Almost every 6G-related keynote speech at scientific conferences focuses on ISAC: Integrated sensing and communications. In this episode, Erik G. Larsson and Emil Björnson discuss how sensing and communication technologies have been developed separately in the past but are built on similar yet distinctly different principles. The conversation covers different integration levels, beamforming implementations, fundamental tradeoffs, alternative waveforms, and the most important question: What would ISAC be used for if it becomes widely available in 6G networks? Music: On the Verge by Joseph McDade. Visit Erik’s website https://liu.se/en/employee/erila39 and Emil’s website https://ebjornson.com/

One of the first topics covered in this podcast was reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS). Five years later, Erik G. Larsson and Emil Björnson return to this topic to reflect on what has happened since then. The conversation covers how these surfaces can improve wave propagation between transmitters and receivers, and identifies the most convincing practical use cases. Core challenges overcome in recent years are discussed, and Emil describes the RIS used in his lab and the lessons learned from his measurements. They also go through new forms of RIS, known as Beyond-Diagonal RIS, STAR-RIS, and Stacked Intelligent Metasurfaces. To learn more, you can read the paper “Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces in Upper Mid-Band 6G Networks: Gain or Pain?” (https://doi.org/10.1109/MWC.2025.3616979). Music: On the Verge by Joseph McDade. Visit Erik’s website https://liu.se/en/employee/erila39 and Emil’s website https://ebjornson.com/

“6G should be for the many, not the few” is the final sentence of a recent book by William Webb. In this episode, Erik G. Larsson and Emil Björnson use this book as the starting point for a conversation on why and how wireless technology can improve its coverage. The end goal is to deliver ubiquitous connectivity, so we can use any wirelessly connected application anywhere at any time. The discussion starts at the conceptual level: Why do cellular networks have generations? How are visions for future generations created, and can they be trusted? Different ways to enhance future networks are then covered, from making optimal use of existing network resources to adding different kinds of new infrastructure where it is most needed. The episode was inspired by the book “The 6G Manifesto”, ISBN 9798338481936. Music: On the Verge by Joseph McDade. Visit Erik’s website https://liu.se/en/employee/erila39 and Emil’s website https://ebjornson.com/