabilities.
This approach makes mobile networks more than just a connectivity platform: an infrastructure capable of generating information about the physical world.
Beyond Positioning or Radar
Although the concept may bring to mind existing technologies, ISAC introduces important differences.
For example, current positioning systems (GPS) allow knowing the location of devices that are connected to the network, but they cannot detect objects that do not emit a signal.
Radar, on the other hand, is designed to detect objects via the reflection of electromagnetic waves. However, it requires dedicated equipment and does not communicate devices with each other.
ISAC proposes a different approach: combining both capabilities within the communications network itself, using the same infrastructure to connect devices and analyse the environment. In some cases, it could also be complemented with other perception technologies such as LiDAR.
How Network Characteristics Influence
The sensing capacity depends largely on how mobile networks are designed. Factors such as the frequency used, bandwidth, or antenna configuration have a direct impact on the accuracy of detection.
Generally, greater bandwidths allow for improved resolution, while the use of higher frequencies facilitates more precise detection, albeit with lower coverage.
Another key element is the evolution of antennas. Future networks will incorporate massive antenna systems capable of generating narrower signal beams, which improves the ability to locate objects or analyse movements in the environment.
These technological features are some of the reasons why ISAC is being investigated specifically in the context of future 6G networks.
New Services Based on Environmental Perception
The integration of sensing into mobile networks could enable a wide variety of applications across different sectors, such as:
- Object detection and tracking, such as drones, vehicles or industrial robots.
- Monitoring of human movements, with applications in security, digital health or smart environments.
- Analysis of the physical environment, useful for infrastructure, mobility, smart cities, or sustainability.
These capabilities would allow the creation of new services based on data generated directly by the network, expanding the role of telecommunications within the digital ecosystem.
A New Generation of Telecommunications Networks
The development of ISAC forms part of the international research into the future of mobile networks. Organizations and associations in the industry have already begun to analyse its potential within the evolution towards 6G and future network architectures.
Although its commercial deployment is still several years away, this concept reflects a clear trend: next-generation networks will not only transport information, but will also generate knowledge about the environment.
Along this path, technologies like ISAC show how innovation in telecommunications continues to expand the role of networks in the digital economy and in everyday life.
