InterDigital and Türk Telekom Achieve World’s First Collaborative Cellular and Wi-Fi Sensing Using Preliminary 6G Architecture
Partners to showcase inaugural Wi-Fi and cellular sensing on preliminary 6G architecture at MWC
WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InterDigital, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDCC), a wireless, video and AI technology research and development company, and Türk Telekom, Türkiye’s leading integrated telecommunications operator, today announced the world’s first implementation of collaborative cellular and Wi-Fi sensing using preliminary 6G architecture. The milestone achievement will be showcased at Mobile World Congress 2026 and represents a significant step toward realizing intelligent, sensing-enabled 6G systems.
The research collaboration, conducted at Türk Telekom Innovation and Test Center in Ankara, demonstrates how cellular and Wi-Fi networks can work together as complementary sensing technologies. By fusing sensing data from both radio systems, the partners achieved improved sensing accuracy, enhanced sensing service continuity, and reduced blind spots, particularly in indoor environments where traditional sensing approaches face coverage and resource challenges.
At the core of the demonstration is Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), a pillar of 6G that enables networks to both communicate and sense their environment using radio infrastructure and spectrum. ISAC leverages widely deployed infrastructure to allow networks to detect presence, motion, and objects, while preserving privacy and operating cost efficiently at scale. Underlying this practical implementation of collaborative sensing are baseline ISAC architectural concepts developed in the first release of the ETSI ISAC Industry Specification Group (ISG). InterDigital’s Alain Mourad is serving a second term as Chair of the ETSI ISAC ISG.
“Our achievement is not just a research milestone, but a preview of how future networks will sense, adapt, and intelligently serve people and industries,” said InterDigital CTO Rajesh Pankaj. “One of the biggest challenges in delivering ISAC is maintaining reliable sensing performance in the face of coverage gaps and resource constraints. Together with Türk Telekom, we’re helping ensure that when 6G arrives, sensing-enabled services will be ready to scale.”
The collaboration leverages InterDigital’s experimental 6G sensing research platform alongside Türk Telekom’s deep expertise in next-generation network trials and real-world operator insights. Together, the companies validated how collaborative sensing can ensure continuous quality of service for sensing-enabled applications, regardless of user location or network conditions.
“At Türk Telekom, we are committed to shaping the future of communications through international research partnerships,” said Türk Telekom CNO Zafer Orhan. “This collaboration with InterDigital highlights how 6G can unlock entirely new capabilities by blending communication and sensing. Collaborative cellular and Wi-Fi sensing will enable applications ranging from smart manufacturing and healthcare to intelligent buildings in a privacy-preserving manner. Türk Telekom as Türkiye’s first and largest integrated operator is driving digital transformation across industries, bringing tangible value to society.” The demonstration revealed robust near real-time indoor human presence detection with higher accuracy and resilience than single-network sensing, validating collaborative sensing as a viable architectural approach for future 6G systems. Potential use cases include:
- Manufacturing: Improved sensing resolution and accuracy for automated production lines
- Healthcare: Precise, non-wearable patient monitoring in clinical environments
- Situational Awareness: Privacy-preserving detection and tracking without visual sensors
“This achievement strongly aligns with the Wireless Broadband Alliance’s work on Wi-Fi–cellular convergence and the evolution toward 6G. At the WBA, we are actively exploring how Wi-Fi can complement cellular networks to deliver seamless, intelligent, and context-aware services,” said Wireless Broadband Alliance CEO Tiago Rodrigues. “InterDigital and Türk Telekom’s collaborative sensing demonstration is an important step in validating how integrated sensing and communication across Wi-Fi and cellular can unlock new capabilities, particularly indoors, while supporting scalable, privacy-conscious innovation.”
As global research accelerates toward 6G commercialization in the early 2030s, the insights from this collaboration will inform future network architectures, operator strategies, and international standards development.
InterDigital and Türk Telekom will showcase their collaborative sensing demo at Mobile World Congress 2026.
About InterDigital®
InterDigital is a global research and development company focused primarily on wireless, video, artificial intelligence (“AI”), and related technologies. We design and develop foundational technologies that enable connected, immersive experiences in a broad range of communications and entertainment products and services. We license our innovations worldwide to companies providing such products and services, including makers of wireless communications devices, consumer electronics, IoT devices, cars and other motor vehicles, and providers of cloud-based services such as video streaming. As a leader in wireless technology, our engineers have designed and developed a wide range of innovations that are used in wireless products and networks, from the earliest digital cellular systems to 5G and today’s most advanced Wi-Fi technologies. We are also a leader in video processing and video encoding/decoding technology, with a significant AI research effort that intersects with both wireless and video technologies. Founded in 1972, InterDigital is listed on Nasdaq.
InterDigital is a registered trademark of InterDigital, Inc.
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InterDigital Contact:
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About Türk Telekom
Türk Telekom Group is Türkiye’s first and largest integrated telecommunications operator, offering innovative services in convergence technologies alongside mobile, broadband, data, TV, and fixed voice services, in line with global standards. With a history spanning more than 185 years, Türk Telekom has consistently added value to Türkiye through its principle of “accessible communication for everyone,” while ensuring that all its stakeholders feel valued. With a vision to introduce Türkiye to new technologies and accelerate its transformation into an information society, Türk Telekom Group companies serve more than 56 million customers across all 81 provinces. Through Innovation and Test Center, Türk Telekom conducts advanced research on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), working with global partners on a shared vision for a more connected, intelligent, and safe future driven by digitalization and innovation.
