[GLOBECOM 2011] IEEE Global Communication Conference

IEEE GLOBECOM 2011

IEEE Global Communication Conference

5 - 9 December 2011

Houston, Texas

Selected Areas in Communications Symposium - Access Network Track

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Paper Submission: 20 March 2011

Paper Acceptance: 1 July 2011

Camera-Ready: 1 August 2011

Scope and Motivation

Access networks and systems have become one of the very active fields of telecommunications research and development. Progress in VoIP, IPTV and (high-definition) video streaming has impacted the access segment of service-provider networks. Moreover, many access lines today terminate on multiple home devices. This led to a need for home networks which are designed for a blend of multi-computer Internet access, entertainment, and voice support. The evolution towards multi-service platforms and the emergence of a spectrum of new IP-based applications are fueling more demand for bandwidth. As service providers, Telcos and Cable MSOs alike, face the challenge of triple play delivery. Researchers in both academia and industry are developing innovative solutions to tackle this challenge.

Broadband access utilizes a variety of transmission media and systems such as twisted-pair copper based systems (xDSL), coaxial-cable plants, fiber based solutions (passive and active optical networks), wireless systems (Wi-Fi, WiMAX, WLL and cellular technologies), power-lines systems (PLC), and hybrid combinations thereof. Different protocols are also involved to support both downstream and upstream traffic. Understanding the performance characteristics of all the technological ingredients of tomorrow's access networks/systems is critical for delivering the desired Quality of Service (QoS) to end users.

The aim of this track of the Symposium on Selected Areas on Communications is to provide a forum that brings together scientists and researchers from both academia and industry to present their cutting-edge innovations in all aspects of access networks and systems.

Main Topics of Interest

 Twisted pair copper systems and xDSL

 Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) systems

 FTTx and Passive/Active Optical Networks (PONs and AONs)

 Progress in Cable TV systems

 Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, WLL and Cellular Access

 Integrated wired/wireless access

 Optical-Wireless integration

 Free-Space Optical-Access (components, systems, and networks)

 Digital satellite access technology

 Municipal and community networks

 Power Line Communication (PLC)

 Home/Building/Neighborhood Area Networks

 Access network architectures and protocols

 Service convergence

 Quality of service provisioning

 Access network survivability and security

 Access Networks for Smart Grid and energy related applications

 Body area, elder/health care and biomedical access networks

 Networked appliances

 Applications (video streaming/IPTV etc.)

 Billing and management aspects