The device in the subscriber's home is already a sensor

Why the ISP is well placed

The ISP installs, manages and remotely updates the ONT or router at the center of the home. It already has a contract, a support channel, an app and billing. A sensing service is, to a large extent, software running on that device.

Large operators have noticed. In August 2026, Comcast began turning tens of millions of gateways into motion detectors through a software update. Brazil's regional ISPs, which account for most fixed broadband connections in the country, hold the same physical position inside the home, with the advantage of being close to their customers.

What the service can be

• A feature included in the plan. It works as a retention tool and gives the customer a reason to open the ISP's app every day.
• A paid add-on. Monitoring an empty home, or keeping an eye on older relatives with alerts to family members.
• A business service. Occupancy for meeting rooms, shops, residential buildings and event venues.

What you need

• Compatible equipment. Chipset and firmware that expose CSI or implement 802.11bf. Today, commercial solutions depend on partnerships between the sensing software vendor and the chipset maker.
• An on-device agent. Embedded software that collects and pre-processes measurements. Management platforms such as TR-369 (USP), OpenSync and prplOS are the distribution paths.
• Processing. At the edge, on the device itself, or in the cloud. The more at the edge, the less personal data travels and is stored.
• An app. Customers need to turn the service on and off, adjust sensitivity and understand what is being detected.
• The installed base. The service only reaches where the hardware allows. Inventorying models and chipsets is the first step of any serious assessment.

Privacy and data protection: this cannot wait

Movement patterns inside a home reveal routines: when the house is empty, when residents sleep, how many people live there. Under data protection laws such as Brazil's LGPD, this is personal data. In care and health applications, it may become sensitive data.

International experience has already made the point. When Comcast launched its service, the press highlighted that the terms of use allow data generated by the feature to be shared with third parties, without prior notice to the customer, in investigations or under court order, and that events are stored in the operator's cloud. The technique does not identify people, but a home's movement history is still delicate data.

An ISP launching sensing needs to settle these points before, not after:

• a legal basis and clear consent, with the service off by default;
• a defined purpose, communicated in plain language;
• minimization: store events, not raw measurements;
• edge processing whenever possible;
• short retention periods and an explicit policy for requests from authorities;
• controls for the customer to switch the service on and off and delete its history.

A path to get started

1. Inventory the installed base. ONT and router models, chipsets, firmware versions and remote management capability.
2. Build a lab. A few ESP32 boards capturing CSI and a router running OpenWrt are enough for the technical team to understand the signal before signing any contract.
3. Talk to vendors. CPE makers and sensing platforms. Ask specifically about 802.11bf on their product roadmap.
4. Define the product. Which customer problem the service solves, and whether it is part of the plan or sold separately.
5. Design privacy together with the product. Consent, retention, edge processing and handling of third-party requests.
6. Pilot with a few customers. Measure false positives, support tickets generated and perceived value before scaling.

This site follows the subject from the regional ISP's point of view. If your company wants to exchange experiences or set up a pilot, get in touch.