6G may be many years away from prime time but the ramp up to the next-generation cellular standard has already begun. Now, they are starting to test the technology in the field.
Verizon and Samsung have conducted what they claim is the first AI-powered integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) field trial based on a virtualized radio access network (vRAN) for crowd detection.
ISAC applications transform cellular networks into massive, distributed radar-like sensors that don’t require a physical camera. The field trial used 5G advanced capabilities to explore how ISAC could support:
- Public safety
- Environmental awareness
- Event management
This will then create a path to evolve these capabilities with 6G, the companies said.
The demo
During a Samsung-staged international soccer event in Dallas, Texas, held in July, the field trial used a single 5G base station and 40 MHz of Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum and then tracked the raw radio variations from six localized Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
Samsung’s AI RAN and localized AI platform analyzed these ambient wireless signal changes to generate real-time crowd-density heatmaps on commercial phones and a tablet. The crowd-sensing technology measures the number of people in each area, at any given time. No information about the people is obtained nor are individual users identified, the companies said.
The companies said the successful trial not only validated how network-sensing can perform real-time intelligence at large-scale events, but it can allow event organizers to monitor spectator flows in real time.
Additionally, the trial could help event organizers:
- Streamline gate operations
- Reduce concession line wait times
- Address overcrowding risks
6G path to the Olympics
The companies plan to share findings from these (and other) ecosystem demonstrations involving ISAC, digital twins, robotics, AI and advanced wearables with Verizon’s 6G Innovation Forum (6GIF), an organization formed to develop 6G foundational technologies.
It will use some of these findings at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which will function as the ultimate proving ground on the road to commercial 6G deployment, Verizon said.
Verizon will use its 6G Lab in Los Angeles to stress-test the massive capacity demands and early use cases for the AI-native era. The telecom said it hopes this will deliver user applications based on use cases at the Olympics that then can be ported to consumers nationwide.
New 6GIF members
Verizon has also added new members to its 6GIF including:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Cisco
- Intel
- Keysight Technologies
- MediaTek
- Nvidia
- Palo Alto Networks
- Rohde & Schwarz
- Viavi Solutions
These companies join the founding members Ericsson, Samsung, Nokia, Meta and Qualcomm.
