**Unlocking the Future of 6G: How “Smart Surfaces” Are Taming Electromagnetic Chaos**
A breakthrough new development in communications research may have solved a key problem with one of the enabling technologies set to underpin the 6G networks of the future. A team of engineers, led from the University of Glasgow, has found a way to help wireless signals redirected by reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) cut through the omnipresent electromagnetic interference (EMI) caused by the ultra-connected modern world.
Their research, recently published in a new paper, could help ensure that the next generation of communications technologies are reliable and secure. These future networks are expected to deliver Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), which combine ultrafast data transfer with sophisticated awareness of the world around them to drive new advances in healthcare, automation, and transport.
With the number of connected devices on the planet currently estimated to be more than double the Earth’s human population, the issue of electromagnetic interference has never been more pressing. As EMI rises, it becomes increasingly challenging for devices to communicate clearly through the constant background noise.
**What Are Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces?**
Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) are “smart surfaces” studded with programmable elements capable of manipulating electromagnetic waves. Each element can independently reflect, focus, and redirect incoming signals, boosting signal strength and enabling new sensing and positioning applications.
As Saber Hassouna, a research associate at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, explains: “A reconfigurable intelligent surface is like a mirror. When sunlight hits a mirror in your hand, you can tilt it to send the light towards the area you choose. RIS does the same thing with wireless signals. Instead of reflecting radio waves randomly, it intelligently concentrates the energy on the areas intended to receive it.”
Beyond signal boosting, a significant additional benefit is security—the boosted signal only reaches the intended recipient, making it harder for interceptors to capture the data.
**The Interference Challenge**
Previous RIS research demonstrated the technology’s potential for 6G networks. However, a persistent problem remained: RIS reflects all signals that reach it, which can amplify electromagnetic interference alongside the desired signal, slowing data transfer and reducing positioning accuracy.
While some researchers tried to cancel out the interference, this often weakened the desired signal in the process. The Glasgow-led team took a different approach—they developed a method to filter out the interference while maintaining the strength of the boosted signal and improving location accuracy.
**How the EMI-Aware Framework Works**
The solution involves analyzing and identifying the unique statistical “fingerprint” of the interference. The team also conducts a sweep of beam directions to find the strongest signal. This data is then applied to the algorithm controlling the RIS, enabling it to direct signals more effectively and accurately. They call this approach an **EMI-aware framework**.
Jalil Kazim, a co-author from the James Watt School of Engineering, highlights the efficiency gains: “Previously, cancelling out this kind of interference meant the base station had to do a huge amount of intensive digital signal processing, which is expensive in energy terms. By placing an intelligent surface in the environment, we can shape the signal path to handle interference before it even reaches the base station. That eases both the computational burden and the energy cost on the network itself.”
To test the framework, the team built a RIS with over 4,000 elements arranged in a 64×64 grid. Signals were supplied by software-defined radios operating at 3.5 GHz, the frequency band used by 5G networks. In the experiment, three legitimate users were positioned inside a room, while two potential eavesdroppers were placed in an outside corridor. Guided by their algorithm, the surface concentrated its energy on the intended users while leaving the interceptors without a usable signal.
The results matched the performance predicted by simulations. The RIS sharply raised data rates and delivered accurate location data for all users, including those outside the lab, demonstrating the framework’s effectiveness.
**A Vision for Secure, Intelligent Networks**
Professor Muhammad Ali Imran, head of the James Watt School of Engineering, emphasizes the importance of security and resilience: “Security, privacy and resilience are no longer optional extras in these networks but essential requirements. Our surface can direct the signal towards the users we trust and deny it to the ones we don’t, bringing us closer to the secure, flexible networks which will define the communications and sensing technologies of tomorrow.”
This research is part of broader initiatives at the University of Glasgow aimed at advancing integrated sensing and communication technologies. The Centre for Integrated Sensing, Communication and Computing for Cognitive Cities (ISAC), launched in February 2026, seeks to develop “cognitive” cities that revolutionize urban life.
Professor Qammer Abbasi, the paper’s corresponding author and director of ISAC, concludes: “By making reconfigurable intelligent surfaces aware of their electromagnetic environment, we are not only improving connectivity but also strengthening security, reducing energy consumption and enabling reliable operation for future applications like connected healthcare, autonomous systems, and smart cities. This is an important step toward AI-native 6G networks that can intelligently adapt to the real world while delivering tangible societal and economic benefits.”
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### FAQ
**What is Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)?**
EMI is disturbance caused by external electronic devices that can degrade the performance of communication systems. With the growing number of connected devices, EMI has become a major challenge for maintaining clear and reliable wireless communications.
**What are Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS)?**
RIS are smart surfaces embedded with programmable elements that can manipulate wireless signals by reflecting, focusing, or redirecting them. They enhance signal strength, extend coverage, and enable new applications in sensing and positioning.
**What problem did the University of Glasgow team solve?**
The team developed an EMI-aware framework that allows RIS to filter out electromagnetic interference instead of amplifying it, maintaining signal strength and improving data rates and location accuracy without requiring heavy computation at the base station.
**What is ISAC, and why is it important?**
ISAC stands for Integrated Sensing and Communications. It combines fast data transfer with environmental awareness, enabling advancements in healthcare, automation, transport, and smart city applications.
**How does the EMI-aware framework improve security?**
The framework directs signals only to intended recipients while denying access to potential eavesdroppers, enhancing security and privacy in wireless communications.
**What makes this research different from previous RIS approaches?**
Unlike previous methods that canceled interference at the cost of signal strength, this approach filters interference while preserving signal quality, reducing computational load and energy consumption.
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### Conclusion
The work conducted by the University of Glasgow represents a significant leap forward in making 6G networks more reliable, secure, and efficient. By equipping reconfigurable intelligent surfaces with the ability to recognize and filter electromagnetic interference, the researchers have addressed one of the key challenges hindering next-generation wireless communications. With further development, this EMI-aware framework could play a vital role in shaping the intelligent, resilient, and sustainable communication infrastructures of tomorrow.
