Pulsone Technology is a wireless communications technology and business unit developed by Cohere Technologies for Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) networks and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN). Launched in October 2025, Pulsone is based on the Zak-OTFS (Zak-Orthogonal Time Frequency Space) waveform, which operates in the delay-Doppler domain rather than the traditional time-frequency domain used by OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing). The technology is designed to address challenges in high-mobility communications, satellite links, and radar applications. Unlike OFDM-based systems that struggle with Doppler shifts and delay spread in Non-Terrestrial Networks, Pulsone Technology leverages the inherent stability of the Delay-Doppler domain for improved performance in dynamic environments. The name combines "pulse" (radar sensing) and "tone" (communications), reflecting the technology's dual-use capability for ISAC applications. Pulsone is positioned for 5G enhancement, 6G networks, defense applications, and satellite communications. The technology has attracted interest from defense sectors for applications including drone swarm detection, missile defense systems, and secure military communications.
History Cohere Technologies began development of OTFS technology in 2011, with the Pulsone Technology brand trademarked several years prior to its commercial launch. The company announced Pulsone as a distinct business unit on October 20, 2025, focusing on ISAC and NTN applications separate from its existing Universal Spectrum Multiplier (USM) product line for 4G/5G networks. The first public demonstration occurred at NVIDIA's GTC government conference in Washington D.C. from October 27–29, 2025, featuring a real-time neural receiver running on NVIDIA's Jetson platform. This demonstration was conducted in collaboration with researchers from Duke University and Virginia Tech. In January 2026, Cohere announced accelerated development efforts for NTN applications and expanded academic partnerships including the 6G@UT Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
Technical Architecture
Delay-Doppler Domain Processing Pulsone Technology operates fundamentally differently from OFDM-based systems by processing signals in the delay-Doppler domain rather than the time-frequency domain. This approach provides inherent stability in high-mobility scenarios where conventional OFDM experiences significant performance degradation. The Zak-OTFS waveform uses the Zak transform to convert delay-Doppler information into time-domain signals for transmission over the wireless channel. In the delay-Doppler representation, each propagation path appears as a point in two-dimensional space, with delay (τ) corresponding to distance and Doppler shift (v) corresponding to relative velocity. This natural coordinate system for radar and high-mobility communications allows the channel to remain quasi-static even when the time-frequency channel is rapidly varying. For ISAC applications, direct communication signals and reflected sensing signals naturally separate in the delay-Doppler domain.
Waveform Flexibility Zak-OTFS is designed as a configurable "mother waveform" that can emulate existing 3GPP waveforms, including 5G CP-OFDM, through parameter tuning and pre-coding. This backward compatibility allows deployment on existing 5G hardware infrastructure without immediate equipment upgrades. The waveform supports gradual migration from 5G to 6G through software configuration changes rather than hardware replacement.
Neural Receiver Implementation The Pulsone implementation includes a real-time neural receiver that operates without offline training, addressing a key limitation of conventional neural receivers. The receiver uses online learning to adapt within a single symbol time, providing low-complexity universal reception that works across both OFDM and OTFS waveforms using the same structural framework. For ISAC applications, the neural receiver enables data-driven sensing without additional capacity overhead by leveraging the stability of the delay-Doppler domain.
Applications
Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) Pulsone Technology's primary application is ISAC, which combines wireless communications with radar-like sensing capabilities in a single system. Operating natively in the delay-Doppler domain provides theoretical advantages for sensing applications, with research indicating potential for detecting four times the number of targets with four times better resolution compared to OFDM-based ISAC systems. Key ISAC applications include:
Defense and national security: battlefield situational awareness, and secure communications. Enterprise automation: Factory floor monitoring, warehouse management, autonomous robotics, and predictive maintenance through real-time object tracking. Consumer applications: Autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, and enhanced location services requiring precise environmental sensing.
Non-Terrestrial Networks Non-Terrestrial Networks present significant challenges for conventional OFDM-based systems due to large Doppler shifts (typically 20–48 kHz depending on carrier frequency and elevation angle), extended propagation delays (25-100 ms for LEO, 250+ ms for GEO), and large cell footprints creating differential delays across coverage areas. OFDM's sensitivity to Doppler shift causes severe inter-carrier interference in satellite scenarios. Pulsone Technology addresses these challenges through native Doppler handling in the delay-Doppler domain. Each satellite appears at a distinct delay-Doppler coordinate, enabling natural multi-satellite diversity and full frequency reuse across satellites. Research has demonstrated approximately 50% capacity improvements using two-satellite diversity in LEO scenarios. The technology reduces dependency on GNSS positioning systems required by 3GPP Release 17 NTN solutions for OFDM-based communications.
Industry Positioning and Standards Cohere Technologies has submitted Zak-OTFS for consideration in 3GPP 6G standardization processes. However, the company maintains a path to commercialization independent of standards adoption, positioning Pulsone as a proprietary technology that can operate alongside or on top of existing 3GPP standards. The technology faces competition from established OFDM-based infrastructure and incremental improvements to existing standards. Industry analysis suggests significant resistance to fundamental waveform changes given the extensive investment in OFDM-based systems across 4G and 5G networks. Defense and government sectors have shown stronger interest due to specific requirements for ISAC and secure communications that are difficult to address with conventional approaches.
Research and Development Partnerships Pulsone Technology development involves collaboration with academic institutions and industry partners: Academic partnerships:
Duke University - Dr. Robert Calderbank (Research Faculty Fellow) Virginia Tech - Dr. Lingjia Liu, Wireless@Virginia Tech IIT Delhi - Dr. Saif K. Mohammed (Research Faculty Fellow) Industry partnerships:
NVIDIA - Jetson platform for neural receiver implementation and demonstration Discussions with defense contractors including Lockheed Martin
Commercial Status As of early 2026, Pulsone Technology remains in development with working prototypes scheduled for the first half of 2026. Cohere Technologies has stated the company is fully funded following capital raises in 2024-2025. The technology is being demonstrated to mobile network operators, satellite operators, and defense organizations. Defense applications have received priority focus, particularly for the Golden Dome missile defense system ($24.4 billion allocated by US Congress) and NATO-funded sensing and communications initiatives. Commercial mobile network deployments face longer development timelines due to standards considerations and infrastructure compatibility requirements.
Intellectual Property Cohere Technologies has filed over 330 patents related to OTFS technology since 2011. Pulsone is a registered trademark of Cohere Technologies. While OTFS research exists globally, including development in China, Cohere maintains the most extensive Western patent portfolio for OTFS-related technologies.
See also Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
References