Computer Networks is an international, archival journal providing a publication vehicle for complete coverage of all topics of interest to those involved in the computer communications networking area. The audience includes researchers, managers and operators of networks as well as designers and implementors. The Editorial Board will consider any material for publication that is of interest to those groups.

SUBJECT COVERAGE

The topics covered by the journal but not limited to these are:

1. Communication Network Architectures:
New design contributions on Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs) including Wired, Wireless, Mobile, Cellular, Sensor, Optical, IP, ATM, and other related network technologies, as well as new switching technologies and the integration of various networking paradigms.

2. Communication Network Protocols:
New design contributions on all protocol layers except the Physical Layer, considering all types of networks mentioned above and their performance evaluation; novel protocols, methods and algorithms related to, e.g., medium access control, error control, routing, resource discovery, multicasting, congestion and flow control, scheduling, multimedia quality of service, as well as protocol specification, testing and verification.

3. Network Services and Applications:
Web, Web caching, Web performance, Middleware and operating system support for all types of networking, electronic commerce, quality of service, new adaptive applications, and multimedia services.

4. Network Security and Privacy:
Security protocols, authentication, denial of service, anonymity, smartcards, intrusion detection, key management, viruses and other malicious codes, information flow, data integrity, mobile code and agent security.

5. Network Operation and Management:
Including network pricing, network system software, quality of service, signaling protocols, mobility management, power management and power control algorithms, network planning, network dimensioning, network reliability, network performance measurements, network modeling and analysis, and overall system management.

6. Discrete Algorithms and Discrete Modeling
Algorithmic and discrete aspects in the context of computer networking as well as mobile and wireless computing and communications. Fostering cooperation among practitioners and theoreticians in this field.

TYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS CONSIDERED

The primary purpose of the journal is to publish original and complete papers covering a specific topic or project in the above mentioned areas in sufficient detail and depth to be of practical use to interested readers. The readers should benefit from the novel solutions and analyses presented in the papers. Enhanced, extended versions of quality papers presented at conferences or workshops can be submitted to our journal for review. Note that papers which were already published with the same contents or simultaneous submission of the same paper to other journals or conferences will not be considered for publication in our journal and will be immediately rejected.

Special Issue on Non-Terrestrial Networks for Ubiquitous Connectivity
Día de Entrega: 2024-06-15

The current development of 5G networks represents a breakthrough in the design of communication networks for its ability to provide a single platform enabling a variety of data services. With these significant enhancements enabled by 5G, it is already possible to envision the need for 6G. Providing "connectivity from the sky" is one innovative trend for coming 6G communication systems. Satellites, high and low-altitude platforms (HAP and LAP), drones, aircrafts, and airships are being considered as candidates for deploying wireless communications complementing terrestrial communications. Combining these network elements, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) have attracted much attention from both academia and industry and are recognized as a potential solution for the 6G networks.

NTNs are heterogeneous networks that are engineered to utilize satellites, HAPs, and LAPs to build network access platforms. Unlike terrestrial wireless networks, NTNs are characterized by frequently changed network topologies and more vulnerable communication connections. However, NTNs are not intended to replace the existing technologies but instead to work with them in a complementary and integrated fashion. Therefore, NTNs demand seamless integration of heterogeneous networks to improve the network quality-of-service (QoS). Therefore, developing new communications, signal processing, and optimization techniques is essential to accommodate diverse services and applications with different QoS requirements in various scenarios.

This special issue will collect the best papers from the Symposium S10 of the IEEE FNWF 2023 (13-15 November 2023, Baltimore, USA) upon invitation and will also accept open submissions.

Guest editors:

Gunes Karabulut Kurt, PhDPolytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Canada(Space information networks, satellite networking, wireless network coding, wireless security, space security, and wireless testbeds)

Andreas Knopp, PhDBundeswehr University, Munich, Germany(Satellite networks and constellations, information processing, narrowband IoT, information security and resilience)

Giovanni Giambene, PhDUniversity of Siena, Siena, Italy(Satellite Networking, NTN, IoT, 5G/6G, Transport Protocols, V2X)

Hongliang Zhang, PhD
Peking University, Beijing, China(Aerial Access Networks, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces, Internet of Things)

Manuscript submission information:
The journal's submission platform (EditorialManager®) will be available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue from December 10th, 2023. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript, and select the article type of “VSI: Non-Terrestrial Net” when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage: Computer Networks | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier.

Timeline:
Submission Open Date *10/12/2023
Final Manuscript Submission Deadline *15/06/2024
Editorial Acceptance Deadline *06/09/2024