ISAC

ISAC: The Network
That Senses

For decades, the role of the wireless network
was singular: to move information between
two points.
In the 6G era, the same radio
infrastructure does something fundamentally
new — it perceives the
physical world.


ISAC(Integrated Sensing and Communication)
turns the communication network itself into a
sensor.
The very radio waves that carry data
are also used to detect objects, determine
their position, and
track their movement.
No dedicated radar band, no separate sensor
grid — one network performs two functions.

  • 1

    NETWORK

    One infrastructure

  • 2-in-1

    FUNCTION

    Sense + communicate

  • 6G

    NATIVE

    Signature feature

Sensing and
communication,
unified in
one signal

Traditionally, communication systems and
sensing systems such as radar evolved on
separate
tracks, each with its own spectrum,
hardware, and waveforms. ISAC merges the
two. By reusing the
transmitted
communication signal — and its reflections off
objects — the network delivers data and
extracts sensing information such as range,
velocity, angle, and presence at the same time.

  • Higher
    Frequencies

    New spectrum such as the upper
    mid-band
    brings the wider bandwidths
    and shorter
    wavelengths that make
    high-resolution
    sensing possible
    alongside communication.

  • Massive
    Antenna Array

    Large-scale MIMO and beamforming,
    already central to 5G-Advanced,
    deliver the
    spatial precision needed to
    localize and
    track objects accurately.

  • AI-native
    Architecture

    Machine learning embedded in the
    network
    interprets raw sensing
    measurements into
    environmental
    understanding that
    distinguishes objects,
    filtering clutter,
    predicting motion.

Where ISAC
creates value

It senses, without identifying

Unlike cameras or video sensors, ISAC
can be designed to read only the
reflection characteristics of
radio waves
— determining presence, movement,
and distance without collecting faces or
personally identifiable data. This
privacy-preserving approach reframes
sensing as a safety
capability rather
than surveillance.

  • Drone Detection

    Detects and tracks low-altitude drones over
    defined areas such as
    borders, coastlines, and
    critical facilities — extending situational
    awareness where dedicated radar is impractical.

  • Intruder Detection

    Senses intrusion and occupancy indoors and
    outdoors, detecting
    movement and presence
    without cameras — turning the network
    into a
    security layer for homes and buildings.

  • Crowd Detection

    Reads density by zone to build a real-time
    heatmap of foot traffic,
    supporting crowd
    management and public safety at large venues
    and events.

Shaping ISAC into
the 6G standard

Samsung is developing ISAC
as a deployable 6G feature,
grounded in its radio and AI heritage.

  • Research
    Foundation

    Samsung Research presents ISAC as a
    core
    pillar of its 6G vision, defining the
    framework
    by which a single 6G air
    interface serves both
    communication and
    sensing.

  • Built on
    Proven AI-RAN

    ISAC leverages the massive-MIMO
    beamforming and antenna technologies
    Samsung has commercialized at scale in
    5G.
    The path starts not from zero, but on an
    existing HW/SW base.

  • Standardization
    Leadership

    ISAC is under study in 3GPP as a 6G
    candidate
    technology. Samsung's
    leadership — holding
    multiple chair and
    vice-chair posts across key
    3GPP groups —
    helps shape how sensing is
    standardized
    globally.

  • AI-native
    Integration

    Consistent with Samsung's AI-native
    communication vision, ISAC's sensing
    intelligence is designed to be embedded in
    the
    network architecture itself.

ISAC and the
AI-native
6G network

ISAC is not a standalone product — it is one
expression of Samsung's broader vision of an
AI-native,
sustainable, and hyper-aware 6G
network.


Just as AI-native communication embeds
intelligence into the network's design, ISAC
embeds
perception, describing a network that
no longer merely connects the physical and
digital worlds but
actively understands and
responds to the space around it.


For operators, this means the same
infrastructure that delivers connectivity
becomes a platform
for Sensing-as-a-Service
across mobility, industry, and public safety —
reframing the network as a
new revenue and
service layer.