In this podcast episode, Dr. Williams Webb joins PolicyTracker reporter Carlos Jijon in a conversation about ISAC, a technological system that would fuse together sensing and communication.
Webb is a renowned telecommunications engineer and independent consultant. In his latest book, Beyond Communications – Can ISAC Provide a Rationale for 6G? (co-authored with Dennis Roberson), he explores the potential of ISAC, as well as its many drawbacks.
The applications of ISAC are numerous: everything from defence and autonomous vehicles to monitoring vulnerable people in hospitals. For Webb, it is one of the only concepts that could make 6G networks truly impactful for society, since they’re expected to have the ability to sense their surroundings.
During the conversation, Webb delves into ISAC’s unique spectrum needs, its possible commercial use cases and the larger political landscape surrounding the technology. For Webb, the potential of a platform that unites sensing and communications is overshadowed by many obstacles that include high costs and privacy concerns for consumers. These inconveniences might prove too unappealing for many private companies, but not for governments in countries like the US and China, where ISAC’s capabilities for drone detection and surveillance could be enough to justify investment.
Listen to the full episode below for free or find us on your favourite podcast platform by searching for “PolicyTracker”.
If you want to know more about this subject, William Webb will speak about ISAC during the Global Perspectives on Spectrum Management conference, hosted by PolicyTracker and Shure on 9 and 10 December. You can also buy his book here.
