{"id":47426,"date":"2026-09-29T16:06:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T16:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/industries\/smart-mobility\/?page_id=47426"},"modified":"2026-11-03T11:36:25","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T11:36:25","slug":"isac-5g-sensing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/industries\/smart-mobility\/isac-5g-sensing\/","title":{"rendered":"ISAC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) expert interviews<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

As ISAC develops into a foundational 6G technology, the GSMA is bringing together perspectives from across the industry. Our expert interviews examine the key developments, opportunities and challenges shaping its future.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) uses existing cellular signals to sense the surrounding environment and enable to ‘see’ what is around, from static to moving objects. Those signals already reach 5.8 billion unique subscribers worldwide. That same coverage footprint becomes a sensing layer for vehicles, drones, pedestrians, and the infrastructure around them. It uses the same hardware and works on today\u2019s networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The GSMA\u2019s Smart Mobility programme works to providing clarity on the current development and deployment of ISAC in 5G networksand a look into the future 6G work. It brings together operators, vendors and standards bodies to ensure the technology reaches commercial deployment safely. Together, they examine what works today, what remains unsolved, and what comes next but with in mind also the potential business opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We are at the beginning of deployment of ISAC 5G sensing capabilities on live networks, but a huge step towards realising smart mobility. With this new technology, operators and their partners have an opportunity to transform the way we experience travel.<\/p>Barbara Pareglio, Senior Technical Director, GSMA<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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mobile operators that launched 5G, covering 171 countries – those networks constitute the potential initial footprint for ISAC 5G sensing can activate as a detection layer across transport environments.

GSMA Intelligence<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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5G connections worldwide today – the infrastructure base ISAC 5G sensing runs on, projected to surpass 55% of all mobile connections by 2030.

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projected global ISAC market value by 2035, growing from $11.39 billion in 2026.


Integrated Sensing and Communication<\/em> (ISAC) Market Size, Business Research Insight<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

ISAC 5G in practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our ISAC features expert conversations from the companies taking ISAC from standards work into real live examples. Each interview examines the standardisation, practical reality of ISAC deployment and drawing on live network demonstrations and real operator environments. The conversations cover what existing infrastructure can already do, where the integration challenges arise, and how the business case takes shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tiami Networks: Trials, commercial considerations and deployments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Ericsson: ISAC as a passive sensing layer for drone detection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why ISAC 5G sensing opens a world of new possibilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Drone detection and airspace monitoring are of high interest by governments right now, hence most of the demonstration are centred to this use case. Networks detect UAVs without requiring them to carry a transponder or maintain a connection. Operators in Asia Pacific ranked ISAC as their top beyond-5G use case in GSMA Intelligence\u2019s 2026 operator survey. Security tracking and perimeter monitoring are the primary commercial drivers today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connected vehicles are the next frontier. The 5G Automotive Association published a dedicated ISAC for C-V2X technical report in May 2025, covering use cases from collision avoidance to autonomous navigation. Network-assisted perception means the network detects hazards beyond what onboard sensors reach, then sends that data to the vehicle in real time<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pedestrian and vulnerable road user detection is also an active area. At urban intersections, ISAC can categorise vehicle types, pedestrian movements, and cyclist positions directly from the network. That information feeds into traffic signal timing, hazard warnings, and autonomous vehicle guidance systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deployment today and the road ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Drone detection is deployable on existing 5G networks now. Verizon and Lockheed Martin have already commercialised an airspace awareness service on existing infrastructure based on RF analysis. Ericsson demonstrated live drone detection based on ISAC using 5G signals at a stadium event, without modifying the base station hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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3GPP Release 19<\/a> includes initial ISAC sensing studies, with requirements introduced in Releases 20 and further releases will continue that standardisation. Commercial C-V2X ISAC targets the early 2030s, maturing alongside 6G. Release 19 defines general sensing capabilities and scenarios in TS 22.137:
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Object detection and tracking<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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Detecting and tracking objects such as UAVs, birds and vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Environmental monitoring<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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Sensing the surrounding environment and detecting changes or objects in an area.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Motion monitoring<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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Identifying and monitoring human movement and activity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Public safety<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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Supporting safety-related sensing scenarios, including detecting objects and monitoring potentially hazardous situations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Gesture recognition<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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Enabling sensing-based interaction with human movement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Release 20 scenarios (TR 22.870) distinguish operational requirements that a general Release 19. They may require different sensing ranges, accuracy, latency, refresh rates and detection probabilities. Such release 20 use cases are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Road safety and intelligent transport<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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