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Vodafone tests 5G sensing that could make phones safety-aware
Vodafone and Tiami Networks have demonstrated an Integrated Sensing and Communication proof of concept that uses a 5G network to detect objects without disrupting calls, messages or mobile data.
Vodafone is testing a 5G capability that could eventually give smartphones a new role: helping people understand what is happening around them. In an announcement published on February 26, 2026, the operator said it had worked with Tiami Networks on an Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) proof of concept. The technology uses radio signals from a mobile network to detect objects and people, rather than relying on cameras or dedicated sensors.
The demonstration does not turn an existing phone into a consumer radar overnight. Instead, it shows how software added to a compatible mobile network could make the network itself act as a wide-area sensing system. Vodafone and Tiami Networks presented the test as a step toward future safety, industrial and environmental applications, with further work planned through 2026.
How the 5G sensing test worked
At Vodafone’s research and development laboratory in Málaga, Spain, the companies used Tiami Networks’ PolyRAN software to transform base stations into sensors covering a wider area. The system detected unconnected objects, including people, across a 5G network. That distinction matters: the objects did not need to carry a tracker, connect to the network or run a special app for the proof of concept to identify their presence.
Vodafone says the test used current mobile spectrum, existing base-station infrastructure and smartphones. It also demonstrated that sensing could operate without interfering with ordinary network services. According to the company, calls, messages and internet access continued without disruption while the network detected objects through radio waves.
The approach resembles echolocation. Radio signals travel through an environment, interact with objects and return information that software can analyse. In a future deployment, that information could be used to identify a dangerous crowd density, detect an intruder around a restricted site or alert people to a hazard. Those are possible applications, not features that Vodafone has announced for consumer phones.
Potential uses beyond the smartphone
Vodafone’s examples extend well beyond personal safety alerts. ISAC could support crowd monitoring at transport hubs, airports or event venues without requiring camera-based observation. It could also help industrial sites identify unauthorised movement, detect drones or monitor areas that are difficult to cover with conventional equipment.
The company points to other possible uses, including disaster monitoring, livestock tracking and three-dimensional mapping for smart glasses. In a home or workplace, the same general principle could eventually help locate unusual activity or identify an environmental problem. These scenarios remain research directions. The Málaga demonstration established that objects could be detected across the network, but it did not publish consumer alert accuracy, detection range or a timetable for public availability.
That limitation is important for anyone imagining an immediate safety feature. A network can detect a change in radio reflections without necessarily understanding what caused it. Turning that signal into a reliable warning would require additional software, carefully defined thresholds and testing in different buildings, weather conditions and crowd patterns. False alarms, missed detections and privacy safeguards would all need to be addressed before a service could be trusted in everyday situations.
Why Open RAN matters
The trial also highlights the role of Open RAN in Vodafone’s roadmap. The operator used Open RAN-compliant radio antennas to show how software from one partner could work with network equipment from different vendors. That modular model is intended to make it easier to introduce new network applications without replacing an entire radio system.
In this case, the sensing capability is presented as a software-driven function running alongside connectivity. Vodafone describes this direction as part of the evolution toward AI-on-RAN, where base stations do more than transmit data and can process information closer to the place where it is collected. For users, that could eventually mean faster responses for location-aware services, provided the network can meet strict performance and privacy requirements.
A preview of 6G rather than a 6G launch
Vodafone considers ISAC an important capability for future software-driven 6G networks, which it expects to become operational around 2030. The current proof of concept is therefore better understood as a preview of a possible 6G use case than as a commercial 6G service. The operator also notes that work on ISAC is feeding into the 3GPP Release 19 standards process.
The announcement is relevant today because it connects two trends that are often discussed separately: the growing intelligence of smartphones and the move toward programmable mobile networks. A phone could one day receive a safety notification based on sensing performed by the surrounding network, while the network operator could offer the capability to venues, transport providers or industrial customers.
For now, the confirmed result is narrower but still significant. Vodafone and Tiami Networks have shown that a 5G network can be used to detect unconnected objects through radio signals while continuing to carry normal mobile traffic. The next stage will determine whether that laboratory result can become accurate, privacy-conscious and dependable enough for real-world services.
Vodafone’s official announcement contains the company’s technical overview of the trial and its planned continuation through 2026.