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A demonstration using ISAC technology to detect human movements and crowd density in an actual crowded event environment, analyzing the collected data in real time with AI, and rendering the crowd density into a heatmap. / Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics announced on the 15th that it became the first in the industry to successfully conduct a field trial of Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), a core 6G technology, leveraging virtualized network solutions with U.S. mobile carrier Verizon.

Samsung Electronics and Verizon demonstrated AI-based ISAC technology in a live event setting using Samsung's virtualized network solutions during a global sports event held in Texas, U.S., this past July.

ISAC is a crucial 6G technology that utilizes telecommunications equipment as high-precision sensors. Without requiring separate dedicated devices, it leverages existing telecom infrastructure to analyze reflection data from radio signals collected by base stations, detecting the location, velocity, and movement direction of objects.

Because it can operate in blind spots or dark environments where conventional sensing methods face limitations, the technology can be deployed across various sectors, including public safety, security, transportation, and industrial sites.

In an actual crowded event environment, the two companies utilized ISAC to detect human movements and crowd density, analyzed the collected data in real time via AI, and successfully rendered the crowd density into a heatmap visualization.

By deploying this technology, operators can monitor crowd density in real time at large-scale gatherings such as sports events or concerts.

Event organizers can use the data to manage congestion zones, prevent safety accidents, and guide attendees toward less crowded amenities or alternative transit routes.

Samsung's latest AI Radio Access Network (AI RAN) solution, NIS, was deployed in the field trial.

NIS serves as an edge AI platform that implements network functions—such as AI, base stations, and core elements—through software, integrating high-performance computing power like CPUs and GPUs onto a single platform.

In particular, because NIS can deploy diverse network functions via software onto a unified hardware platform, it enables new technologies such as ISAC to be implemented without modifying existing network hardware or installing separate dedicated equipment.

Seol Ji-yoon, Executive Vice President and Head of the Product Strategy Team in the Networks Business at Samsung Electronics, stated, "Samsung Electronics and Verizon broke through the 150-year-old convention that telecommunications must be hardware-centric, leading the shift toward software-based next-generation networks and achieving a fundamental paradigm shift," adding, "Amid fierce global competition to secure leadership in network AI, Samsung will leverage cutting-edge technology to open up the horizons of a new era brought by AI and 6G."

Charlie Zhang, Executive Vice President and Head of the 6G Research Team at Samsung Research, who participated in the field trial, noted, "By demonstrating ISAC, recognized as a pivotal technology of the 6G era, at a global event, we brought the commercial feasibility of this technology one step closer," adding, "As the U.S. prepares for the creation and expansion of new AI and 6G services through frequency band expansion and other measures, Samsung Electronics will pool its advanced research capabilities to lead next-generation technologies."

                                                                                                              Ahn So-yeon