FutureG awards more than $50 million for integrated sensing and communications prototypes

Nearly 30 companies and universities are participating in the 11 teams, with an estimated two-thirds of the organizations classified as small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors, according to NSC.

Jamie Whitney

Nov. 6, 2026

3 min read

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Key Highlights

ISAC combines wireless data transmission with radio-frequency sensing to help communications networks detect and track objects.
The FutureG Office sees potential military applications in force protection, persistent surveillance and protection of critical infrastructure.
Projects will run in two phases over 24 months, progressing from demonstrations to prototypes intended for military and commercial deployment.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Evan Lopezbautista, a transmissions systems operator assigned to 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, monitors radio communications during a communications exercise at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matthew Benfield.

WASHINGTON - The FutureG Office has awarded more than $50 million to 11 teams developing integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) technologies for military and commercial applications, including future wireless networks.

Announced 3 Nov. by the National Spectrum Consortium (NSC), the awards support the Real-world Application Prototyping for ISAC Demonstrations (RAPID) program. Nearly 30 companies and universities are participating in the 11 teams, with an estimated two-thirds of the organizations classified as small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors, according to NSC.

ISAC combines wireless communications and radio-frequency sensing, allowing radio systems to transmit data while also collecting information about their surroundings. The approach could enable communications infrastructure to help detect and track objects, improve situational awareness and reduce reliance on separate sensing equipment.

Future communications

The FutureG Office is pursuing ISAC to expand military capabilities in areas including force protection and persistent surveillance. Its published objectives include using existing and emerging communications networks, including 5G and 6G systems and tactical radios, as sensing platforms. The office also identifies potential applications in protecting critical infrastructure from threats such as weaponized drones.

The technology is still developing, and specific capabilities depend on the sensing architecture, radio environment, and processing methods used. Key engineering considerations include signal frequency, bandwidth, sensing precision, and vulnerability to electronic warfare. The FutureG Office has identified these issues in its broader ISAC research and development activities.

The 11 RAPID award teams are Abside Networks and Northeastern University; Altio Labs, Arizona State University, DASH Tech Integrated Circuits and Mississippi State University; AT&T and Ericsson; George Mason University and Michigan State University; Leidos and Tiami Networks; North Carolina State University, the University of Utah and Mississippi State University; Nokia Federal, Future Tech, Texas Tech University, AT&T, DeepSig and Hidden Level; Parallel Wireless, Andro and Virginia Tech; Peraton Labs and Nexcepta; System and Technology Research and Northeastern University; and Texas A&M University, the University of California San Diego, IBM and Northrop Grumman.

One of the award efforts involves North Carolina State University, the University of Utah and Mississippi State University. The three institutions received $3 million for the Integrated Networked Sensing Platform for ISAC Research Experimentation and Development (INSPIRED) project, according to the Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research program.

NSC is issuing the awards through its Spectrum Forward Other Transaction Authority, which supports collaborative technology development. FutureG and NSC intend to coordinate development across the RAPID portfolio, encouraging participating teams to share knowledge and accelerate progress in software-driven and artificial intelligence-enabled wireless networks.

"The RAPID program represents a critical shift from theoretical 6G concepts to tangible, software-defined prototypes," said Principal Director for FutureG Dr. Tom Rondeau. He said the program aims to transition ISAC capabilities from research laboratories toward military and commercial use.

The projects will run for 24 months in two phases. The first phase will produce laboratory or field-based demonstrations, while the second phase will culminate in prototypes intended for military and commercial deployment.

The awards are intended to advance dual-use technology, but the announcement does not provide individual technical work statements or performance specifications for all 11 teams. Therefore, the public announcement does not yet establish specific operating frequencies, sensing ranges, detection accuracy, processing architectures, or other engineering parameters.

For more information, visit the National Spectrum Consortium at https://www.nationalspectrumconsortium.org.

About the Author

Jamie Whitney

Editor-in-Chief

Jamie Whitney joined the staff of Military & Aerospace Electronics in 2018 and oversees editorial content and produces news and features for Military & Aerospace Electronics, attends industry events, produces Webcasts, and oversees print production of Military & Aerospace Electronics.