Sensing Service

Description

The Sensing Service is a capability introduced in 3GPP Release 20 (TS 23.137 and TS 28.893) that uses radio signals to collect and provide information about objects and/or characteristics of the environment. It represents a fundamental expansion of the role of cellular networks from pure communication to also include sensing, often referred to as Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC). The service leverages the same radio spectrum, infrastructure, and devices used for communication to detect, locate, and characterize objects and the environment, without requiring dedicated sensor hardware.

In operation, the Sensing Service is requested by a consumer (e.g., an application function, another network function, or an operator's internal system) through the Sensing Function in the core network. The request specifies the sensing target (e.g., object detection, presence, localization, velocity, or environmental monitoring), the desired accuracy, the sensing area, and the time constraints. The Sensing Function authorizes the request and coordinates with the RAN and UEs to configure sensing transmitters and receivers. Radio signals are transmitted, interact with the environment, and are received; the resulting measurements are processed to extract the requested information. The results are then delivered back to the consumer, possibly with quality-of-service guarantees.

The Sensing Service can be offered in various modes, including monostatic (same node transmits and receives), bistatic (separate transmitter and receiver), and multistatic (multiple transmitters and/or receivers). It can be performed by RAN nodes alone, by UEs alone, or by a combination. This flexibility allows operators to tailor sensing to different use cases, such as intrusion detection in a factory, gesture recognition for human-machine interaction, traffic monitoring, or weather sensing. The service is designed to coexist with communication services, sharing spectrum and infrastructure efficiently.

From a management perspective, the Sensing Service is subject to policy, charging, and exposure controls. The Sensing Function enforces authorization and privacy rules, ensuring that sensing is performed only for legitimate consumers and in compliance with regulations. The service can be exposed to external parties via the Network Exposure Function (NEF), enabling third-party applications to request sensing results. The Sensing Service is a key enabler for new business models and is expected to be further enhanced in 6G.

Purpose & Motivation

The Sensing Service was created to integrate sensing as a native capability of 3GPP networks, transforming cellular infrastructure into a dual-purpose communication and sensing platform. Traditionally, sensing was performed by dedicated systems such as radar, which required separate spectrum, hardware, and deployment. This was costly and inefficient, especially as spectrum is scarce and infrastructure deployment is expensive. By using radio signals for both communication and sensing, 3GPP aims to achieve significant synergies: the same base stations, spectrum, and devices can serve both purposes, reducing cost and enabling new applications.

The service also addresses the growing demand for context-aware applications, such as autonomous vehicles, smart factories, and extended reality, which require detailed information about the physical environment. Existing communication networks could not provide such information natively; it had to be obtained from external sensors or proprietary systems. The Sensing Service standardizes the collection and provisioning of this information, making it accessible through well-defined interfaces and subject to network control.

Furthermore, the Sensing Service enables operators to monetize sensing as a value-added service, similar to positioning or edge computing. It provides a standardized way to expose sensing capabilities to third parties, ensuring interoperability and enabling a vibrant ecosystem of sensing applications. This is a key step toward 6G, where sensing and communication are expected to be fully integrated.