Network-Level ISAC Design: State-of-the-Art, Challenges, and Opportunities

The ultimate goal of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) deployment is to provide coordinated sensing and communication services at an unprecedented scale. This article presents a comprehensive overview of network-level ISAC systems, an emerging paradigm that significantly extends the capabilities of link-level ISAC through distributed cooperation. We first examine recent advancements in network-level ISAC architectures, emphasizing various cooperation schemes and distributed system designs. The sensing and communication (S&C) performance is analyzed with respect to interference management and cooperative S&C, offering new insights into the design principles necessary for large-scale networked ISAC deployments. In addition, distributed signaling strategies across different levels of cooperation are reviewed, focusing on key performance metrics such as sensing accuracy and communication quality-of-service (QoS). Next, we explore the key challenges for practical deployment, where the critical role of synchronization is also discussed, highlighting advanced over-the-air synchronization techniques specifically tailored for bistatic and distributed ISAC systems. Finally, open challenges and future research directions in network-level ISAC design are identified. The findings and discussions aim to serve as a foundational guideline for advancing scalable, high-performance, and resilient distributed ISAC systems in next-generation wireless networks.