Integrated Sensing and Communication: A Network Level Perspective

Abstract

Given the wide coverage of communication networks and tremendous number of mobile devices, it has been proposed to integrate wireless sensing capabilities into mobile communication networks so that the growing demands for ubiquitous sensing can be satisfied without extensively deploying dedicated sensing devices. In this article, we study integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) functionalities from a network level perspective. Specifically, we thoroughly investigate how to efficiently manage the available communication, sensing, computing, and storage resources in the network so that sensing requirements can be satisfied without compromising communication performance. First, we discuss the benefits of embedding ISAC into wireless networks as well as the interactions between communication, sensing, computing, and storage on the network level. Then, we present a feasible solution to efficiently allocate sensing tasks among base stations such that the impact of introducing extra sensing workloads on communication services is minimized. Finally, we identify potential research directions and discuss the associated challenges. This article offers a new viewing angle on ISAC-related research and can motivate more research interests to explore ISAC operations from the networking perspective.