InterDigital (IDCC) Partners with Türk Telekom for 6G Sensing Breakthrough
WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InterDigital, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDCC), a leader in wireless, video, and AI technology research and development, has announced a pioneering collaboration with Türk Telekom, Türkiye’s foremost integrated telecommunications operator. Together, they have achieved the world’s first collaborative cellular and Wi-Fi sensing utilizing preliminary 6G architecture. This significant milestone is set to be showcased at the Mobile World Congress 2026, marking a crucial advancement towards intelligent and sensing-enabled 6G systems.
Advancements in Sensing Technology
This research collaboration, conducted at Türk Telekom’s Innovation and Test Center in Ankara, illustrates the synergy between cellular and Wi-Fi networks as complementary sensing technologies. By integrating data from both systems, the partners achieved enhanced sensing accuracy, improved service continuity, and reduced blind spots, particularly in indoor environments where traditional sensing often struggles.
Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC)
Central to this demonstration is Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), a foundational element of 6G that allows networks to communicate and sense their surroundings using existing radio infrastructure. ISAC is designed to detect presence, motion, and objects while preserving privacy and operating cost efficiency at scale. This collaborative implementation is underpinned by baseline ISAC architectural concepts developed by the ETSI ISAC Industry Specification Group (ISG), chaired by InterDigital’s Alain Mourad.
Future Network Capabilities
“Our achievement is not just a research milestone, but a preview of how future networks will sense, adapt, and intelligently serve people and industries,” stated InterDigital CTO Rajesh Pankaj. He emphasized the challenge of maintaining reliable sensing performance amid coverage gaps and resource constraints, noting that their collaboration with Türk Telekom is vital in preparing for the arrival of 6G.
Real-World Applications
The collaboration leverages InterDigital’s experimental 6G sensing research platform and Türk Telekom’s expertise in next-generation network trials. They validated that collaborative sensing can provide consistent quality of service for sensing-enabled applications, regardless of user location or network conditions.
“At Türk Telekom, we are dedicated to shaping the future of communications through international research partnerships,” remarked Türk Telekom CNO Zafer Orhan. He highlighted that this collaboration illustrates how 6G can unlock new capabilities by merging communication and sensing, enabling applications from smart manufacturing and healthcare to intelligent buildings—all while preserving privacy.
Innovative Use Cases
The demonstration achieved robust near real-time indoor human presence detection with superior accuracy compared to single-network sensing, validating collaborative sensing as a viable architectural approach for future 6G systems. Potential applications span:
- Manufacturing: Enhanced sensing resolution for automated production.
- Healthcare: Non-wearable patient monitoring in clinical settings.
- Situational Awareness: Privacy-preserving detection and tracking.
According to Wireless Broadband Alliance CEO Tiago Rodrigues, this achievement aligns with ongoing efforts toward Wi-Fi–cellular convergence and the evolution toward 6G. He noted that the demonstration by InterDigital and Türk Telekom is a crucial step in validating how integrated sensing and communication can unlock new indoor capabilities while supporting scalable, privacy-conscious innovation.
As research accelerates towards 6G commercialization in the early 2030s, insights from this collaboration will help inform future network architectures, operator strategies, and international standards development. InterDigital and Türk Telekom will present their collaborative sensing demonstration at Mobile World Congress 2026.
For more information on InterDigital, visit www.interdigital.com.