Understanding the ATIS Vision for Integrated Sensing and Communications

We have looked at Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) in multiple posts over the years on this blog, so naturally, we are covering this one too. In September 2025, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), through its Next G Alliance (NGA) initiative, released the first phase of its Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) Readiness Report. This publication marks an important step in understanding how sensing and communication technologies will converge in 6G systems.

The idea behind ISAC is simple yet transformative: integrating radar-like sensing capabilities directly into wireless communication networks. Rather than deploying separate systems for connectivity and environmental awareness, 6G networks could detect the presence, motion, and even characteristics of nearby objects using the same infrastructure used for communications. This dual use of radio resources can improve spectrum efficiency, enhance situational awareness for advanced applications, and open new business and safety-critical use cases across multiple industries. ATIS notes that wide bandwidths and large antenna arrays, common in 5G and 6G, make high-resolution sensing feasible, particularly in K- and Ka-bands (18–40 GHz), which are close to existing mmWave communication frequencies. While early 6G releases are not expected to extend into the sub-THz ranges, the groundwork for future expansion is clearly being laid.

The report builds upon 3GPP’s work in TR 22.837 and TR 22.870, which identified more than 30 ISAC use cases. ATIS groups them across key verticals such as Smart Home, Transportation, Environmental Monitoring, Public Safety, Health and Well-being, and Smart Factories. For North America, two use cases have been prioritised for detailed study: Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) detection and tracking in indoor industrial environments, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight trajectory tracking in outdoor urban environments. Both were analysed in terms of sensing range, signal-to-noise requirements, and link-budget feasibility. The results suggest that ISAC coverage comfortably meets or exceeds the typical communication coverage of these environments.

The report identifies several key sensing capabilities that will define ISAC system performance, including detection and false-alarm probability, location and velocity accuracy, latency, resolution, and multiple-target detection. Sensing can be monostatic, where transmission and reception are co-located (for example, at a base station), or bistatic, where these functions are separated between a transmitter and receiver such as a base station and a user device. Depending on the topology, the sensing process can be network-based, UE-assisted, or entirely UE-driven. The sensing waveform design is a central focus. While conventional CP-OFDM remains a strong candidate due to its established communication performance, Zero-Padding OFDM (ZP-OFDM) offers advantages for sensing by eliminating self-interference during silent periods. The report also highlights OTFS (Orthogonal Time Frequency Space) and its Zak-OTFS variant as promising waveforms, enabling fine delay-Doppler resolution and efficient multi-target detection.

Accurate Radar Cross Section (RCS) modelling is key to realistic ISAC simulations. ATIS proposes new models for vehicles, UAVs and humans, incorporating both deterministic angular patterns and stochastic scattering effects, aligned with recent 3GPP guidelines. The report also explores sensing fusion, where base stations and user devices cooperate by combining monostatic and bistatic radar information. Such hybrid approaches can significantly improve detection accuracy, particularly in complex urban and industrial settings. Among the critical challenges, the report highlights dynamic-range limitations in analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs). Balancing the detection of weak reflected signals against strong line-of-sight communication signals requires advanced beamforming, cooperative processing, and possibly dedicated sensing intervals.

To validate the theory, the report references early proof-of-concepts from industry. Nokia demonstrated ISAC techniques using existing 5G infrastructure, focusing on dual-use spectrum and adaptive beam management. Keysight explored OFDM radar experiments, comparing ZP- and CP-OFDM detection capabilities, and showing that ZP-OFDM can outperform when self-interference cancellation is imperfect. These practical experiments provide valuable insights into how future 6G networks might embed sensing functions within existing communication frameworks.

ATIS concludes that ISAC is moving from concept to early demonstration stage, supported by active standardisation in 3GPP Release 19 and ongoing research worldwide. The findings reaffirm ISAC’s potential to enable new services from factory automation and traffic safety to drone monitoring and public-safety applications while enhancing network awareness and efficiency. As the technology matures, future phases of the NGA ISAC programme will likely focus on field trials, system integration, and interoperability testing. With this Phase I report, North America positions itself as an active contributor to the global 6G ISAC conversation, bridging communications and sensing towards a more intelligent, context-aware wireless future.

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