InterDigital and Türk Telekom Achieve World's First Collaborative Cellular and Wi-Fi Sensing Using Preliminary 6G Architecture
MWN-AI** Summary
InterDigital, Inc. and Türk Telekom have achieved a pioneering milestone by successfully implementing collaborative cellular and Wi-Fi sensing using preliminary 6G architecture. This innovative feat will be showcased at Mobile World Congress 2026, marking a significant advancement in the development of intelligent, sensing-enabled 6G systems. Conducted at Türk Telekom's Innovation and Test Center in Ankara, the collaboration demonstrates how cellular and Wi-Fi networks can function synergistically to enhance sensing capabilities, improving accuracy and continuity while addressing blind spots common in indoor environments.
Central to this achievement is the concept of Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), which allows networks to simultaneously communicate and perceive their surroundings. By integrating sensing data from both network types, the partners have innovated a path toward more reliable sensing performance, overcoming traditional limitations associated with coverage and resource constraints. InterDigital’s Alain Mourad, serving a key position with the ETSI ISAC Industry Specification Group, emphasizes the potential of this collaboration to prepare services for scalable deployment when 6G is fully realized.
According to Türk Telekom's CNO, Zafer Orhan, this initiative underlines the potential of 6G to create new capabilities that combine communication with sensing, paving the way for applications in sectors such as healthcare, smart manufacturing, and intelligent buildings. The demonstration of near real-time indoor human presence detection illustrates the effectiveness of collaborative sensing, presenting a viable direction for future 6G architectures.
As global research accelerates towards 6G commercialization expected in the early 2030s, the insights gained from this collaboration are likely to inform future network architectures and international standards development, significantly contributing to the evolution of wireless communication technologies.
MWN-AI** Analysis
The groundbreaking collaboration between InterDigital and Türk Telekom marks a significant milestone towards the future of 6G technology, with their achievement of collaborative cellular and Wi-Fi sensing. The implications of this development are extensive, suggesting profound changes in how network infrastructure can support applications ranging from smart manufacturing to healthcare, thereby enhancing operational efficiencies and service quality.
From an investment perspective, both companies present compelling opportunities. InterDigital, a leader in wireless intellectual property, stands to gain from licensing its innovations to a growing market driven by the imminent 6G rollout. As demand for enhanced connectivity and integrated sensing solutions evolves, InterDigital's strong research grounding positions it as a potential leader in IP licensing ahead of its competitors who may lag in embracing 6G capabilities.
On the other hand, Türk Telekom's role as Türkiye’s largest integrated telecommunications operator provides it a substantial advantage. With its established network and customer base, it is primed to harness the benefits of these advancements immediately, making it attractive for investors looking for a stake in the digital transformation of telecommunications in emerging markets. Türk Telekom's ongoing commitment to innovation positions it favorably to capitalize on the long-term benefits of integrated sensing technologies.
However, potential investors should keep in mind that while the prospects seem promising, both companies will face challenges such as competitive pressure, regulatory landscape shifts, and the unpredictable pace of 6G adoption. Nevertheless, the strong foundation laid by this collaboration, showcased at the Mobile World Congress 2026, suggests that both companies are well-positioned to leverage the future opportunities of 6G, making them worthy considerations for a balanced technology investment portfolio.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
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.
For more information, visit: www.interdigital.com.
InterDigital Contact:
Roya Stephens
Email: roya.stephens@interdigital.com
+1 (202) 349-1714
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.
FAQ**
How does the collaboration between InterDigital Inc. IDCC and Türk Telekom aim to address the challenges of maintaining reliable sensing performance in the face of coverage gaps and resource constraints for future 6G systems?
What potential impact could the successful implementation of collaborative cellular and Wi-Fi sensing by InterDigital Inc. IDCC and Türk Telekom have on industries such as smart manufacturing and healthcare?
In what ways does the demonstration led by InterDigital Inc. IDCC and Türk Telekom showcase advancements towards Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) in the context of 6G architecture and its privacy-preserving capabilities?
How will insights gained from the collaboration between InterDigital Inc. IDCC and Türk Telekom influence future network architectures and international standards development as the global research community pushes towards 6G commercialization?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about InterDigital Inc. (NASDAQ: IDCC).
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