Tiami Networks, Turkcell test camera-free 5G sensing in field trials

Tiami Networks and Turkcell say real-world 5G field trials in Istanbul showed Integrated Sensing and Communication can estimate crowd density with 90% accuracy and locate an individual within three meters. The tests point to how existing mobile networks could support sensing applications now, ahead of wider 6G deployment.

Why it matters: - The trials show existing 5G networks can do more than carry data. They can also sense movement, density and location without cameras. - The results point to near-term uses in crowd management, indoor positioning and facility security. - The work also connects current commercial 5G networks to future 6G capabilities.

What happened: - Tiami Networks and Turkcell completed real-world field trials of Integrated Sensing and Communication, or ISAC, using existing 5G infrastructure. - The tests took place at the Istanbul Expo Center and Turkcell Küçükyalı Plaza. - The team used Tiami Networks’ PolyEdge solution to analyze changes in 5G signals and infer human movement, crowd density and location. - The trials were designed to work without cameras.

The details: - At the Istanbul Expo Center, the team used Turkcell’s Mobile Private Network solution in the first phase of testing. - The system estimated crowd density at different levels with 90% accuracy. - The system estimated an individual’s location within three meters. - The trials also tested human-presence, crowd-density and security-related sensing scenarios using C-band 5G infrastructure. - Turkcell said the work was the first time in Türkiye that these ISAC scenarios were tested in the C-band on commercial 5G infrastructure. - At Turkcell Küçükyalı Plaza, the system estimated crowd density at the building entrance. - The second phase also tested a security scenario in which human movement could trigger an alarm.

Between the lines: - Camera-free sensing could reduce dependence on video monitoring while using wireless signals already present for communications. - The tests in both a controlled venue and an operating facility suggest the technology may be moving beyond lab work. - ISAC is part of the 6G roadmap and is identified in the International Telecommunication Union’s IMT-2030 framework as a future network capability. - The trials suggest operators can begin exploring parts of that roadmap today with existing 5G infrastructure.

What's next: - Tiami Networks and Turkcell are positioning the work as a bridge between current commercial 5G networks and future 6G use cases. - Tiami Networks said it will continue working with Turkcell’s 6GEN.LAB team on practical ISAC applications. - Turkcell said future networks will evolve into intelligent systems capable of sensing their surroundings in real time.

The bottom line: - The field trials show 5G networks can already support useful sensing functions that do not rely on cameras, opening the door to new commercial and security applications before 6G arrives.