Selected Areas in Communications Symposium

Scope and Motivation

The IEEE ICC 2010 Symposium on Selected Areas in Communications focuses on new and emerging communication technologies, including areas that are not directly addressed in any individual symposia. It offers an open forum for academic and industrial researchers to exchange the latest technical information and research findings on novel concepts, technologies, systems, and applications in the following areas: (a) Vehicular networks, (b) Data storage systems and networks, (c) Integrated optical and wireless networks, (d) Cognitive networks, and (e) Satellite communication systems.

Vehicular communication networks and systems (VCNS) are becoming more and more popular. This new kind of wireless networks has a complete new set of challenges making a new demand on research and innovation in this field. Vehicular communications started to be a key part of a broader initiative, the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program, which aims for improving the safety and comfort of drivers/passengers and reducing transportation times and fuel costs.

For the development of data storage systems and networks, communication theory and engineering have played an exceedingly important role. This role will become even more critical for the definition of future-generation magnetic and nonmagnetic recording technologies, coding and signal processing techniques for data storage, and distributed storage networks.

While fiber-optic technologies have been traditionally deployed in backbone networks, they are also finding niche applications in the access domain (e.g., in the form of Passive Optical Networks or PONs). Meanwhile, RF-based wireless technologies have already changed the way we communicate, and yet the demands for higher bandwidth, longer reach and better interoperability remain strong. Optical backbone and access networks, integrated with wireless LANs, access systems and satellite systems, can realize the infrastructure supporting high-speed communications for both wired and wireless devices. This Symposium provides the forum for interested users, network administrators, researchers, developers, and manufacturers to advance the art of optical-wireless integration.

Beyond 3G (B3G) networks must deal with network heterogeneities in terms of radio access technologies, Quality of Service offered for various services etc. A key option for meeting such requirements is the introduction of cognitive networking features within network elements, whereby such nodes (individually and collectively) tune network configuration (reactively or pro-actively) in response to the environment as well as individual or collective goals. The definition of new cognitive networking concepts hinges on the formulation of appropriate goals, policies and decision strategies as well as supportive hardware technologies and network architectures.

Due to their inherent features, satellites present the key technology to realize the dream of global ubiquitous communications systems where applications and services can adapt to different needs and geographic environments. They have been the research focus of many researchers and industry professionals.

The success of these networks and systems hinges on many factors pertaining to the requirements of the applications intended to be serviced on top of these systems and the stringent constraints imposed by their underlying architectures. Efficient resource management and allocation, guarantee of seamless and ubiquitous coverage, smooth mobility management, Security, and Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning are some key enablers.

Prospective authors are invited to submit their original work addressing new and emerging issues in communications and networking on the above themes. Submissions are welcome from academia, industry, and government organizations. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Topics of Interest

Satellite & Space Communications

1. Digital video broadcasting
2. Broadband/mobile satellite systems
3. Satellite systems, proxy and gateways
4. Hybrid satellite and terrestrial networks
5. Satellite based navigation systems
6. Deep space communications
7. Delay/disruption tolerant networks
8. TCP/IP over satellite
9. Multicasting over satellite systems
10. Onboard routing, switching and processing technologies for satellite system
11. Advances in modulation and coding for satellite communications
12. Advances in antenna technology for satellite communication
13. Satellite communications: admission control, and resource management and allocation
14. Security in satellite systems

Cognitive Radio Networks

1. Spectrum policy and regulatory issues
2. Spectrum etiquette based network protocols
3. Inter-operability and co-existence of heterogeneous wireless networks
4. Fundamental performance limits of cognitive networks
5. Platforms for cognitive networks (e.g., software-defined radio and cognitive radio)
6. Cognitive MAC and routing layer protocols
7. Dynamic Spectrum Access
8. Collaborative Networking
9. Network coding approaches for QoS support
10. Simulation and modeling of adaptive wireless networks
11. Security issues in secondary spectrum networks
12. Testbeds and experimental results
13. Economic/game theoretic analysis of spectrum markets
14. Applications of cognitive networks (e.g. public safety networks)
15. Standardization efforts (e.g., IEEE 802.22, IEEE SCC 41)

Optical & Wireless Integaration

1. Integrated Network Control, Management & Operation
2. Converged network planning and deployment
3. Integrated Network protection and recovery
4. Techno-economic analysis and business models
5. Integrated Network Architecture
6. future generation cellular systems
7. Wired/wireless mesh design
8. L1/L2/L3 cross-layer design
9. Integrated Routing Protocols & Algorithms
10. Joint resource allocation
11. Dynamic load balancing
12. Seamless handover between different interfaces
13. Integrated Transmission Technologies
14. Modulation and coding, e.g. OCDMA&OFDM
15. Integrated optical/wireless transceivers
16. Radio over fiber and wireless over optical

Vehicular Communications, Networks and Systems

1. Vehicular Communications
2. Inter-Vehicle Applications
3. In-Vehicle Applications
4. Vehicle to Roadside Applications
5. Interoperability and Gateways to Internet or 3G networks
6. Vehicular Network: Architectures and protocols (e.g., WAVE, C2CC)
7. Vehicular Network: Market introduction and penetration
8. Vehicular Network Security, privacy and liability
9. Sensors integration and data collections
10. Content distribution
11. MAC and PHY Layers for In-Vehicle Communications
12. MAC and PHY Layers for Inter-Vehicle Communications (DSRC, 802.11p)
13. Vehicular communication: Real-world testbeds and field trials
14. Mobility and vehicle traffic models

Data Storage

1. Characterization of data storage channels and noise phenomena
2. Information theory for data storage systems and networks
3. Data detection and signal equalization for storage systems
4. Turbo processing techniques for data storage
5. Coding and decoding techniques for storage systems and distributed storage networks
6. Coding bounds and storage channel capacity
7. Design of error correction codes for storage channels and networks
8. Network coding for distributed/networked data storage
9. Performance evaluation and system reliability of storage networks
10. Synchronization and timing recovery for data storage systems
11. Read/write architecture design for data storage systems
12. Mitigation of media noise and nonlinear effects of storage channels
13. Data compression techniques for digital data storage
14. Multiple-head disk systems for data storage
15. Signal processing techniques for serving and tracking in data storage
16. Signal processing and coding for optical data storage
17. Coding and signal processing for non-volatile memories such as flash media
18. Emerging data storage technologies, including holographic, probe-storage and multi-level optical recording