Samsung and LG Uplus want to turn cell towers into radar for 6G

Samsung Electronics and LG Uplus signed a memorandum of understanding on 27 May to jointly develop Integrated Sensing and Communication, or ISAC, a technology that would allow mobile network base stations to double as environmental sensors. The agreement was signed at LG Science Park in Magok, Seoul, with Samsung Research, the advanced R&D division within Samsung’s Device eXperience unit, leading the development effort.

ISAC works by analysing wireless signals as they reflect off nearby objects, extracting information about an object’s speed, distance, and direction of movement. In practical terms, it means a cell tower could detect a drone, track a vehicle, or monitor foot traffic without any dedicated sensing hardware. The technology uses the same signals that already carry voice and data, turning existing communications infrastructure into a sensing platform.

Why it matters

Environmental sensing today relies on dedicated equipment. LiDAR systems use laser light to measure distance, while radar uses radio waves. Both require separate hardware that must be installed, powered, and maintained independently of the communications network. ISAC eliminates that requirement by piggybacking sensing on the wireless infrastructure that mobile operators have already built.

The International Telecommunication Union’s Radiocommunication Sector, which sets the global framework for mobile standards, has designated ISAC as one of six usage scenarios for IMT-2030, the formal name for 6G. It sits alongside immersive communication, hyper-reliable low-latency communication, massive communication, ubiquitous connectivity, and AI-integrated communication. The inclusion signals that 6G networks are being designed from the outset to sense the physical world, not just move data through it.

What they will test

The collaboration will initially focus on human detection for safety applications and on improving network operational efficiency. The two companies plan to validate ISAC performance on LG Uplus’s existing 5G networks first, then move to the 7 GHz band, a candidate frequency for 6G that offers a balance between the wide coverage of lower bands and the high bandwidth of millimetre-wave spectrum.

Over time the partnership will combine ISAC-generated wireless data, including location, speed, and density information, with camera imagery to improve detection accuracy. That work will involve developing multimodal AI models that integrate and analyse diverse forms of sensing data. Samsung Research will handle core ISAC and AI technology development, while LG Uplus will provide data and field-testing infrastructure from its commercial network.

The spectrum race behind 6G

The 7 GHz band is increasingly described as the “golden band” for 6G because it offers enough bandwidth for high-speed data while still propagating far enough for practical coverage. South Korea is actively exploring the 7.125 to 8.4 GHz range as a primary 6G candidate. The World Radiocommunication Conference in 2023 identified portions of the 6.425 to 7.125 GHz band for mobile use in several regions, and the 7.125 to 8.4 GHz range is on the agenda for WRC-27.

In the United States, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration must complete its study of the 7.125 to 7.4 GHz band by the end of 2026 before it can be opened to commercial wireless. Europe is pursuing the upper 6 GHz range. The allocation decisions at WRC-27 will largely determine which countries have the spectrum to deploy 6G at scale and which do not. For South Korea, whose economy is deeply exposed to shifts in global tech supply chains, securing early 6G spectrum and standards influence is a strategic priority.

Samsung’s 6G positioning

Samsung has been building its 6G credentials methodically. The company published a 6G white paper outlining its vision for AI-native and sustainable communications, demonstrated 6G technologies alongside global partners at the Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit in November 2025, and showcased AI-RAN capabilities at Mobile World Congress in March 2026. The ISAC collaboration with LG Uplus extends that work from lab demonstrations to field validation on a live commercial network.

The partnership pairs Samsung’s research capabilities with LG Uplus’s operational infrastructure, a combination that matters because ISAC performance in controlled environments may differ significantly from real-world networks with interference, building reflections, and variable traffic loads. Samsung’s broader ambitions in AI and semiconductor manufacturing give it a vertically integrated stake in 6G infrastructure that few competitors can match.

Commercial 6G deployment is not expected until the early 2030s, and ISAC will need to clear both technical and regulatory hurdles before it replaces dedicated sensing equipment at scale. But the technology represents a genuine shift in what a wireless network can do, and Samsung and LG Uplus are now testing whether the physics holds up outside the lab.