IEEE Wireless Communications is designed for audience working in the wireless communications and networking communities. It covers technical, policy and standard issues relating to wireless communications in all media (and combinations of media), and at all protocol layers. All wireless/mobile communications, networking, computing and services will be covered. Each issue of this interdisciplinary magazine provides tutorial articles of high quality and depth concerning the revolutionary technological advances in wireless/mobile communications, networking and computing.

Special Issue on Trustworthy 6G
Submission Date: 2024-08-01

Currently, IMT 2030 proposes trustworthiness as a new characteristic in the 6G vision, and Huawei mentions native trustworthiness for 6G technology and requirements. In fact, various standard organizations, such as 3GPP, ETSI, and IEEE have been working on trustworthiness topics. Meanwhile, the world's major communications companies, including China Mobile, Nokia, Ericsson, etc., have clearly stated the need for 6G trustworthiness in their 6G initiatives, proposals, and white papers. Furthermore, many researchers have published technical work on the definition, generation, protection, and optimization of trustworthiness. All of these indicate that trustworthiness will become an indispensable key feature in 6G.

First, as a new characteristic, how to define trustworthiness in 6G is an open issue. Can trustworthiness be straightforwardly equated with safety, security, privacy, reliability, and resilience, or is it characterized by behaving exactly as expected? Second, what key performance indicators are typically suitable for trustworthiness and how to rate trustworthiness precisely. These challenges have not been well addressed. Lastly, due to the diversity of the concept of trustworthiness in academia and industry, there are many views on theories, technologies, and applications for trustworthiness in 6G, which have not yet reached a consensus to form a clear and systematic guide for the coming 6G era. The objective of this Special Issue (SI) is to enable both academic and industry researchers to present their research on trustworthy 6G. The SI also seeks to identify new application areas within this developing field and strongly encourages original research articles related to this topic, as well as high-quality review articles describing the current state of the art. Potential topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

 - Definitions of trustworthiness in relation to safety, security, privacy, reliability, robustness, resilience, explainability, accountability, integrity, availability, etc.
 - Traditional technologies, information theory, cryptography, zero-trust, zero-knowledge proofs, artificial intelligence, etc., for trustworthy 6G.
 - New capabilities of Account, Authorization, Authentication, Audit, etc. for trustworthy 6G.
 - Integration of trustworthiness at the physical, data link, and network layers of 6G.
 - Trustworthy environment engineering in 6G.
 - Testing and evaluating trustworthiness in 6G.
 - Industry and standardization efforts on trustworthy 6G.

Special Issue on Unveiling the Cosmic Connection: AI's Pivotal Role in Bridging Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks
Submission Date: 2024-10-01

The emergence of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) release 17 represents a noteworthy milestone in the evolution of communication networks. It empowers 5G operators to extend their services beyond terrestrial boundaries, with implications reaching far beyond traditional communication networks, impacting remote communities, maritime endeavors, and airborne operations. A key advantage of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) (including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) and Satellites) is their extensive coverage capability. Machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, emergency response, enhanced coverage to high-speed platforms (airplanes, trains, ships), spanning agriculture, transportation, environmental monitoring, and asset tracking, can leverage NTNs for pervasive and reliable Internet connectivity. However, the integration of NTN into Terrestrial Networks (TNs) introduces various technical and regulatory challenges.

Unlike stationary base stations in TNs, one of the use cases of NTNs utilizes 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 pattern becomes crucial. Additionally, the extended signal path through the atmosphere results in higher path loss, impacting network performance in terms of latency and capacity. An efficient integrated TN-NTN network shall carefully adapt the resources based on the dynamics of the system and the instantaneous demand of the corresponding users. Furthermore, such networks are expected to coexist in spectrum, claiming for efficient dynamic spectrum access strategies. Clearly, successful integration requires collaborative efforts among satellite operators, network service providers, government agencies, and standards bodies to overcome regulatory barriers. Wireless devices based on TN typically require more resources to establish a robust link with NTN. To address the restricted storage and computing capabilities of these devices, an efficient wireless architecture needs to be devised. Overcoming these challenges propels us beyond conventional rules-based methods, with many now turning to artificial intelligence (AI) as the preferred solution to navigate the intricacies introduced by contemporary systems. AI-supported methods play a pivotal role in operating future 6G networks, empowering NTNs to function optimally in dynamic and unpredictable settings. However, the reliability of AI models hinges on the size and quality of the training dataset. Consequently, this Special Issue (SI) aims to address the challenges associated with the use of AI in bridging the gap between TN and NTN.

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

 - Al enabled Beamforming techniques for energy efficient Integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Multiple access schemes, e.g., RSMA, NOMA for integrated TN-NTN systems.
 - Al enabled Backscatter communications for Integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Energy harvesting, wireless information, and power transfer for integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - Al enabled 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.
 - AI enabled optimization-oriented designs for Integrated TN-NTN.
 - Satellite communications and networking, e.g., LEOs, ground-to-space, space-to-ground links.
 - AI enabled cost and power efficient design of Integrated TN-NTN networks.
 - AI backed security, privacy, and interference exploitation challenges in integrated TN-NTN based systems.
 - AI algorithms for joint TN and NTN resource allocations.
 - Generative AI for TN and NTN.

Special Issue on Digital Twins and Pervasive Intelligence Synergy in 6G and Beyond
Submission Date: 2024-10-01

The concept of Digital Twins, which are virtual replicas of physical entities or systems, has emerged as a transformative technology across various sectors, from manufacturing and healthcare to urban planning and environmental management. When combined with pervasive intelligence – the embedding of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms in our physical and digital environments – the innovation potential is significantly amplified. Digital twins simulate 6G networks in real time, enabling AI to optimize performance and predict issues. AI enhances these simulations by learning from real-world data, improving accuracy and effectiveness. The advent of 6G, the next generation of wireless networks, promises unprecedented data speeds, ultra-reliable low-latency communications, and massive connectivity for IoT devices. This technological leap provides a robust foundation for the integration of digital twins with pervasive intelligence, opening new avenues for real-time data analytics, predictive maintenance, autonomous decision-making, and personalized user experiences.

Investigating the synergy between digital twins and pervasive intelligence in the context of 6G and beyond is imperative for several compelling reasons. Firstly, this collaboration enhances real-time decision-making, providing critical accuracy and speed for applications, like autonomous vehicles and smart cities, where immediate response is crucial. Secondly, the healthcare sector stands to benefit immensely, with the potential for remote monitoring, personalized treatments, and surgical simulations that could significantly improve patient outcomes and efficiency. Thirdly, the ability to create detailed simulations and predictive analytics can transform urban and environmental management, promoting sustainability, optimizing resource use, and reducing environmental footprints. Furthermore, this synergy is poised to revolutionize the industrial sector by driving advancements in manufacturing processes, predictive maintenance, and supply chain management, propelling Industry 4.0 forward. The research and development landscape also presents vast opportunities for innovation, including the exploration of novel algorithms, architectures, security measures, and ethical frameworks. Moreover, as digital twins and AI/ML become increasingly integrated into sensitive sectors, addressing the challenges related to security vulnerabilities and ethical considerations is crucial. This necessitates comprehensive research and dialogue to navigate these complexities, highlighting the importance of studying digital twins and pervasive intelligence synergy in 6G and the future technological landscape.

Thereby, with the observation of the recent surge in relevant research, this Special Issue (SI) seeks to bring together researchers from both academia and industry to share recent research results, technology advances, and future trends, including novel architecture, theory, evaluation, and applications towards the synergy between digital twins and pervasive intelligence in 6G and beyond. Authors are invited to submit manuscripts on the topics including, but not limited to, the following:

    Architecture design for scalable digital twins in 6G and beyond.
    Performance evaluation for digital twins in 6G.
    Edge AI and federated learning for digital twins in 6G.
    AI/ML for network virtualization and automation.
    AI-driven network optimization using digital twins.
    Generative AI for DT-enabled 6G.
    Pervasive intelligence for autonomous network management.
    Energy-efficient 6G networks through digital twin.
    Physical layer technologies in DT-enabled 6G.
    Integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) for DT-enabled 6G.
    Security and privacy in 6G and beyond.
    Security and privacy for digital twin and AI.
    Interoperability and standardization for DT and AI in 6G.
    Edge computing in DT-6G integration.
    Ultra-reliable-low-latency communications (URLLC) in 6G with DT.
    Innovative services and applications enabled by DT-enabled 6G.
    Integration of IoT and DT in 6G networks.
    Intelligent Drone/UAV-Assisted Networking
    Intelligent space-air-ground integrated networking.
    Human-machine interfaces and user experience in DT-Enabled 6G.
    Mobile AI generated content in 6G.

Submission Guidelines

Prospective authors should prepare their submissions in accordance with the rules specified in the "Information for Authors" of the IEEE Wireless Communications guidelines. 

Authors should submit a PDF version of their complete manuscript to the IEEE Author Portal.The timetable is as follows:

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 1 October 2024
Initial Decision Date: 1 December 2024
Revised Manuscript Due: 1 January 2025
Final Decision Date: 1 February 2025
Final Manuscript Due: 1 April 2025
Publication Date: June 2025

Guest Editors

Haixia Peng
Xi’an Jiaotong University, China

Katsuya Suto
University of Electro-Communications, Japan

Ping Wang
York University, Canada

Kuan Zhang
University of Nebraska–Lincoln, USA

Corrado Puligheddu
Politecnico di Torino, Italy