D2D-Based Grouped Random Access to Mitigate Mobile Access Congestion in 5G Sensor Networks

The Fifth Generation (5G) wireless service of sensor networks involves significant challenges when dealing with the coordination of ever-increasing number of devices accessing shared resources. This has drawn major interest from the research community as many existing works focus on the radio access network congestion control to efficiently manage resources in the context of device-to-device (D2D) interaction in huge sensor networks. In this context, this paper pioneers a study on the impact of D2D link reliability in group-assisted random access protocols, by shedding the light on beneficial performance and potential limitations of approaches of this kind against tunable parameters such as group size, number of sensors and reliability of D2D links. Additionally, we leverage on the association with a Geolocation Database (GDB) capability to assist the grouping decisions by drawing parallels with recent regulatory-driven initiatives around GDBs and arguing benefits of the suggested proposal. Finally, the proposed method is approved to significantly reduce the delay over random access channels, by means of an exhaustive simulation campaign.Comment: First submission to IEEE Communications Magazine on Oct.28.2017. Accepted on Aug.18.2019. This is the camera-ready versio

How 5G wireless (and concomitant technologies) will revolutionize healthcare?

The need to have equitable access to quality healthcare is enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which defines the developmental agenda of the UN for the next 15 years. In particular, the third SDG focuses on the need to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. In this paper, we build the case that 5G wireless technology, along with concomitant emerging technologies (such as IoT, big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning), will transform global healthcare systems in the near future. Our optimism around 5G-enabled healthcare stems from a confluence of significant technical pushes that are already at play: apart from the availability of high-throughput low-latency wireless connectivity, other significant factors include the democratization of computing through cloud computing; the democratization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cognitive computing (e.g., IBM Watson); and the commoditization of data through crowdsourcing and digital exhaust. These technologies together can finally crack a dysfunctional healthcare system that has largely been impervious to technological innovations. We highlight the persistent deficiencies of the current healthcare system and then demonstrate how the 5G-enabled healthcare revolution can fix these deficiencies. We also highlight open technical research challenges, and potential pitfalls, that may hinder the development of such a 5G-enabled health revolution

Internet of Things-aided Smart Grid: Technologies, Architectures, Applications, Prototypes, and Future Research Directions

Traditional power grids are being transformed into Smart Grids (SGs) to address the issues in existing power system due to uni-directional information flow, energy wastage, growing energy demand, reliability and security. SGs offer bi-directional energy flow between service providers and consumers, involving power generation, transmission, distribution and utilization systems. SGs employ various devices for the monitoring, analysis and control of the grid, deployed at power plants, distribution centers and in consumers' premises in a very large number. Hence, an SG requires connectivity, automation and the tracking of such devices. This is achieved with the help of Internet of Things (IoT). IoT helps SG systems to support various network functions throughout the generation, transmission, distribution and consumption of energy by incorporating IoT devices (such as sensors, actuators and smart meters), as well as by providing the connectivity, automation and tracking for such devices. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on IoT-aided SG systems, which includes the existing architectures, applications and prototypes of IoT-aided SG systems. This survey also highlights the open issues, challenges and future research directions for IoT-aided SG systems

The State of Network Neutrality Regulation

The Network Neutrality (NN) debate refers to the battle over the design of a regulatory framework for preserving the Internet as a public network and open innovation platform. Fueled by concerns that broadband access service providers might abuse network management to discriminate against third party providers (e.g., content or application providers), policymakers have struggled with designing rules that would protect the Internet from unreasonable network management practices. In this article, we provide an overview of the history of the debate in the U.S. and the EU and highlight the challenges that will confront network engineers designing and operating networks as the debate continues to evolve.BMBF, 16DII111, Verbundprojekt: Weizenbaum-Institut für die vernetzte Gesellschaft - Das Deutsche Internet-Institut; Teilvorhaben: Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB)EC/H2020/679158/EU/Resolving the Tussle in the Internet: Mapping, Architecture, and Policy Making/ResolutioNe

The role of telecommunication companies in Internet of things

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementInternet of Things is pervading the enterprise and consumer worlds. This technological concept is leading towards pervasive connectivity and encompasses everything connected to the Internet, being used for defining objects that ‘talk’ with one another. As stated by many reports, it is expected to generate a huge amount of added value through applications and the resulting services. Telecommunication companies with their central role, and their well established ability to connect millions of devices, are in a distinctive situation brought by the opportunity of new revenue streams and new challenges resulting from this revolution of connectivity. Their share of the added value market that is generated by the IoT is going to be dependent on the role they are going to play in the value chain. The purpose of this work is to investigate the impact Internet of Things will have on the telecommunications industry and to identify and analyse the possible directions for telecommunication companies as they take their role in IoT. In addition the IoT value chain is examined, possible business models for telecommunication companies in IoT are identified, and technology and business related challanges are elaborated. Furthermore in this work, a case study on Makedonski Telekom AD is presented. Telecommunication companies, being in the process of planning and/or implementing IoT have several business models to consider. The ones that will position themselves highly on the value chain, will have to play smart in order not to focus too heavily on industry specific solutions and balance in adding highly differentiated vertical offers where feasible on one hand, and facilitate third‐party vertical solutions where differentiation is more difficult and the investment is too great on the other, so they do not underplay their hand in the connectivity and life cycle management layer

Security challenges of small cell as a service in virtualized mobile edge computing environments

Research on next-generation 5G wireless networks is currently attracting a lot of attention in both academia and industry. While 5G development and standardization activities are still at their early stage, it is widely acknowledged that 5G systems are going to extensively rely on dense small cell deployments, which would exploit infrastructure and network functions virtualization (NFV), and push the network intelligence towards network edges by embracing the concept of mobile edge computing (MEC). As security will be a fundamental enabling factor of small cell as a service (SCaaS) in 5G networks, we present the most prominent threats and vulnerabilities against a broad range of targets. As far as the related work is concerned, to the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to investigate security challenges at the intersection of SCaaS, NFV, and MEC. It is also the first paper that proposes a set of criteria to facilitate a clear and effective taxonomy of security challenges of main elements of 5G networks. Our analysis can serve as a staring point towards the development of appropriate 5G security solutions. These will have crucial effect on legal and regulatory frameworks as well as on decisions of businesses, governments, and end-users