Kristen Smith 
- Ericsson radios and AT&T’s network tracked drones flying at 300 to 400 feet outside AT&T Stadium in Texas
- The setup repurposed communications signals as a distributed sensing platform
- More ISAC demos are planned, including work tied to a major Los Angeles sporting event in 2028
AT&T and Ericsson have demonstrated drone detection using network sensing over a live 5G network, a capability generally associated with future 6G systems. AT&T announced the demonstration Friday.
The test took place in authorized airspace outside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, during what the companies described as one of the world’s largest global sporting events. Ericsson radios and AT&T’s network detected, located and tracked multiple drones flying at altitudes between 300 and 400 feet, generating real-time data on each aircraft’s position, velocity and elevation.
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How Did the 5G Network Sense Drones Without Dedicated Radar?
Ericsson deployed its multiple-input, multiple-output, or MIMO, radios on existing cellular towers at multiple sites, forming a multi-static sensing arrangement in which reflections transmitted from one node can be picked up by others. The setup paired sensing-enabled radio transmissions with signal processing and artificial intelligence-driven algorithms to interpret the returns in real time. AT&T said the approach repurposes signals normally used for communications, turning network infrastructure into a distributed sensing platform without standalone detection hardware.
The technique falls under integrated sensing and communication, or ISAC, a capability that enables a wireless network to transmit data while simultaneously detecting objects in its environment, including passive ones carrying no electronics. Standardized ISAC is expected to mature alongside commercial 6G deployments in the 2030 timeframe.
What Applications Could Network-Based Drone Sensing Support?
The companies pointed to protection of major venues, critical infrastructure and public spaces as target uses, along with wide-area drone awareness systems for public sector stakeholders as low-altitude commercial activity grows. Yigal Elbaz, senior vice president and network chief technology officer at AT&T, said the work shows how sensing can be integrated with connectivity to support safer operations and smarter venues.
Dyon Agnew, who leads Ericsson’s AT&T customer unit in the Americas, said the demonstration reflects a strategy of introducing 6G building blocks on advanced 5G now and evolving them as the standards path firms up. The companies plan further ISAC demonstrations, including work oriented toward a major sporting event coming to Los Angeles in 2028.
