Samsung Electronics and Verizon Achieve World's First On-Site Demonstration of 6G Core Technology ISAC

Demonstration Using Virtualized Network at U.S. Sports Event

Implementation Achieved by Applying Software to Existing Network Equipment

Samsung Electronics announced on September 15 that it has become the first in the industry to successfully complete an on-site demonstration of 'Integrated Sensing and Communication' (ISAC)—a key 6G technology—in partnership with U.S. mobile carrier Verizon.

ISAC is a core 6G technology that utilizes communication equipment as high-precision sensors. Without the need for separate devices, it analyzes reflected wireless signal information collected by existing communication infrastructure at base stations, enabling the detection of an object's location, speed, and direction. This makes it particularly useful for real-time monitoring of crowd density at large gatherings such as sports events or concerts. Additionally, it can be employed in blind spots or dark environments where existing sensing methods are difficult to deploy, expanding its potential to diverse areas such as safety and security, transportation, and industrial sites.

In July, Samsung Electronics and Verizon demonstrated AI-based ISAC technology at a global sporting event held in Texas by leveraging Samsung’s virtualized network solution. Using ISAC technology in a crowded event scenario, they were able to detect people’s movements and crowd density and then analyze the gathered data in real time using AI, successfully visualizing the density as a heat map.

This demonstration utilized Samsung Electronics’ latest AI Radio Access Network (AI RAN) solution, 'NIS.' NIS implements network functionalities such as AI, base stations, and the core network via software and integrates high-performance computing power—like central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs)—into a single edge AI platform. As the software enables the implementation of various network functions, it eliminates the need to replace existing network equipment or add separate hardware.

Yago Tenorio, Verizon’s Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Technology Development, stated, "The success of the AI-based ISAC demonstration with Samsung Electronics is a meaningful achievement that brings the vision of the 6G era into sharper focus. We will continue to validate and lead future technologies, combined with AI, across a variety of areas, from living infrastructure to the industrial ecosystem."

Seol Jiyoon, Vice President and Head of Product Strategy, Network Business at Samsung Electronics, commented, "Samsung Electronics and Verizon have broken the 150-year-old paradigm that communication must be hardware-centric, achieving a major shift to software-based next-generation networks. As global competition intensifies to lead in network AI, Samsung will continue to open new horizons for an era shaped by AI and 6G, driven by our advanced technological capabilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.