Ericsson launches ISAC System to detect drones with 5G networks

Ericsson has introduced its ISAC, or Integrated Sensing and Communication, System, which adds sensing capability to mobile networks so defense, public safety and critical infrastructure operators can detect and track moving objects such as drones, including ones that are not connected to the network. The system works by analyzing how radio signals reflect off objects, using a multi-static approach where transmission and reception are spread across multiple separate network sites, giving views of an object from several angles at once.

It relies on sensing-capable 5G radios, edge computing, AI and signal processing, and reuses existing towers, backhaul and spectrum rather than requiring new infrastructure. Tracking data and AI-based object classification are shared through standardized interfaces with security and command and control systems, and Ericsson positions the system as a complement to radar and other sensors rather than a replacement.

In testing, Ericsson says the system reliably detected and tracked micro drones at kilometer-scale distances with precise 3D positioning, with trials run alongside AT&T in Arlington, Texas, Erillisverkot in Helsinki, and Ericsson, Asseco and Play in Poland, where it was paired with Asseco's PUSZCZYK acoustic detection system. Ericsson plans small-scale, sensing-only commercial pilots with selected customers in 2027, with broader deployments from 2028, and expects to add integrated communications capability as the system evolves toward 6G. Ericsson's Freddie Sodergren said low-flying drones create a detection coverage gap that no single sensor can effectively address.

Why it matters

Turning existing cell towers into drone sensors could close a security gap for critical infrastructure without building entirely new detection networks.

Source: Ericsson