ISCO International is licensing its Interference Management and Cancellation (IMC) software, a solution designed to counter jammer attacks on mission-critical networks.

The IMC tool is open radio access network (RAN) compatible and can integrate into open RAN radio units (RUs) or distributed units (DUs) to protect 5G networks in real-time and optimize network performance and resilience.

ISCO pointed to rising cases of radio frequency (RF) interference stemming from random causes such as passive intermodulation (PIM) or deliberate signal jamming. This rise is especially concerning for public safety and defense organizations adopting private 5G as it exposes mission-critical systems to cyber electromagnetic activities, with signal jammers increasingly used in electronic warfare and criminal incidents, evidenced by an 800% surge in illegal jammer seizures over the past five years.

“With the escalating reliance on 5G for mission-critical networks – from utilities, health care, and transportation, to public safety and defense – the exposure to disruptive signal interference and malicious jammers presents a grave threat," ISCO CEO Gordon Reichard, Jr., explained in a statement. "By delivering our field-proven software to the open RAN ecosystem, we are streamlining access to vital interference management and cancellation technology for more robust 5G communications and peace of mind.”

Founded in 1989 as Illinois Superconductor Corporation, the firm officially changed its name to ISCO International in 2001 as it shifted its focus from strictly superconductive filters to broader RF management solutions and interference management.

Alongside IMC, the firm offers ProteusCPRI, a server typically deployed next to the baseband unit (BBU) at the central office or hub location. It operates on the uplink between the radio remote unit (RRU) and BBU, where it is able to analyze and manipulate baseband in-phase and quadrature data (I/Q) data to filter out different types of interference.