ATIS Next G Alliance Advances Industry Understanding Of Joint/Integrated Communication And Sensing For 6G Innovation

ATIS’ Next G Alliance (NGA), the leading authority on 6G in North America, today announced the publication of “Channel Measurements and Modeling for Joint/Integrated Communication and Sensing, as well as 7–24 GHz Communication Channels, Phase II.”

Spectrum spanning 7–24 GHz, particularly the 7–15 GHz segment, is poised to play a pivotal role in next generation wireless, starting with 6G features. Among the six key usage scenarios identified for this band is Joint/Integrated Communication and Sensing (J/ICAS), which reuses existing telecommunications infrastructure for radiofrequency sensing with no need for active transmissions from objects being detected.

The Phase II white paper builds upon the foundational measurements and models presented in the NGA’s July 2024 Phase I report on the topic. Phase I delivered initial channel modeling for both midband (7–24 GHz) and mmWave frequencies; Phase II extends the work by:

• Conducting additional measurements of communication channels across the 7–24 GHz range.
• Introducing enhanced sensing channel models that account for both target reflections and environmental interactions.
• Focusing on, among other areas, sensing background characterization in urban street canyon environments and providing a more rigorous sensing background channel model that captures the non-sparsity of clutter echoes.

“The advanced research effort that went into this paper represents one of the industry’s most comprehensive studies of integrated communication and sensing capabilities for future wireless systems,” said Jaydee Griffith, Managing Director of the NGA. “It is another contribution that highlights the NGA’s position as the industry leader driving the innovation behind 6G development.”

“The Next G Alliance Technology & Roadmap Working Group (TRWG) has been actively advancing the understanding of 6G channel characteristics in both midband (7–15 GHz) and 28 GHz frequencies, with a focus on communication and Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) applications,” said Amitava Ghosh (Nokia), Chair of the NGA TRWG.

“This Phase 2 report delivers valuable new insights into a range of communication environments and includes updated penetration loss measurements at midband frequencies, as well as detailed radar cross-section (RCS) and background characterizations essential for ISAC.

“By providing foundational data and analysis, this work paves the way for 6G standardization and future deployments across both midband and mmWave spectrum for communication and integrated communication and sensing use cases. I would like to thank the lead editor Jinfeng Du and key contributors from industry, academia and government who contributed to this report.”

Access “Channel Measurements and Modeling for Joint/Integrated Communication and Sensing as well as 7–24 GHz Communication Channels, Phase II.” Visit the NGA’s comprehensive 6G Library (https://nextgalliance.org/6g-library/).