Turkcell 6G sensing trial, PNG tower sharing, and Ericsson drone detection lead telecom updates
Turkcell completed 6G integrated sensing and communication field tests using private 5G and Tiami Networks technology, reporting 90% accuracy in crowd-density detection and roughly three-meter positioning. Digicel and Vodafone PNG activated their first shared tower in Minj under a September 2026 agreement, with another shared site planned in Baiyer River. Ericsson, Play, and Asseco demonstrated drone detection using mobile network infrastructure at Ericsson's Kraków research facility.
Turkcell’s trials took place at two Istanbul sites and relied on private 5G plus Tiami Networks’ PolyEdge. C-band radio returns were used to infer movement and occupancy without cameras, yielding about 90% crowd-density accuracy and roughly three-meter positioning. The work points to smart buildings, factories, crowd oversight and emergency uses, but remains pre-commercial 6G research.
In Papua New Guinea, Digicel and Vodafone PNG brought services online on a shared Minj tower, their first since a September 2026 pact, with a Baiyer River site to follow using Digicel infrastructure. Separately, Ericsson, Play and Asseco combined radio sensing, acoustic detection and a monitoring platform in Kraków to track low-flying drones near sensitive sites.
These trials may affect city dwellers, factory workers, emergency teams and airspace users as networks begin to sense surroundings, not just carry traffic. Crowd and drone monitoring could improve safety and response times, yet may also raise privacy and oversight questions. In Papua New Guinea, shared towers could extend coverage faster to underserved communities, though benefits depend on rollout details not yet disclosed.