International Experts Converge at IEEE WCNC to Explore
Rapid Evolution of Global Wireless Communications Technologies
Held against the exotic shores of Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia, the IEEE Wireless Communications & Networking Conference (WCNC) recently concluded in mid-April with nearly 700 international professionals highlighting the rapid deployment of global wireless communications, which “already affect over three billion users worldwide.”
Formed to advance the latest innovations in wireless technologies, this year’s annual event featuring more than 500 presentations was specifically designed by the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) to emphasize the evolving economic and societal implications of technologies ranging from vehicular, multimedia and cooperative communications to video streaming, networking and beamforming.
“IEEE WCNC is globally recognized for its thorough exploration of wireless broadband and information networking as well as Internet and interconnected software and radio technologies,” said Dr. Adam T. Drobot, Chief Technology Officer and President of Advanced Technology Solutions at Telcordia Technologies. “It is also often provocative, always cutting edge and attracts a diverse and truly global audience. As a result, many of the finest minds in the world were present to discuss and further the next wave of technologies that are continually reshaping our personal and business lives.”
With a constant focus on innovation, IEEE WCNC 2010 began its four-day agenda on Sunday, April 18 with a full day of tutorials and workshops dedicated to such key topic areas as the planning and optimization of wireless communications networks, tomorrow’s Internet, biologically-inspired networking, cognitive radio and enabling technologies, the localization and tracking of smart devices and an overview of 4G LTE and WiMAX technologies.
On the following day, the conference then officially launched with the introductory remarks of Barry Buffier, Deputy Director General of the Department of Industry & Investment NSW, which also co-sponsored the conference’s Welcome Reception later that evening at the Cockle Bay Wharf. After warmly welcoming all IEEE WCNC 2010 attendees to Australia, Buffier detailed the new Australian Government’s National Broadband Network initiative and its dedication for both advancing and expanding the latest wireless and Internet technologies on a global basis. Keeping with the conference theme of collaboration, he also urged researchers and government officials alike to form ongoing ties with Australia’s telecommunications community in order to advance worldwide goals for seamless and widely-accessible connectivity from nearly any remote location.
In addition, Monday, April 19 also marked the beginning of the conference’s comprehensive schedule of keynote addresses, high-level business panels and technical sessions, which spanned into Wednesday, April 21. Among the event’s many noted presenters was Dr. Drobot, who spoke at length about the “The Future of Wireless Communications” and the goal of providers to provide worldwide users with quality services that are expected to greatly diminish the isolation of the poor. This includes “working diligently to eliminate households without connections” and introducing 5G and 6G networks that provide all users with “immediate and relevant” applications ranging from news, emergency response and gaming to remote diagnostic healthcare support.
Further elaborating on this theme was the address of Dr. Hugh S. Bradlow, Chief Technology Officer of Telstra Corporation Limited, who spoke about “The Future of the Mobile Internet” and the growth of an industry that is expected to ship more than one billion mobile handsets worldwide in 2010 and in the very near future deliver “seamless performances across multiple generations of mobile networks.” Featured among these applications explained Dr. Bradlow will also be the ability to “project a 15-inch screen directly onto the retina” via a monocular, wearable display as well as monitor vital signs at outlying locations with the use of “peel-and-stick disposable detectors” that relay information through mobile phones.
Rounding out the conference’s keynote forum was also the presentation of Professor Khaled Ben Letaief of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, who described “A New World of Cognitive and Agile Networks” filled with advanced antenna and modulation techniques that ensure anytime, anywhere services for worldwide users at a low cost. According to Dr. Letaief, this “new era of ubiquity” will enable open spectrum access to all providers and include a trillion wireless devices working collectively to abolish global borders in a digitally-enhanced world.
Other highly-anticipated events included the conference’s senior-level panel discussions, which highlighted “Recent Advances in LTE-A” and “Radio Access & Network Technologies beyond 4G.” Chaired byDr. Bin Li of the Advanced Wireless Research Labs, Huawei Technologies, the panel on LTE-A featured leading authorities from NEC, Telstra, CSIRO and Huawei, who spoke at length about LTE-A and its potential for offering the “best possible user experience,” while meeting large ecosystem demands for rich content, reduced energy consumption and the lowest possible cost per Mbyte.
Furthermore, the panel on radio access featured the presentations of leading wireless authorities representing Alcatel Lucent Shanghai Bell of China as well as NICT and Fujitsu Labs Ltd. in Japan. Led in discussion by Prof. Jing Wang of the Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, these renowned panelists highlighted the latest breakthrough techniques designed to reduce interference, stimulate cooperative communication among heterogeneous networks and promote energy savings in their respective countries. Foremost among these solutions was their goal to create “a new paradigm of wireless technology” that optimizes spectrum usage and establishes new operating parameters for collaborative wireless and wired networks.
Additional IEEE WCNC 2010 highlights included the presentation of hundreds of technical papers spread across three day of sessions. Ranging in subject from DCF system dynamics, global grassroot WiFi sharing, cooperative spectrum sensing and multi-cell coordinated beamforming to cognitive constrained pulse shaping and satellite multimedia networking, these sessions were especially designed by the conference organizers to provide the industry’s leading researchers with an international venue for showcasing their latest wireless innovations and then establishing new contacts to help forward this research on a global scale.
With planning underway for IEEE WCNC 2011, interested parties are urged to visit www.ieee-wcnc.org/2011for conference updates and additional details including “Call for Paper” guidelines and registration information. Scheduled from 28 – 31 March 2011 in Quintana-Roo, Mexico, the IEEE WCNC 2011 paper submission deadline has already been set at the 15th of September for original proposals related to the latest development and design of leading-edge wireless systems and networks.
