Tiami Networks is challenging conventional ideas about what wireless networks can do. Based in Northern California, this dual-use startup has emerged as a key innovator at the intersection of integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), AI, and RAN infrastructure.

To learn more about Tiami’s vision and work, we spoke with Chris Pearson, Director of Technical Marketing, who leads go to market efforts in defense and commercial applications for the company.

From Data Pipes to Environmental Intelligence

“Traditional networks just transmit data,” Pearson explained. “But an intelligent RAN can understand the world around it.” That philosophy underpins Tiami’s approach to ISAC, using ambient wireless signals like 5G, 4G, and Wi-Fi to passively sense the environment.

Tiami’s platforms, PolyEdge and PolyRAN, use this technique to enable applications such as drone detection, smart city sensing, and indoor motion tracking, all without cameras or wearables. “We’re essentially bridging defense-grade signal intelligence or SIGINT with commercial telecom innovation,” Pearson said.

The sensing happens in two modes: PolyEdge provides non-cooperative sensing at the device level, while PolyRAN extends that capability to the full network, enabling large-scale, fully cooperative sensing through distributed base stations.

Why Join the AI-RAN Alliance?

For Tiami, the AI-RAN Alliance offers a critical forum to advance its vision. “The future of wireless networks isn’t just about communication, it’s about perception,” Pearson said. “The Alliance gives us a chance to contribute our ISAC expertise to collaborate with like-minded organizations to help push AI deeper into the RAN stack.”

Tiami’s work is especially aligned with the Alliance’s mission to embed AI at every layer of the network. While PolyEdge, which uses ambient wireless signals for sensing, was a foundational proof point, PolyRAN represents the full realization of that vision, embedding sensing capabilities across base stations to turn the RAN into a distributed sensor network that operates using AI-for-RAN, AI-and-RAN, and AI-on-RAN principles. (You can learn more about the working groups for these technology streams here. )

Enabling Context-Aware Services

AI at the edge plays a central role in Tiami’s strategy. Their platforms rely on edge-based and cloud-based machine learning models to interpret wireless signal changes in real time. “When a drone enters an area, it disrupts the signal,” Pearson said. “Our AI recognizes those patterns, it’s like giving the network ears.”

The potential use cases extend across defense, public safety, industrial automation, and smart infrastructure. By embedding sensing into the RAN itself, Tiami sees opportunities to reduce latency and increase operational awareness, without requiring massive new infrastructure.

Demonstrating What’s Possible

At MWC Barcelona 2025 for the AI-RAN Alliance, Tiami showcased demo number 9 transitioning from standalone ISAC to cooperative sensing, highlighting how AI-enabled RAN infrastructure can support real-time environmental awareness. “That demo was just a glimpse of what’s possible,” Pearson noted. “We’re eager to keep pushing the boundary forward with other Alliance members.”

Looking Ahead

Over the next five years, Tiami sees AI-RAN solutions enabling smarter cities, more secure critical infrastructure, and truly intelligent wireless networks. Pearson summed it up simply: “This isn’t just about moving bits, it’s about making the network situationally aware.”

As AI-RAN capabilities mature, Tiami Networks will be one to watch, not just for the technology, but for how it reframes what radio access networks can be.

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