e& UAE and Khalifa University have published a peer-reviewed study examining how future mobile networks could provide environmental sensing alongside conventional communications, potentially expanding the role of telecom infrastructure beyond transmitting data.
The paper, titled “Integrated Sensing and Communication in 6G: A Comprehensive Survey of Use Cases, Enabling Technologies, Standardization Roadmap, and Monetization Frameworks,” was published in the IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society. It was written by Ayman Elnashar, Marwan Bin Shakar and Sami Muhaidat, bringing together researchers and technology executives associated with e& UAE and Khalifa University.
The research evaluates more than 30 potential applications across eight industry domains. Rather than treating integrated sensing and communication solely as a technical concept, the authors examine the requirements for deploying, standardizing and generating revenue from the technology.
One Network, Two Functions
Integrated Sensing and Communication, commonly abbreviated as ISAC, is an approach under which wireless infrastructure performs communications and sensing functions using shared spectrum, radio signals and network equipment. A mobile network could therefore transmit information while also detecting characteristics of its surrounding environment.
The concept does not necessarily turn a cellular base station into a direct replacement for radar, cameras or LiDAR. Instead, the paper presents network-based sensing as a complementary layer capable of covering broad areas and supporting existing sensor systems. Potential applications include detecting objects, measuring movement, locating equipment and identifying changes in an environment.
Such capabilities could allow communications infrastructure to contribute to traffic management, industrial monitoring, building operations and airspace oversight without requiring an entirely separate sensing network for every application.
The study arrives as sensing becomes a formal part of international discussions about sixth-generation wireless systems. The International Telecommunication Union’s IMT-2030 framework, which guides the development of 6G, identifies integrated sensing and communication as one of the expected usage scenarios for future networks.
Commercial Opportunities Face Practical Tests
The authors assess use cases according to factors including market size, technical feasibility, expected time to market, strategic relevance and potential for monetization. Industrial automation, connected transportation and low-altitude airspace management are identified among the more promising early commercial areas.
Inside industrial sites, sensing-enabled networks could potentially track machinery, vehicles, workers or materials while maintaining wireless connectivity. Transportation applications could include detecting road users and supporting vehicle positioning, while low-altitude sensing may assist with the monitoring of drones and other objects operating above urban areas.
The paper also considers healthcare, smart cities, smart buildings and network optimization. Not all applications are likely to reach the market at the same pace. Some will require more accurate sensing, wider device support or stronger regulatory frameworks before they can move beyond trials.
Commercial models discussed by the researchers include sensing-as-a-service platforms, application programming interfaces that give authorized customers access to sensing data, industry-specific solutions and network slices configured for sensing requirements. Telecom operators could also offer context-aware services built around information collected by the network.
Those models remain proposals rather than established sources of revenue. Operators would first need to determine who owns the resulting data, which parties are allowed to access it and how sensing services should be priced. Enterprises will also require evidence that network-based sensing can achieve the accuracy, reliability and security needed for operational decisions.
Standards, Privacy and Deployment Remain Unsettled
Technical standardization will play a central role in determining whether ISAC develops into an interoperable network capability or a collection of vendor-specific systems. The study reviews work involving ITU-R’s IMT-2030 process, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, IEEE wireless standards and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project.
3GPP has already opened technical work related to ISAC, including studies addressing radio technology, network architecture, charging, management and security. A separate 3GPP overview of proposed 6G use cases describes ISAC as the integration of communications, sensing and positioning within a common network layer.
Several engineering questions still require resolution. Communications and sensing functions may compete for radio resources, and network designers will have to balance data transmission against sensing accuracy. Performance may also differ depending on spectrum bands, network density, antenna configurations and the physical environment.
Privacy is another significant consideration. A network capable of detecting movement or objects across a wide area could produce information about individuals, vehicles and commercial activity even when personal identification is not its stated purpose. Access controls, data minimization, retention limits and transparent authorization mechanisms will therefore be important to deployment.
Security requirements extend beyond protecting transmitted data. Attackers could attempt to manipulate sensing signals, generate false observations or obtain information from sensing interfaces. Standards bodies and regulators will need to address those risks before ISAC is used in safety-sensitive settings such as transportation, factories or drone management.
UAE Research Targets a Role in 6G Development
The publication reflects broader efforts by telecommunications companies and universities in the UAE to participate in 6G research before commercial standards and deployment models are settled. Industry-academic collaboration can give researchers access to network requirements and operational constraints while allowing operators to evaluate technologies before committing to large infrastructure investments.
Marwan Bin Shakar, chief technology officer at e& UAE and one of the paper’s authors, said: “The value of 6G will depend on the industry’s ability to translate advanced technologies into deployable services and sustainable business models. This joint applied research provides a practical framework for identifying where integrated sensing can create value and how investment, network evolution and standardisation can be aligned.”
Continued progress in international standards, spectrum policy, equipment development and investment will shape the rollout of 6G capabilities. ISAC offers an early view of how mobile infrastructure could move beyond connectivity, enabling networks to generate useful information about the physical world.
