Towards Massive Machine Type Communications in Ultra-Dense Cellular IoT Networks: Current Issues and Machine Learning-Assisted Solutions

The ever-increasing number of resource-constrained Machine-Type Communication (MTC) devices is leading to the critical challenge of fulfilling diverse communication requirements in dynamic and ultra-dense wireless environments. Among different application scenarios that the upcoming 5G and beyond cellular networks are expected to support, such as eMBB, mMTC and URLLC, mMTC brings the unique technical challenge of supporting a huge number of MTC devices, which is the main focus of this paper. The related challenges include QoS provisioning, handling highly dynamic and sporadic MTC traffic, huge signalling overhead and Radio Access Network (RAN) congestion. In this regard, this paper aims to identify and analyze the involved technical issues, to review recent advances, to highlight potential solutions and to propose new research directions. First, starting with an overview of mMTC features and QoS provisioning issues, we present the key enablers for mMTC in cellular networks. Along with the highlights on the inefficiency of the legacy Random Access (RA) procedure in the mMTC scenario, we then present the key features and channel access mechanisms in the emerging cellular IoT standards, namely, LTE-M and NB-IoT. Subsequently, we present a framework for the performance analysis of transmission scheduling with the QoS support along with the issues involved in short data packet transmission. Next, we provide a detailed overview of the existing and emerging solutions towards addressing RAN congestion problem, and then identify potential advantages, challenges and use cases for the applications of emerging Machine Learning (ML) techniques in ultra-dense cellular networks. Out of several ML techniques, we focus on the application of low-complexity Q-learning approach in the mMTC scenarios. Finally, we discuss some open research challenges and promising future research directions.Comment: 37 pages, 8 figures, 7 tables, submitted for a possible future publication in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial

Smart Metering Technology and Services

Global energy context has become more and more complex in the last decades; the raising prices of fuels together with economic crisis, new international environmental and energy policies that are forcing companies. Nowadays, as we approach the problem of global warming and climate changes, smart metering technology has an effective use and is crucial for reaching the 2020 energy efficiency and renewable energy targets as a future for smart grids. The environmental targets are modifying the shape of the electricity sectors in the next century. The smart technologies and demand side management are the key features of the future of the electricity sectors. The target challenges are coupling the innovative smart metering services with the smart meters technologies, and the consumers' behaviour should interact with new technologies and polices. The book looks for the future of the electricity demand and the challenges posed by climate changes by using the smart meters technologies and smart meters services. The book is written by leaders from academia and industry experts who are handling the smart meters technologies, infrastructure, protocols, economics, policies and regulations. It provides a promising aspect of the future of the electricity demand. This book is intended for academics and engineers who are working in universities, research institutes, utilities and industry sectors wishing to enhance their idea and get new information about the smart meters

Design of Real-Time Simulation Testbed for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (Ami) Network

Conventional power grids are being superseded by smart grids, which have smart meters as one of the key components. Currently, for the smart metering communication, wireless technologies have predominantly replaced the traditional Power Line Communication (PLC). Different vendors manufacture smart meters using different wireless communication technologies. For example, some vendors use WiMAX, others prefer Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks (Lo-WPAN) for the Media Access Control (MAC) and physical layer of the smart meter network, also known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) network. Different communication techniques are used in various components of an AMI network. Thus, it is essential to create a testbed to evaluate the performance of a new wireless technology or a novel protocol to the network. It is risky to study cyber-security threats in an operational network. Hence, a real-time simulation testbed is considered as a substitute to capture communication among cyber-physical subsystems. To design the communication part of our testbed, we explored a Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) : Co-operative Ultra NarrowBand (C-UNB) technology for the physical and the MAC layer of the Neighborhood Area Network (NAN) of the AMI. After successful evaluation of its performance in a Simpy python simulator, we integrated a module into Network Simulator-3 (NS-3). As NS-3 provides a platform to incorporate real-time traffic to the AMI network, we can inject traffic from power simulators like Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS). Our testbed was used to make a comparative study of different wireless technologies such as IEEE 802.11ah, WiMAX, and Long Term Evolution (LTE). For the traffic, we used HTTP and Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), a widely used protocol in IoT. Additionally, we integrated the NS-3 module of Device Language Message Specification - Companion Specification for Energy Metering (DLMS-COSEM), that follows the IEC 62056 standards for electricity metering data exchange. This module which comprises of application and transport layers works in addition with the physical and MAC layer of the ii C-UNB module. Since wireless communication is prone to eavesdropping and information leakages, it is crucial to conduct security studies on these networks. Hence, we performed some cyber-attacks such as Denial of Service (DoS), Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) spoofing and Man-in-the-Middle (MiTM) attacks in the testbed, to analyze their impact on normal operation of AMI network. Encryption techniques can alleviate the issue of data hijacking, but makes the network traffic invisible, which prevents conventional Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) from undertaking packet-level inspection. Thus, we developed a Bayesian-based IDS for ARP spoof detection to prevent rogue smart meters from modifying genuine data or injecting false data. The proposed real time simulation testbed is successfully utilized to perform delay and throughput analysis for the existing wireless technologies alongwith the evaluation of the novel features of C-UNB module in NS-3. This module can be used to evaluate a broad range of traffic. Using the testbed we also validated our IDS for ARP spoofing attack. This work can be further utilized by security researchers to study different cyber attacks in the AMI network and propose new attack prevention and detection solution. Moreover, it can also allow wireless communication researchers to improve our C-UNB module for NS-3

A Survey on Security and Privacy of 5G Technologies: Potential Solutions, Recent Advancements, and Future Directions

Security has become the primary concern in many telecommunications industries today as risks can have high consequences. Especially, as the core and enable technologies will be associated with 5G network, the confidential information will move at all layers in future wireless systems. Several incidents revealed that the hazard encountered by an infected wireless network, not only affects the security and privacy concerns, but also impedes the complex dynamics of the communications ecosystem. Consequently, the complexity and strength of security attacks have increased in the recent past making the detection or prevention of sabotage a global challenge. From the security and privacy perspectives, this paper presents a comprehensive detail on the core and enabling technologies, which are used to build the 5G security model; network softwarization security, PHY (Physical) layer security and 5G privacy concerns, among others. Additionally, the paper includes discussion on security monitoring and management of 5G networks. This paper also evaluates the related security measures and standards of core 5G technologies by resorting to different standardization bodies and provide a brief overview of 5G standardization security forces. Furthermore, the key projects of international significance, in line with the security concerns of 5G and beyond are also presented. Finally, a future directions and open challenges section has included to encourage future research.European CommissionNational Research Tomsk Polytechnic UniversityUpdate citation details during checkdate report - A

Future Trends and Directions for Secure Infrastructure Architecture in the Education Sector: A Systematic Review of Recent Evidence

The most efficient approach to giving large numbers of students’ access to computational resources is through a data center. A contemporary method for building the data center\u27s computer infrastructure is the software-defined model, which enables user tasks to be processed in a reasonable amount of time and at a reasonable cost. The researcher examines potential directions and trends for a secured infrastructure design in this article. Additionally, interoperable, highly reusable modules that can include the newest trends in the education industry are made possible by cloud-based educational software. The Reference Architecture for University Education System Using AWS Services is presented in the paper. In conclusion, automation boosts efficiency by 20% while decreasing researcher involvement in kinetics modeling using CHEMKIN by 10%. Future work will focus on integrating GPUs into open-source programs that will be automated and shared on CloudFlame as a service resource for cooperation in the educational sector

Long Range Low Power Wireless Communication Technologies for the IoT

The Internet of Things addresses a huge set of possible application domains, requiring both short- and long-range communication technologies. When long distances are present, a number of proprietary and standard solutions for Low Power Wide Area Networks are already available. Among them, LoRaWAN and NB-IoT are candidate technologies supported by many network operators. LoRaWAN is one of the first technologies defined to operate in unlicensed bands. Its simple access protocol is designed to avoid complexity and costs while maximising the transmission range. The proprietary modulation used is very robust with respect to the interferers present in the shared bands used. NB-IoT is a new radio access technology targeting a large set of use cases for massive machine-type communications standardised by the 3GPP. NB-IoT has been enhanced in terms of coverage and power saving capabilities while reducing the complexity at the same time. In this thesis, first, many typical applications that may benefit from these technologies are presented, with a focus on the performance metrics and the definition of the scenario and traffic pattern. Secondly, the LoRaWAN technology is assessed both experimentally and through simulations, to characterise it from the link-level and system-level viewpoint, with the target of estimating the capacity of a LoRaWAN gateway and a multi-gateway network to serve a large area. Then, this thesis provides an overview of NB-IoT, together with a mathematical model of the network able to predict the maximum performance in a given scenario with a specific configuration of some design parameters. This model is used to study how these parameters affect the overall performance and how the optimal configuration may be chosen according to arbitrary criteria. Finally, some projects and practical activities are presented to prove the need for these standards, and to share the know-how that was developed during these studies

Experimental Study on Real-Time Wireless Networks for Motion Control of Manipulator and Mobile Platform in Industrial Robotics

The integration of ICT with manufacturing technologies is a key step towards intelligent manufacturing. The goal is to investigate some industrial application scenarios and evaluate the performance of selected wireless technologies. A recently standardized industrial wireless technology, WIA-FA, has shown good performance in practical deployments. Two experimental applications are considered: path planning testing with different wireless technologies and CANbus bridging with WIA-FA.openEmbargo temporaneo per motivi di segretezza e/o di proprietà dei risultati e informazioni di enti esterni o aziende private che hanno partecipato alla realizzazione del lavoro di ricerca relativo alla tes

2nd Symposium on Management of Future motorway and urban Traffic Systems (MFTS 2018): Booklet of abstracts: Ispra, 11-12 June 2018

The Symposium focuses on future traffic management systems, covering the subjects of traffic control, estimation, and modelling of motorway and urban networks, with particular emphasis on the presence of advanced vehicle communication and automation technologies. As connectivity and automation are being progressively introduced in our transport and mobility systems, there is indeed a growing need to understand the implications and opportunities for an enhanced traffic management as well as to identify innovative ways and tools to optimise traffic efficiency. In particular the debate on centralised versus decentralised traffic management in the presence of connected and automated vehicles has started attracting the attention of the research community. In this context, the Symposium provides a remarkable opportunity to share novel ideas and discuss future research directions.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor

Teoria de jogos para utilização efetiva dos recursos em aplicações para 5G

Doutoramento em Engenharia Eletrotécnica - TelecomunicaçõesEsta tese tem como objetivo fornecer afirmações conclusivas em relação a utilização eficiente de recursos para redes e aplicações de 5G (5a geração) com recurso a teoria dos jogos. Neste contexto, investigamos dois cenários principais, um relativo a comunicações móveis e um outro relativo a redes inteligentes. Uma métrica importante para o desenho das redes móveis emergentes é a eficiência energética, com particular ênfase no lado do dispositivo móvel, onde as tecnologias das baterias são ainda limitadas. Alguns trabalhos de investigação relacionados têm demonstrado que a cooperação pode ser um paradigma útil no sentido de resolver o problema do défice energético. Contudo, pretendemos ir mais além, ao definir a cooperação e os utilizadores móveis como um grupo de jogadores racionais, que podem atuar sobre estratégias e utilidades, por forma a escolher a retransmissão mais apropriada para poupança de energia. Esta interpretação presta-se à aplicação da teoria dos jogos, e recorremos assim aos jogos coalicionais para solucionar conflitos de interesse entre dispositivos cooperantes, empregando Programação Linear (LP) para resolver o problema da selecção da retransmissão e derivar a principal solução do jogo. Os resultados mostram que a escolha do jogo de retransmissão coalicional proposto pode potencialmente duplicar a duração da bateria, numa era em que a próxima geração de dispositivos móveis necessitará de cada vez mais energia para suportar serviços e aplicações cada vez mais sofisticados. O segundo cenário investiga a resposta da procura em aplicações smart grid, que está a ganhar interesse sob a égide do 5G e que é considerada uma abordagem promissora, incentivando os utilizadores a consumir electricidade de forma mais uniforme em horas de vazio. Recorremos novamente à teoria dos jogos, imaginando as interacções estratégicas entre a empresa fornecedora de energia eléctrica e os potenciais utilizadores finais como um jogo de forma extensiva. São abordados dois programas em tempo real de resposta à procura: Day-Ahead Pricing (DAP) e Convex Pricing Tariffs. A resposta dos consumidores residenciais conscientes dos preços destas tarifas, é formulada como um problema de Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) ou Quadratic Programming (QP), nos quais as soluções potenciais são o agendamento dos seus electrodomésticos inteligentes de modo a minimizar os seus gastos diários de electricidade, satisfazendo as suas necessidades diárias de energia e níveis de conforto. Os resultados demonstram que implementar o programa DAP pode reduzir a razão Peak-to-Average (PAR) at e 71% e as faturas de consumo das casas inteligentes at e 32%. Para além disso, a aplicação de tarifas convexas em tempo real pode melhorar ainda mais estas métricas de desempenho, alcançando uma redução de 80% do PAR e uma economia de mais de 50% na faturação da energia residencial.This research thesis aims to provide conclusive statements towards effective resource utilization for 5G (5th Generation) mobile networks and applications using game theory. In this context, we investigate two key scenarios pertaining to mobile communications and smart grids. A pivotal design driver for the upcoming era of mobile communications is energy efficiency, with particular emphasis on the mobile side where battery technology is still limited. Related works have shown that cooperation can be a useful engineering paradigm to take a step towards solving the energy deficit. However, we go beyond by envisaging cooperation and mobile users as a game of rational players, that can act on strategies and utilities in order to choose the most appropriate relay for energy saving. This interpretation lends itself to the application of game theory, and we look at coalitional games to settle conflicts of interest among cooperating user equipments, and employ Linear Programming (LP) to solve the relay selection problem and to derive the core solution of the game. The results reveal that adopting the proposed coalitional relaying game can potentially double battery lifetime, in an era where the next wave of next generation handsets will be more energy demanding supporting sophisticated services and applications. The second scenario investigates demand response in smart grid applications, which is also gaining momentum under the umbrella of 5G, which is a promising approach urging end-users to consume electricity more evenly during nonpeak hours of the day. Again, we resort to game theory and picture the strategic interactions between the electric utility company and the potential end-users as an extensive form game. Two real-time demand response programmes are addressed, namely Day-Ahead Pricing (DAP) and convex pricing tariffs. The response of price-aware residential consumers to these programmes is formulated as Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) or Quadratic Programming (QP) problem, which optimally schedule their smart home appliances so as to minimise their daily electricity expenses while satisfying their daily energy needs and comfort levels. The results demonstrate that implementing the DAP programme can reduce the Peakto- Average Ratio (PAR) of demand by up to 71% and cut smart households bill by 32%. Moreover, applying real-time convex pricing tariffs can push these performance metrics even further, achieving 80% PAR reduction and more than 50% saving on the household electricity bill

Applications

Volume 3 describes how resource-aware machine learning methods and techniques are used to successfully solve real-world problems. The book provides numerous specific application examples: in health and medicine for risk modelling, diagnosis, and treatment selection for diseases in electronics, steel production and milling for quality control during manufacturing processes in traffic, logistics for smart cities and for mobile communications