Ericsson shows 5G drone detection system in Texas, pushing networks toward 6G sensing
Ericsson has demonstrated a live 5G-based drone detection system at its U.S. headquarters in Plano, Texas.
The test showed how a mobile network can do more than carry traffic. It can also sense its surroundings and detect passive objects that are not connected to the network. Ericsson used massive-MIMO radios to track unmanned aerial vehicles in nearby airspace, turning telecom infrastructure into a wide-area sensing layer. The work centers on ISAC, or Integrated Sensing and Communication, a technology that combines connectivity and environmental sensing on the same network platform. In practice, that means a radio network can help identify object location and movement instead of serving only phones and other connected devices.
The implications extend well beyond a technical demonstration. Network-based sensing could support UAV and airspace safety, transportation assistance, industrial automation, worker protection and site security. Its main advantage is scale. Operators could build on existing radio sites, spectrum assets and hardware rather than deploy entirely new sensing infrastructure. That gives networks a broader field of awareness than local sensors alone and could help detect activity in complex environments where line-of-sight systems face limits. Ericsson said the approach is designed to augment, not replace, local sensors by adding a wider-area view.
ISAC is still early in the standards process, but momentum is building. Initial studies are underway in 3GPP Release 19, and the capability is expected to become part of early 6G standardization. That places sensing alongside communications as a core future network function rather than a niche add-on. The Texas trial also highlights a broader U.S. push to link advanced wireless research, standards development and domestic manufacturing. Ericsson has a sizable U.S. research footprint and produces advanced 5G radios and RAN compute systems in Texas, giving it a base to support future 6G deployments that combine sensing and communications.
The significance of the test is clear. It moves the idea of a network that can perceive the physical world from concept toward deployment. If ISAC matures at scale, operators could turn existing wireless infrastructure into a distributed sensing platform with implications for safer airspace, smarter industry and a more valuable 6G network architecture.