Ericsson pushes ISAC drone abilities in Finland

Drone detection continued to dominate trials of Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) technology, with Ericsson expanding the reach to Finland through work with state-owned ICT player Erillisverkot. The pair conducted live demonstrations in a key cargo harbour in Finnish capital city Helsinki, validating the potential for ISAC to be deployed in key ports of entry to the nation. Ericsson explained the work with Erillisverkot proved ISAC could bring vital sensing information to such locations and address growing concerns over penetration by “small, low-altitude drones” which “can be hard to detect across large areas”. Sensing information simultaneously collected by “several network points” tackled the small-drone detection challenge by providing a bigger picture of the harbour area. Ericsson believes the capability could enable authorities to be notified of threats sooner, with knock-on benefits regarding decision-making and response times. The vendor envisages a future in which ISAC “could work alongside existing sensors” and connect directly to “authorities command and control systems”. Patrik Wikberg, head of Solution Area Public Safety with Ericsson, said access to reliable information is becoming essential to protecting “critical infrastructure”. He hopes the demonstration with Erillisverkot provides Finnish authorities food for thought over “how mobile network-based sensing could complement existing capabilities”. Ismo Parviainen, chief specialist and CDO with the country’s Ministry of the Interior and an Erillisverkot board member, said authorities “need clear and continuous situational awareness of the low-altitude airspace”. He added ISAC use of existing mobile infrastructure is a big plus point, because it uses “investments that are already in place”. Seeing through the haze Ericsson separately explains ISAC works by analysing RF signal reflections to provide spatial awareness without separate sensors. It pitches the function as a likely core element of future 6G networks, though for the moment is running it on 5G infrastructure. The vendor completed a drone detection test with AT&T earlier this year. Drones were also the target of a US government ISAC initiative involving Cohere Technologies. The post Ericsson pushes ISAC drone abilities in Finland appeared first on Mobile World Live .