TIA 3 - Network as a Sensor

Sensing functionalities open a variety of new considerations for mobile networks. The expected level of convergence between wireless communication and remote sensing varies from mere coexistence, where sensing and communication leverage each other indirectly, to cooperation, where they reciprocally enable one another, or even the integration of both functions with partially or fully overlapped resources. As such, new sensing services require an integral revision concerning every aspect of current mobile communication technologies: the waveform design and signal processing, together with the required hardware to support it; it also includes the full system architecture, resource management and protocols, or even the suitable channel models to cover sensing and communication purposes. Our research dispels the fear of the burden on mobile development that sensing requirements allegedly impose; on the contrary, we show to what extent sensing can enhance connectivity while providing essential data in a secure and sustainable way.