Ericsson plans small commercial pilots of drone detection using 5G mobile sites in 2027, a step toward wider deployment that it says could reduce the need for dedicated sensing infrastructure.
The pilots will initially provide sensing only, the company said in a Nov. 2 announcement. Ericsson plans broader sensing deployments from 2028, while communications capabilities are expected to develop as the technology moves toward 6G.
The Ericsson Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) System uses radio signals reflected by objects to locate and follow them. It combines sensing-capable 5G radios with computing and signal processing across multiple network sites. Ericsson says it can detect drones even when they are not connected to the mobile network and pass results to authorized security systems.
Ericsson is targeting defense, public safety and critical-infrastructure operators, positioning mobile sites as an additional sensing layer alongside radar and other sensors. The company says mobile sites could provide an additional sensing layer across wide areas without installing as much dedicated equipment.
In tests, Ericsson said the system detected and tracked micro drones at kilometer-scale distances and determined their positions in three dimensions. It said results depend on the drone, terrain and sensing setup, and gave no exact range or positioning-error figure.
The plan follows demonstrations in several countries. In a demonstration announced July 10, Ericsson and AT&T reported tracking multiple drones flying 300 to 400 feet above ground outside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Ericsson and Erillisverkot also tested the technology at Vuosaari Harbor in Helsinki in September.
At an October demonstration in Kraków, Ericsson, Play and Asseco used industrial spectrum for sensing, while Play’s 5G network carried the data. That setup differs from sensing through a commercial mobile network’s radio spectrum.
Ericsson’s broader account of the technology places standardized commercial deployment around 2030. Its next stated milestone is the small-scale pilot phase in 2027.
