ETSI Maps 18 Use Cases for 6G Sensing Rollout
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has released a significant report forecasting how the integration of sensing capabilities into 6G networks could transform industries worldwide.
The report, focusing on Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), outlines 18 advanced use cases where the fusion of communication and sensing technologies will create a more context-aware, efficient and responsive digital environment.
Alain Mourad, Chair of the ISAC Industry Specification Group at ETSI, commented:
"This first report on advanced ISAC use cases and requirements sets the foundations for ISAC's forthcoming specifications in 6G. I'm delighted that this GR has been released on time for further consideration by specification groups such as 3GPP SA1 in their work toward 6G."
ISAC: A new era for wireless networks
ISAC represents a profound shift in wireless network design. Future 6G systems will not only transmit data but actively perceive their environment. Through the integration of sensing directly into network infrastructure, the same radio signalsâand potentially the same spectrum and hardwareâwill be used for both communication and sensing tasks.
The fusion aims to deliver significant technological and societal benefits with wide-reaching applications across healthcare, public safety, transportation, manufacturing and smart city development.
Transforming healthcare, safety and urban mobility
Healthcare is among the many areas poised for transformation. ETSI's report envisages outdoor healthcare sensing, where base stations equipped with ISAC capabilities could monitor vital signs such as heart rate and breathing patterns in public spaces. Such systems could automatically alert emergency services during medical incidents, such as sudden falls or cardiac events.
The report addresses Robotic applications. Future 6G networks may enable remotely controlled robots to assist with elderly care, acting as avatars for relatives and healthcare providers. Sophisticated sensing and interaction abilities would allow these robots to provide both companionship and medical monitoring.
In public safety, ISAC could transform emergency search and rescue efforts. Mobile devices enhanced with ISAC functionality may detect micro-movements like heartbeats or breathing, enabling the location of individuals trapped under debris or snow.
Smart traffic management systems could benefit the transportation sector. By combining ISAC RF sensing with visual data, cities could gain real-time insights into traffic density, vehicle types, and pedestrian movements, optimising traffic light scheduling to improve flow and safety.
Furthermore, ISAC is crucial for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations. Acting as an independent verification system alongside GNSS, ISAC would enhance safety for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLoS) drone operations, particularly in dense urban areas.
Enhancing industry with precision sensing
The industrial applications of 6G sensing are equally compelling. Digital twinning is highlighted, where collaborative robots could use environmental data captured by ISAC-enabled networks to perform complex tasks more precisely.
Accurate object handling, made possible by precise localisation technologies, will be crucial for manufacturing and construction environments. Meanwhile, real-time cyber-physical systems (R-CPS) will enable skilled workers to operate machinery remotely in hazardous environments, supported by ultra-reliable, low-latency communications and high-fidelity sensor data.
Technical requirements and challenges ahead
The report identifies stringent technical requirements for future 6G networks to realise these use cases. These include positioning accuracies down to the millimetre scale, sub-millisecond latencies for real-time control, and extremely low probabilities of false detection.
Several deployment environments are considered, ranging from indoor factories to outdoor urban settings, each presenting unique challenges. The study examines the impact of different frequency bands, highlighting the potential for multi-band approaches to balance coverage and resolution.
Six sensing modes—variations of monostatic and bistatic operations involving base stations and user equipment—are explored. Flexible support across all modes is recommended to maximise performance and deployment options.
However, significant hurdles remain. Innovation must continue to achieve reliable fine-scale motion detection, ensure extreme synchronisation for human-robot interaction, and maintain robust sensing in complex environments. Technologies such as AI-driven data fusion, distributed sensing, and multi-sensor integration are expected to be critical.
Building a secure and trustworthy 6G future
The ETSI report strongly emphasises privacy, security and trustworthiness. Given that nine of the 18 identified use cases focus on sensing humans, ethical handling of personal data will be paramount.
"With nine of the eighteen use cases having the primary goal to sense humans and six others dealing with sensing in the presence of humans, the need for this study becomes apparent."
Ensuring user consent, safeguarding data through anonymisation, preventing unauthorised access and building systems that command public trust is essential for societal acceptance and regulatory compliance.
A roadmap for future 6G development
ETSI's foundational work on ISAC use cases sets a critical roadmap for integrating sensing into 6G networks. Recommendations include advancing ISAC-specific channel modelling, developing adaptable system architectures and establishing robust evaluation methodologies.
With sensing technologies poised to extend the reach and capabilities of future wireless networks, the groundwork laid by ETSI is set to shape a new era of connectivity—one in which networks not only connect but perceive, interpret, and respond to the world around them.
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