The IEEE Communications Standards Magazine aims to be a platform for presenting and discussing a broad variety of standards-related topics in the area of communications. This quarterly magazine will cover areas of communication and networking standards, as well as the role of standards in technical innovation in communications, the effect of intellectual property on communication technology standardization, and research on standardization methodologies in communications. Contributions are encouraged from areas and disciplines that impact the development, adoption, and impact of communications standards on industry and society, such as standards development processes, economics of standards, and the role of national and international policies and regulations on standardization.

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Special Issue on Integrated Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks
Submission Date: 2024-12-01

In Release 17, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) initiated the standardization process for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) to enable 5G-based Terrestrial Networks (TN) to support NTN. This release outlines that NTN will encompass satellites and identifies Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and High-Altitude Platforms (HAPs) as special use cases. In Release 17, 3GPP introduced a set of basic features to enable 5G NR operation over NTN in FR1, i.e., up to 7.125 GHz. In the ongoing Release 18, it is expected that 5G NR NTN operations will be enhanced by improving coverage for handheld terminals as well as addressing mobility and service continuity between TN and NTN. A key advantage of NTN is their extensive coverage capability. However, the integration of NTN into TN introduces various technical challenges. Unlike stationary base stations in TNs, some use cases of NTNs utilize satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) that move at considerable speeds, introducing challenges like Doppler shift and trajectory-dependent frequency variations. Compensating for these shifts and ensuring user equipment is aware of satellite mobility patterns becomes crucial. Additionally, the extended signal path through the atmosphere results in higher path loss, impacting network performance in terms of latency and capacity. Moreover, such networks are expected to coexist in the spectrum, necessitating efficient dynamic spectrum access strategies, efficient spectrum reuse mechanism and spectrum co-channeling. Furthermore, this seamless integration highly depends on efficient wireless fronthaul and backhaul solutions. Therefore, this Special Issue (SI) aims to provide a compendium of technical papers and vision-setting articles from academia, industry, and standardization activities, focusing on major disruptive trends related to integrated TN and NTN.

Motivated by current trends in the field of integrated TN and NTN, we seek to assemble cross-cutting and high-quality original research papers in the following areas, but not limited to:

 - Beamforming techniques for energy efficient integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Multiple access schemes, e.g., RSMA, NOMA for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Backscatter communications for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Mobility and handover management for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Adaptive protocol and QoS for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - AI for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Energy harvesting, wireless information, and power transfer for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Intelligent reflecting surface design for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Holographic MIMO for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - PHY algorithms and protocol designs for integrated TN-NTN.
 - Cost and power efficient design of integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Wireless fronthaul and backhaul solutions for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - AI backed security, privacy, and interference exploitation challenges in integrated TN-NTN based systems.

Special Issue on Self-Organizing Networks: Opportunities, Challenges, and Applications
Submission Date: 2024-12-01

The network management automation problem in 6G systems has been gaining attention from both the standardization organizations and researchers. The current age of agile and dynamic cloud-based environment demands autonomous systems for managing network resources. The goal of operators is to optimize the network resources in order to achieve minimalism with efficiency. The Self-Organizing Networks is the next leap of evolution that is capable of going beyond automation capabilities. With Self-Organizing Networks, it is not just making the network capable of managing resources, but rather making the network learn and adapt itself with respect to the dynamic environment. In networks, the autonomous tasks refer to self-healing, self-diagnosing, and self-provisioning. With the help of emerging technologies, such as Quantum Computing, Artificial intelligence (AI), Generative AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and Blockchain, autonomous tasks can be realized in current network systems. In this Special Issue (SI), we aim to bring together academic researchers, industrial practitioners, and individuals working in this emerging exciting research area to share their innovative ideas and latest findings, and identify and discuss potential use cases, open research problems, technical challenges, and solution methods in the context of standardization. This SI is targeted at the above issues related to Self-Organizing Networks: QoS Provision and Resource Management. Authors are invited to submit previously unpublished papers to this Special Issue. Topics include, but are not limited to: 

    ML/DL for Self-organizing Networks.
    SDN/Network Slicing for Self-Organizing Networks.
    Blockchain for Self-Organizing Networks.
    Edge Computing for Self-Organizing Networks.
    Big Data Analytics for Self-Organizing Networks.
    Federated Learning for Self-Organizing Networks.
    IoT for Self-Organizing Networks.
    Dynamic Resource Allocation Techniques.
    Quantum Computing for Self-Organizing Networks.
    Decentralized AI for Self-Organizing Networks.
    Autonomous Network architectures and protocol designs.
    Quality of Service (QoS) issues such as Dynamic Resource Allocation.
    Spectrum Allocation and Energy Efficiency.
    Enabling Trust for Self-Organizing Networks.
    Futuristic paradigms for advanced use cases; adopting blockchain, quantum communication, etc.
    Parameters like interoperability, heterogeneity, and bandwidth in congested networks.
    Optimization Techniques (e.g. Haris Hawk) for Self-Organizing Networks.

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts should conform to the standard format as indicated in the Information for Authors section of the Paper Submission Guidelines. All manuscripts to be considered for publication must be submitted by the deadline through Manuscript Central. Select “October2024/Self-Organizing Networks: Opportunities, Challenges, and Applications” from the drop-down menu of Topic/Series titles.

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 1 December 2024 
Authors’ Revision Notification Date: 1 February 2025
Revised Manuscript Submission Deadline: 15 March 2025
Final Decision Notification Date: 15 April 2025
Camera-ready Files Due: 30 April 2025
Guest Editorial/Column: 15 May 2025
Expected Publication Date: September 2025

Guest Editors

Kapal Dev
Munster Technical University, Ireland

Yang Xiao
University of Alabama, USA

Sunder Ali Khowaja 
TU Dublin, Ireland 

Atul Kumar Pandey
IIT BHU, India

Maurizio Magarini
Politecnico di Milnao, Italy

Special Issue on Ambient Internet of Things
Submission Date: 2025-01-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) has experienced exponential growth in recent years, with billions of IoT connections currently in use. This trend is expected to continue with connections projected to reach tens of billions in the coming years. However, this rapid growth presents significant challenges, mainly because legacy IoT devices rely on batteries that require replacement or manual recharging. Replacing or recharging these batteries can be highly challenging and costly, particularly in large-scale deployments, and raises serious sustainability and environmental concerns due to the required battery replacements.

Against this backdrop, Ambient IoT is emerging as a promising alternative to traditional battery-powered IoT devices. Ambient IoT devices operate with limited or no power storage at all and are powered by ambient power sources, such as RF signals, solar power, indoor light, vibrations, and heat. The benefits of Ambient IoT include: (a) maintenance-free operation, significantly reducing maintenance costs; (b) suitability for deployment in scenarios that may not be accessible after installation, including extreme environmental conditions like high pressure and high temperatures; (c) allows for small and low cost “printable” tags; and (d) improved sustainability with minimal environmental impact. 

Ambient IoT use cases are typically grouped into four main categories: inventory, sensors, command, and positioning. While some of these use cases have been traditionally served by RFID technologies, this Special Issue (SI) is targeted to offer improved range and higher capacity compared to RFID, making it a better option for a wider array of applications. Ambient IoT is currently under active study in global standardization organizations, such as 3GPP and IEEE, with potential specifications expected as early as next year. Furthermore, Bluetooth technology, in particular Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), is emerging as one of the key enablers of Ambient IoT use cases, as some IoT solution providers already rely on Bluetooth to support applications utilizing energy harvesting devices. Additionally, numerous ongoing research and prototyping efforts in academia and industry are exploring the further improvement of battery-less technologies to realize the Internet of Everything.

Motivated by recent advancements and ongoing standardization efforts in Ambient IoT, this SI invites high-quality papers in, but not limited to, the following areas:

    Ambient IoT standardization efforts in standardization forums (3GPP, IEEE, Bluetooth SIG, etc.).
    Future perspectives on Ambient IoT evolution within standardization forums.
    Device architectures tailored for Ambient IoT.
    Power saving solutions for Ambient IoT.
    Low-complexity and low-power reception and transmission techniques for Ambient IoT.
    Energy harvesting techniques for Ambient IoT.
    Energy storage solutions for Ambient IoT.
    Prototyping and experimental validation of Ambient IoT.
    Regulatory, spectrum, and coexistence considerations for Ambient IoT.
    Comparison of Ambient IoT with legacy IoT technologies.
    Coverage analysis and coverage enhancement techniques for Ambient IoT.
    Low-complexity physical layer design, including waveform, modulation, and channel coding design.
    Design of physical layer channels and signals for Ambient IoT.
    Synchronization and timing aspects of Ambient IoT.
    Random access and multiple access techniques for Ambient IoT.
    Characteristics, control, and design of carrier wave waveform for backscattering and RF energy harvesting.
    Interference analysis and interference cancellation techniques for Ambient IoT.
    Design of compact higher-layer protocols and functionalities for Ambient IoT.
    RAN architecture and core network aspects of Ambient IoT.
    Security aspects of Ambient IoT.
    Positioning/tracking techniques and functionalities for Ambient IoT.
    Use cases, traffic patterns, and deployment aspects of Ambient IoT.
    AI/machine learning enabled Ambient IoT.
    Device and data management and commercialization aspects for Ambient IoT.

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts should conform to the standard format indicated in the Information for Authors section of the Paper Submission Guidelines. All manuscripts to be considered for publication must be submitted by the deadline through Manuscript Central. Select "June 2025/Ambient IoT" from the drop-down menu of Topic/Series titles.

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 1 January 2025
Authors’ Revision Notification Date: 1 February 2025
Revised Manuscript Submission Deadline: 15 March 2025
Final Decision Notification Date: 1 April 2025
Camera-ready Files Due: 15 April 2025
Guest Editorial/Column: 30 April 2025
Expected Publication Date:  June 2025

Guest Editors

Sandeep Narayanan Kadan Veedu
Ericsson Research, Sweden

Yuchul Kim
Qualcomm Inc., USA

Thiemo Voigt
Uppsala University, Sweden 

Special Issue on Semantic Communications for 6G
Submission Date: 2025-03-30

The confluence of advancements in communication and Artificial Intelligence (AI), alongside the rapid progression of digitalization, has catalyzed the expansive growth of communication. The emergence of applications, such as Extended Reality (XR), Digital Twin (DT), industrial automation, autonomous vehicles, and humanoid robots, introduces multi-modal data, diverse tasks, and stringent requirements. These developments present critical challenges to traditional digital communication systems, which are often ill-equipped to meet the demands of 6G communication. This necessitates revolutionary solutions within the 6G framework, particularly architectures that inherently integrate AI to enhance the performance of 6G. Moreover, semantic communication technology is the linchpin to achieving this vision. Semantic communication not only bolsters device interoperability but also enriches the interpretability and actionability of data, thereby facilitating specialized tasks within 6G. Preliminary research on "semantic communications" has primarily centered on employing a lot of data as a semantic metric to encapsulate the essence of information. This approach defines novel metrics aimed at gauging performance effectiveness for specific tasks. Therefore, this Special Issue (SI) aims to provide a compendium of technical papers and vision-setting articles from academia, industry, and standardization activities, focusing on major disruptive trends related to semantic communication for 6G.

Motivated by current trends in the field of semantic communication, we seek to assemble cross-cutting and high-quality original research papers in the following areas, but not limited to：

    New architecture for semantic communications.
    Multi-modal data for semantic communications.
    Network optimization for semantic communications.
    Semantic communications for the Internet of Things.
    Semantic communications for extended reality .
    Semantic communications for digital twin.
    Semantic communications for edge learning.
    Generative AI for semantic communication.
    Explainability issue of semantic communications.
    Privacy and security issues of semantic communications.
    Experiments and testbeds of semantic communications.

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts should conform to the standard format indicated in the Information for Authors section of the Paper Submission Guidelines. All manuscripts to be considered for publication must be submitted by the deadline through Manuscript Central. The timetable is as follows:

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 March 2025 
Authors' Revision Notification Date: 30 June 2025
Revised Manuscript Submission Deadline: 15 August 2025
Final Decision Notification Date: 15 September 2025
Camera-ready Files Due: 30 September 2025
Guest Editorial/Column: 15 October 2025
Expected Publication Date: December 2025

Guest Editors

Mingkai Chen
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China

Shahid Mumtaz
Nottingham Trent University, UK

Ikram Ashraf
Nokia, Finland

Varun G Menon
SCMS School of Engineering and Technology, Kerala, India

Special Issue on AI-Native Radio Access Network (RAN)
Submission Date: 2025-03-30

The evolution of wireless communication technologies has brought us to the era of 5G-Advanced, setting the stage for the development of 6G. In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a transformative paradigm. Notably, AI-native radio access network (RAN) is becoming a pivotal area of research and development. An AI-native RAN leverages AI to optimize and manage the complexities of the radio access network, enabling more efficient, adaptive, and intelligent network operations. End-to-end communication using neural networks is an example of such approaches. This approach promises to enhance and simplify end-to-end communication, improve network performance, and support a wide range of new applications and services. The motivation for this Special Issue (SI) stems from the need to explore new AI-driven approaches and technologies to enhance the capabilities of RAN in 5G-Advanced and beyond. Submissions are particularly encouraged to address how these AI techniques can be integrated into existing or upcoming communication standards, contributing to the evolution of standardization in wireless networks.

This SI aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest research, innovations, and future directions in AI-native RAN within the context of 5G-Advanced and beyond. It will cover theoretical, experimental, standardization, and practical aspects, addressing challenges, proposing novel solutions, and highlighting the potential applications of AI in RAN optimization and management. We welcome interdisciplinary contributions from fields, such as computer science and electrical engineering. Submissions that emphasize standardization efforts and practical implementations aligned with industry standards are particularly encouraged.

Topics of interest for this SI include, but are not limited to:

    AI-driven modulation and coding techniques for RAN.
    Autoencoder-based end-to-end communication optimization.
    Interference-aware end-to-end communication.
    End-to-end integrated communication and sensing (ISAC).
    End-to-end non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA).
    Deep learning for RAN optimization and automation.
    Reinforcement learning for RAN resource allocation.
    AI-native RAN architecture and protocol design.
    AI for MIMO and beamforming in RAN.
    AI-driven interference management and mitigation.
    Security and scalability in AI-native RAN.
    Implementations and experimental works on AI-native RAN.
    Energy-efficient AI techniques for RAN.
    Performance evaluation and benchmarking of AI-native RAN systems.
    AI-driven RAN for IoT and smart cities.
    Ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) and AI-native RAN.
    The evolution of open RAN and C-RAN to AI-native RAN.
    Standardization and testing of end-to-end communication systems.
    End-to-end sensing and radar detection.
    Generative AI in AI-native RAN.

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts should conform to the standard format as indicated in the Information for Authors section of the Paper Submission Guidelines.

All manuscripts to be considered for publication must be submitted by the deadline through Manuscript Central. Select the “AI-native RAN” topic from the drop-down menu of Topic/Series titles.

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 March 2025 
Authors' Revision Notification Date: 30 June 2025
Revised Manuscript Submission Deadline: 15 August 2025
Final Decision Notification Date: 15 September 2025
Camera-ready Files Due: 30 September 2025
Guest Editorial/Column: 15 October 2025
Expected Publication Date: December 2025

Guest Editors

Mojtaba Vaezi
Villanova University, USA

Xingqin Lin
NVIDIA, USA

Tim O’Shea
DeepSig, USA

Robert Schober
Friedrich-Alexander-University, Germany

Melike Erol-Kantarci
University of Ottawa and Ericsson, Canada

Chih-Lin I
China Mobile, China

Hamid Jafarkhani
University of California Irvine, USA