Integrated Sensing and Communication for 6G: Synchronization Issues

Integrated Sensing and Communication for 6G: Synchronization Issues

Telecom
May 6, 2026 3:55 pm – 4:10 pm

Speakers

Description

At WSTS 2025 we presented a summary of what we may expect in terms of synchronization requirements of 6G networks, targeted for commercial deployment in 2030. One topic that was briefly discussed was Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC). Historically, the requirements for network clocks were based on performance impairments that could directly relate to either an end service (e.g. DS-1 slip objectives) or the performance of the underlying infrastructure (e.g. jitter and wander). Coordinating the performance of the network resulted in the current clock hierarchy that has largely been caried over as the network evolved from TDM to packet.  As the network evolved towards higher bit rates and reliance on services at the upper (data) layers we began to see a growing gap in the spectrum (the gap between jitter and wander) we consider for timing and synchronization. Further compounding the synchronization “problem” was the increased reliance on time-of-day, for certain services and  now new infrastructures (data centers).   Note, this is being submitted to “Telecom”, but it could also be an emerging topic. Sensing and communication is seen by some to be a critical capability in future networks, but are we defining a service or an infrastructure, and what is the impact of the existing synchronization capabilities needed to manage this service/infrastructure? This presentation will build upon some of the material that was presented at WSTS2024 and examine the interactions between the system clocks with the view of understanding if the existing performance models used are valid and what additional control or synchronization measurement systems may be required for deployment. Enter description here.

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