Call for Papers

The rapid evolution in computing and communication technologies in recent years has revolutionized the accessibility and location of applications, data storage, and processing resources. For efficient computing resource utilization and ubiquitous connections from any network end devices with limited computing capability, the cloud computing paradigm which focuses on reliable and cost-efficient computing, software, storage, and virtualization of the hardware resources has been prevalent and widely adopted. However, as some online or real-time interactive applications require a quick and timely response from the computing center, some small computing centers need to be set up closer to the end devices to guarantee a lower latency and a limited jitter. These small computing centers close to the end devices form the edge computing paradigm. A hierarchical architecture or hybrid design of cloud and edge computing may be the solution to fit the various applications and use cases. However, the realization of these computing paradigms or their hybrid design is challenging, including the modeling, analysis, implementation, design, and evaluation of the architecture, protocols, algorithms, computing, communication, control, energy consumption, delay, and other techniques.  

Main Topics of Interest:  

• Edge/Cloud Computing and Networking for prevailing consumer applications such as AI, AIoT, and AR/VR/MR/XR.  
• Edge/Cloud Computing and Networking for Industry IoT (IIoT)
• Edge/Cloud Computing and Networking for medical applications and epidemic prevention
• Computing and networking convergence
• Service/Content caching in Edge/Cloud Computing Servers
• Satellite Edge Computing
• Performance guarantee, QoS, and QoE in Edge/Cloud systems  
• Machine Learning approaches for Edge/Cloud computing and networking
• Cloud network operating systems
• Datacenter(DC)/micro-DC network management
• Intra-cloud and inter-cloud management  
• Communications and networking protocols for the hybrid cloud and edge computing architectures  
• Energy-efficient algorithms, protocols, and designs
• Access control strategies  
• Security, privacy, trust for Edge/Cloud computing and networking
• Edge/Cloud forensics
• Mission-critical edge computing and networking
• Mobile Edge/Cloud networking in next-generation wireless mobile networks  
• Mobile Edge/Cloud computing
• Optimal resource arrangement/allocation/migration in Edge/Cloud computing centers
• Hierarchical architecture or hybrid design amid Edge/Cloud computing centers  
• The hybrid design of Edge/Cloud computing for various AI and IoT applications
• Software Defined Networking approaches for Edge and cloud computing
• Edge Computing for Digital Twins •   Edge Computing approaches for Industrial IoT 

Scope and Motivation:  Social applications, multimedia, and games play a substantial role in shaping Internet traffic and have emerged as dominant mode of social interaction online. This recent trend has sparked significant research interests, both at the network level and in terms of application and service development. Moreover, with the advent of the metaverse, research focus within these domains has expanded to encompass virtual worlds, immersive experiences, and social interactions in virtual environments. Given their increasing prevalence and interdisciplinary nature, social applications, multimedia, and games have also garnered research attention across diverse fields, including big data analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data sensing, information security, and privacy protection. Main Topics of Interest:  The Networking solutions for social applications, multimedia, and games track seeks original contributions in the following areas, as well as others that are not explicitly listed but are closely related: 

• Artificial Intelligence for social applications, multimedia, and games.  
• Architectures, Platforms, and Protocols.  
• Business models for social applications, multimedia, and games.  
• Communication security for social applications, multimedia, and games.  
• Data Sensing.  
• Distributed games engines.  
• Ethical considerations in social applications, multimedia, and games.  
• Gamification and game-based learning in applications.
• Human-Computer Interfaces and Human-Machine Interfaces.  
• Immersive storytelling and narrative techniques in multimedia and games.  
• Knowledge discovery for social applications, multimedia, and games.  
• Metaverse, virtual worlds, immersive experiences.  
• Naming and routing of media streams.  
• New paradigms of future communications networks.  
• Non-visual Interfaces for accessibility and/or Virtual Reality.  
• Novel applications for the social, multimedia, and games scenario.  
• Smart moving and smart objects.  
• Social computing and collective intelligence.
• Social influence and persuasion in multimedia and games.  
• Social interactions in communication networks.  
• Recommender algorithms.  
• Rumor source localization in large-scale, real-world networking solutions.
• User profiling and behavior analysis.  
• User engagement and retention strategies in social applications and games.  
• Virtual reality and augmented reality applications. 

Scope and Motivation: The growing complexity of the networking ecosystem underscores the importance of data collection and experimentation at scale. This ensures that networking solutions can effectively influence the network behavior under conditions that closely mimic real-world deployments. Consequently, research testbeds that allow for the testing and validation of communication and networking solutions, as well as the automation of data collection in realistic environments, are becoming increasingly critical. Main Topics of Interest: The testbeds, experimentation and datasets for communications and networking track seeks original contributions in the following areas, as well as others that are not explicitly listed but are closely related: 

• Design and evaluation of testbeds and prototyping platforms for communications and networking
• Experimentation and data-collection at scale on real-world testbeds
• Experiences/lessons from recent testbed deployments
• Techniques for improving reproducibility of real-world measurement studies
• Testbed control and management issues
• Evaluation of large-scale and heterogeneous networks
• Experimental evaluation of wireless communication technologies, including
• Cellular networks (5G-and-beyond)
• Open RAN
• Wi-Fi
• mmWave and Terahertz communications
• Massive MIMO
• Design and evaluation of open-source softwares for wireless networking
• Creation of open-source datasets for wireless communications
• Experimental evaluation of security schemes and threats for communications  

Scope and Motivation:  The track on Wireless Communications: Fundamentals, PHY and ABOVE covers theoretical and practical topics related to all aspects on physical (PHY), medium access control (MAC), and higher layers in wireless communications. In particular, topics related to current and future wireless communication systems are encouraged. In addition, papers on physical layer (PHY) techniques, PHY-related network analysis and design, cross-layer optimization techniques, field trials and applications, fundamental analysis for wireless communication systems are of special interest. To design future wireless communications systems meeting broad demands such as low latency, high data rate, ultra-high reliability, and high energy efficiency, discussions confined to a specific layer are insufficient. This track aims to provide opportunities for active discussions among researchers and practitioners working on different layers of wireless communications. Papers describing original and unpublished work addressing these topics of interest are welcome. 

Main Topics of Interest:  

This track seeks original contributions in the following areas, as well as others that are not explicitly listed but are closely related 

• Beyond 5G/6G mobile communications  
• Advanced modulation techniques (OTFS variants, OFDM, and waveform design)  
• Antennas, beamforming, distributed and hybrid-beamforming techniques
• Cell-free massive MIMO, distributed MIMO, network MIMO, and cloud RAN
• Joint radar and communications and integrated sensing and communications (ISAC)
• Intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS), relaying, and diversity techniques
• cmWave, mmWave, and Tera-hertz communication techniques
• Semantic communications and goal-oriented or mission-critical communications
• Orbital angular momentum (OAM)-based wireless communications
• Machine-learning techniques for wireless communications
• AI and data analytics for wireless communications
• Communications design for distributed machine learning and federated learning  
• Data-driven PHY/MAC/higher layer techniques
• Non-terrestrial wireless communications, including Drone/UAV communications
• Wireless power transfer and simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT)  
• Energy harvesting and sustainable communication techniques
• Green communications & energy efficiency in wireless communications  
• Ambient IoT, backscatter communications
• Information-theoretical aspects of wireless communications  
• Channel modeling, estimation, and equalization techniques  
• Fog networks, contents caching, and mobile edge computing techniques  
• Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and various multiple access techniques  
• Grant-free access, coded ALOHA, and grant-free NOMA
• Massive access, massive IoT/M2M, and wireless sensor networks  
• Interference management (coordination, cancellation, and alignment) techniques  
• Physical-layer security & Anti-jamming techniques  
• Positioning and localization techniques
• Spectrum sharing/cognitive radio techniques and in-band network coexistence
• Healthcare IoT, body area network (BAN)
• QoS/QoE provisioning in wireless systems • Cyber physical systems (CPS) and digital twin 

Scope and Motivation: The first commercial deployments of 5G networks back in early 2019 signified the culmination of a decade of work towards the creation of faster, more ubiquitous networks for everyone and everything. Today, the neverending demand for higher data-rates, lower latency, higher reliability, and higher energy efficiency for massive heterogeneous systems on the ground, in the air and even in space, requires the development of new wireless technologies, from devices to protocols. The forthcoming sixth generation (6G) wireless system will be driven by both the refinement of past trends, such as densification and massive antenna arrays, as well as emerging trends including the adoption of the spectrum above 100 GHz, the end-to-end control of signal propagation through intelligent reflecting surfaces, integration of sensing and communications, or the use of AI/ML for the design and orchestration of new networking architectures, such as, O-RAN. The purpose of this Special Track is to provide a platform for the discussion of the major research challenges, latest developments and recent advances from 5G towards 6G networks. 

Main Topics of Interest:  
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:  

• Breakthrough technologies and concepts for beyond 5G and towards 6G
• Key drivers and core requirements for beyond 5G and towards 6G
• Above 6 GHz: millimeter-wave, Terahertz-band, optical wireless communications
• Cell-free MIMO, Massive MIMO and Ultra-massive MIMO  
• Smart environments enabled by intelligent reflecting surfaces
• Integration of sensing, positioning, and communications  
• Smart radio resource management techniques       
• B5G and 6G network architectures: Topologies and Functionalities.  
• Integrated terrestrial, airborne, and satellite networks – Non-Terrestrial Networks
• Integrated access and backhaul
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning-based approaches for 5G and towards 6G
• Energy transfer and harvesting techniques for enabling Self-Sustainable Networks
• Connected Robotics and Autonomous Systems (CRAS)
• Network softwarization: SDR, SDN, NFV, and O-RAN (including RIC solutions)
• Network orchestration for B5G: Decision, Controlling, and Monitoring techniques for B5G and 6G
• End-to-end co-design of communication, caching, control, and computing functionalities
• New applications, new services classes, and new media
• B5G and 6G verticals: Use cases, technical requirements, and testbed 

Scope and Motivation: 

We are already witnessing the transformation of objects we interact in our daily lives going through a deep digital transformation: connected to the internet becoming part of an interconnected network of “things” with capability to exchange and communicate with each other as well as offering exceptional ability to capture/sense information about the physical environment and perform actuation. By sharing the information about them (e.g. their status) and sensing the surrounding environment, “things” will increase the awareness and the intelligence of the space we work and live in. The opportunity for extracting knowledge from data produced by the things is limitless and will unleash the development of countless sets of new applications, services and products to the consumer and industrial market. These will encompass several smart spaces such as smart cities, smart homes, smart factories, smart product management and smart farming. The "always connected" paradigm and the multitude of sensors, actuators, and analysis backends that interact with each other create new challenges on the social level, technical level, engineering level, as well as for the security and privacy. This track solicits papers that report on advancements in the area of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and novel IoT applications.  Issues can include emerging technologies involving communication, sensing, smart spaces, social impact, sensing fabric integration, data collection and privacy and sensor data quality. Application areas include Industry 4.0, social networking, news gathering, health and safety, entertainment, gaming, sports, and environment. 

Main Topics of Interest: 
The track seeks original contributions in the following areas, as well as others that are not explicitly listed here but are closely related: 

• Address management and End-to-End Addressability     
• Future Internet cohesion and IoT     
• Content/Information-Centric Networking for IoT   
• IoT paradigms, systems, components, architectures, and applications   
• Tools for developing IoT applications     
• Middleware for IoT    
• Simulation-based design methodologies for the IoT
• IoT/Edge/Cloud computing continuum
• AI and Machine Learning for the IoT
• Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication technologies     
• MAC protocols for IoT    
• Industrial IoT Protocols
• Energy management in IoT devices and applications   
• Data storage and management in IoT applications     
• RFID, sensors, and actuator technologies    
• Interoperability, data integration, and Quality in IoT
• Privacy and security in IoT deployments
• Digital Twins, Metaverse and Industrial IoT  
• Proactive and adaptive IoT systems

Scope and Motivation: 

IEEE CCNC 2026 Security, Privacy, and Content Protection Track is dedicated to exploring and discussing the most recent advancements and state-of-the-art technical solutions in the dynamic and ever-evolving field of cybersecurity and privacy protection. As technology advances, the need to address emerging threats and safeguard sensitive information becomes increasingly critical. This track encourages the submission of high-quality research contributions that push the boundaries of knowledge and demonstrate significant advancements in the field. It seeks to showcase cutting-edge research that addresses emerging threats, tackles existing security and privacy challenges, and presents novel solutions that can be deployed in real-world scenarios. 

Main Topics of Interest: 
The scope of this track covers practical and theoretical submissions describing novel contributions on a wide range of topics, including:      

• AI in Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity in AI
• Anonymity and privacy-enhancing technologies   
• Applied cryptography for network, information, and cybersecurity      
• Authentication, authorization, and auditing for content protection      
• Blockchain security and privacy      
• Botnet analysis and detection      
• Computer and network forensics      
• Consumer-friendly and usable security and privacy tools      
• Control of personal data & privacy protection     
• Digital rights management & copyright protection      
• Exploit writing, mitigation bypass techniques      
• Firewalls and intrusion detection      
• Internet measurements for network security and security monitoring   
• Malware detection and recovery  
• Network infrastructure security     
• Personal, portable, and wearable device security      
• Privacy-preserving mechanisms for distributed computing     
• Privacy-preserving mechanisms for autonomous systems     
• Phishing and spam detection and defense      
• Reputation and trust management mechanisms      
• Security and privacy in WiFi and Home Networks      
• Security and privacy in cellular and mobile networks   

Scope and Motivation: 

Connected and autonomous vehicles operating on land, water and sky are enabling a plethora of new applications to make mobility safer, faster, cleaner, and more efficient. This interdisciplinary and highly active field of research requires experts with complementary expertise from academia and industry to join forces to meet the following challenges in the domains of communications and applications: 

• One first challenge is ensuring fast, robust, and efficient connectivity, so as to allow those vehicles to cooperate; technologies range from cellular and mobile broadband to WLAN, to Radar, to Visible Light Communication, and beyond.
• Connected vehicles will be required to provide a plethora of different services, with heterogeneous requirements in terms of bandwidth, latency, and computational power.
• Another important aspect is the specification and evaluation of the autonomous system itself, which includes the full functional stack from perception to control over localization and planning.
• Finally, the mobility modes and their respective environments, be it on land, water, or in the air pose a number of specific research challenges by themselves. 

Main Topics of Interest: 
This track seeks original contributions in the following areas, as well as others that are not explicitly listed but are closely related: 

• Connected vehicles and automated driving
• Connected vehicle environment perception
• Cooperative driving and cooperative vehicle-infrastructure systems
• Vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2I/V2V) communication
• Wireless in-car networks • 5G (and beyond) technologies for connected vehicles
• Simulation and performance evaluation techniques for connected and automated vehicles
• Intelligent transportation system architecture and design • Vehicular Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure
• Intelligent vehicle communication and computing infrastructure
• Edge data analytics for vehicular systems
• Cloud computing applications for vehicular systems
• Applications for connected intelligent vehicles
• Artificial Intelligence applied to connected and automated vehicles
• Security and privacy issues and protection mechanisms for connected and automated vehicles
• Cyber-physical systems and tactile Internet on land, water, and sky
• Early experience and field trials of connected and automated vehicles

Scope and Motivation: 

As Communications and Networks evolve, they are becoming increasingly intricate, surpassing the efficacy of traditional parameter tuning methods and human operator-based decision-making. Conversely, the proliferation of network data, coupled with powerful hardware and advanced machine learning algorithms, presents novel opportunities for data-driven decision-making. Moreover, the emergence of sophisticated applications that leverage data value and AI/ML's knowledge extraction capabilities fuels interdisciplinary research at the confluence of communications, data science, and learning theory. Crucially, AI/ML-driven data-centric approaches offer reliable performance, even in scenarios where some optimization parameters remain unknown, facilitating their practical application in constraint-laden environments. The adaptability and versatility of AI/ML-based communication/networking technologies signify a paradigm shift in next-generation mobile communication systems, characterized by diverse service types. Against this backdrop, this track seeks original contributions in the realm of AI/ML for Communications and Networking. 

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Radio resource management using AI/ML
• RAN intelligent control for O-RAN
• AI-enabled optimization of Radio Access Networks (RAN)
• AI/ML-driven telecom infrastructure optimization
• AI-enhanced Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) • Advancements in AI for signal processing
• AI/ML techniques for channel estimation and prediction
• AI/ML applications in multiple access schemes
• Network slicing through AI/ML
• AI/ML for sensor data mining • AI/ML-based wireless localization
• AI/ML approaches for routing and management of wireless and sensor networks
• Anomaly detection in wireless and sensor networks using AI/ML • Distributed and federated learning in wireless and sensor networks
• Transfer learning and meta-learning in wireless and sensor networks
• In-network computation for IoT using AI/ML
• AI/ML techniques for airborne wireless communications
• End-to-end wireless communications leveraging AI/ML
• Privacy-preserving or secure AI/ML for communications and networking
• Utilization of large language models in communications
• Trustworthy and explainable AI for communications and networking 

Scope and Motivation:  

The continuous densification of terrestrial networks with both stationary infrastructure and mobile nodes has been progressing for several decades. Meanwhile, the latest advancements in the engineering of aerial platforms (UAVs, HAPs, LEO CubeSats, etc.) open the door for connecting and seamlessly integrating these novel types of devices into the existing terrestrial wireless networks. In parallel, the appearance of these prospective aerial users and infrastructure elements also challenges the way wireless networks have been designed and operated today, raising some new research questions to be addressed. Last but not least, these novel devices and platforms enable new tempting use cases, for airborne networking, global sensing, and Earth exploration, as well as supporting communication with remote space missions. This unique combination of opportunities on one side and a rich set of research and engineering challenges on the other gives the motivation to closely explore the topic of next-generation (6G and beyond-6G) wireless systems envisioned to appear beyond 2030. 

Main Topics of Interest:  
The selected track on “Satellite Networks and Integrated Space-Air-Ground Networks” seeks original contributions in the following areas, as well as others that are not explicitly listed but are closely related:  

• Channel measurements, modeling, and analysis for airborne and satellite communications
• Constellation design considerations for space communications
• Satellite communications and networking to support scientific missions
• Spectrum analysis and management for airborne and satellite communications
• Integrated Sensing and Communications for airborne and satellite systems
• Medium access control solutions for airborne and satellite communications and networks
• Interference modeling, analysis, and mitigation in airborne and satellite communications and networks
• Error control, modulation, and waveform design
• Network architectures/transmission protocols for airborne and satellite communications
• Security and privacy issues for airborne and satellite communications
• Machine/Deep/Reinforcement learning enabled airborne and satellite communications and networking
• Reconfigurable smart surfaces aided airborne and satellite communications
• Edge/Cloud computing in airborne and satellite communications
• Seamless co-existence between terrestrial (TN) and non-terrestrial (NTN) network segments
• Integration of airborne and satellite communications into terrestrial wireless networks
• Edge and distributed computing over airborne and satellite communication systems
• Optimized resource allocation, scheduling of communication and computation, network optimization, and routing design for airborne and satellite systems
• Sensing, communications, and control solutions for intelligent and safe control of aerial traffic, as well as for coordination among airborne vehicles
• Trials, demos, and prototypes of airborne and satellite communications and networks
• Research challenges and opportunities related to novel satellite and airborne integrated space-air-ground wireless systems