GIIS-2018

Global Information Infrastructure and Networking Symposium (GIIS 2018)

October 23-25, Thessaloniki, Greece

collocated with

GIIS 2018 is collocated with IEEE 5G/IoT Summit. More information will be announced very soon!

Updates/News:

Extended versions of selected papers will be invited to Special Issues for Wiley Internet Technology Letters and MDPI Telecommunications

The program of the conference has been released!

Keynote Speakers announced!

Important Dates:

Recent Results paper submission: August 26
Paper submission: ~~July 30~~ August 19 (extended)
Notification of paper acceptance: September 5 7
Registration and upload of Camera-Ready papers: September 23

About

After the successful organization of the IEEE 5G Summit in 2017 and the ICT conference in 2016, beautiful Thessaloniki is hosting the Global Information Infrastructure and Networking Symposium (GIIS) this Fall. GIIS 2018 aims at providing a forum for the participants to broaden professional contacts and for technical discussions and interactions on specific information infrastructure and networking topics.

Information Infrastructure and Networking (IIN) brings together information processing applications, communications networks and services, physical and software elements in networks and end systems. The technical program will be split into the following four conference regular Tracks:
– Track 1: Next Generation Networking and Communications
– Track 2: Internet of Things
– Track 3: Emerging Topics in Communications and Networks
– Track 4: Communication Services, Standardization and Telecom Policies

GIIS 2018 is technically sponsored by IEEE. Accepted and presented papers will be published in the conference proceedings and will be submitted for inclusion in IEEE Xplore.

The program of GIIS 2018 will include (a) Keynote Speeches, paper presentations, Panels and Tutorials (October 23-24) and (b) the IEEE 5G/IoT Summit (October 25).

For any information regarding GIIS 2018 contact info@giis-2018.org

Keynote Speakers

Ana García Armada

University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain

“Recent advances in non-coherent massive MIMO”

Abstract

Massive MIMO has emerged as a promising enabler of 5G and beyond because of its potential energy- and spectral-efficiency. By now its theoretical basis is well understood while there are implementation issues yet to be solved. Conventionally, massive MIMO is assumed to be deployed in time division duplex (TDD) networks where the required channel estimation for precoding and coherent detection is feasible. Yet, calibration to compensate the differences in RF equipment is needed and the pilot contamination remains as a problem to solve for a good system-level performance.

In this talk a different look to massive MIMO is presented. Non-coherent massive MIMO is proposed as a way to dispense with channel estimation and ease implementation. Its performance is analyzed in the context of the potential applications for 5G and beyond, focusing on Rayleigh and Ricean propagation channels. Its combination with OFDM waveforms is also examined and the challenges ahead are identified.

Speaker bio

Ana García Armada received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Polytechnical University of Madrid in February 1998. She is currently Professor at University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain, where she has occupied a variety of management positions (Head of Signal Theory and Communications Department, Vice-dean of Electrical Engineering, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of International Relations, among others). She is leading the Communications Research Group at this university. She has participated (and coordinated most of them) in more than 30 national and 10 international research projects as well as 20 contracts with the industry, all of them related to wireless communications. She is the co-author of eight book chapters on wireless communications and signal processing. She has published around 150 papers in international journals and conference proceedings and she holds four patents. She has contributed to international standards organizations such as ITU and ETSI and is member of the expert group of the European 5G PPP. She has served on the editorial boards of Physical Communication and IET Communications and is now editor of IEEE Communications Letters. She has served on the TPC of more than 40 conferences and she has been/is part of the organizing committee of IEEE Globecom 2019, IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC) Fall 2018, IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC) Spring 2018, IEEE 5G Summit-Lisbon 2017, UNET 2017, IEEE Third Women´s Workshop on Communications and Signal Processing 2016, EuCNC 2015, and MOBILIGHT 2010. She is the Newsletter Editor of the IEEE ComSoc Signal Processing and Consumer Electronics Committee, and Chair of the IEEE ComSoc Women in Communications Engineering Standing Committee. She has received a Young Researchers Excellence Award and an Award to Best Practices in Teaching, both from University Carlos III of Madrid, Her main interests are multi-carrier and multi-antenna techniques and signal processing applied to wireless communications.

Petar Popovski

Aalborg University, Denmark

“How Reliability, Latency, Massiveness and Blockchain are Transforming IoT Communication”

Abstract

The future wireless landscape, often associated with 5G, envisions three types of connectivity: enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC), and massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC). The latter two are seen as two generic types that support Internet of Things (IoT) communication, putting forward new types of requirements and research challenges, such as: protocols that operate with short packets, access for massive number of devices, techniques to achieve and assess extremely high reliability, etc. This set of challenges is further enriched by the advent of blockchain systems and smart contracts that allow autonomous interaction among IoT devices. The consensus protocols that set the basis for blockchain systems are critically reliant on communication, but they change the traffic pattern that has been envisioned for pre-blockchain IoT communication systems.

This talk will give a perspective on the communication engineering challenges related to the emerging IoT communication systems, outline methods and architectures to solve them and provide communication-theoretic insights in some of the fundamental tradeoffs.

Speaker bio

Petar Popovski is a Professor of Wireless Communications with Aalborg University. He received his Dipl. Ing and Magister Ing. degrees in communication engineering from the University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje and the Ph.D. degree from Aalborg University in 2005. He is a Fellow of IEEE, a holder of a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC), recipient of the Danish Elite Researcher Award, and a member of the Danish Academy for technical sciences (ATV). He is currently an Area Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, General Chair for IEEE SmartGridComm 2018 and General Chair for IEEE Communication Theory Workshop 2019. His research interests are in the area of wireless communication and networking, and communication theory.

Hossam S. Hassanein

Queen's University, Canada

“Evolution of Wireless Sensor Networks towards the Internet of Things”

Abstract

Early machines and remote processes ensued rudimentary monitoring and sensing, with earlier remote sensing systems dating back to the early 1930’s. However, we start our focus on when fundamental networked sensing paradigms emerged. More importantly, when the evolution of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) became mainstream.

In its early phase, connected sensors spawned a few devices physically connected via wires to central computing devices, base stations or reporting terminals. As the prominence of wireless connectivity strengthened in the mid 1990’s, we saw the rapid transition of WSNs under the umbrella of Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANets). This expanding proliferation under MANets was further catalyzed by the reduction in hardware costs and the development of more rigorous communication protocols, especially on the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer.

As the number of sensors increased, and the capacity to connect to them was no longer hindered by a physical wire, the amount of data collected and reported was only capped by measures of energy efficiency. Many leaps in energy efficient WSNs, especially in routing and MAC layer protocols, propelled the feasibility and deployment of sensing systems.

Today, major advancements in low power communication and processing, enabled the Internet of Things (IoT). Devices that previously needed pre-designated access points and controllers, can operate now via Wi-Fi or other short range (e.g., BLE) or long range (e.g., LTE) to communicate with other IoT devices, or report back to Cloud-hosted servers.

Speaker bio

Hossam Hassanein is a leading authority in the areas of broadband, wireless and mobile networks architecture, protocols, control and performance evaluation. His record spans more than 500 publications in journals, conferences and book chapters, in addition to numerous keynotes and plenary talks in flagship venues. Dr. Hassanein has received several recognition and best paper awards at top international conferences. He is the founder and director of the Telecommunications Research Lab (TRL) at Queen’s University School of Computing, with extensive international academic and industrial collaborations. He is a fellow of the IEEE, and is a former chair of the IEEE Communication Society Technical Committee on Ad hoc and Sensor Networks (TC AHSN). Dr. Hassanein is an IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Speaker (Distinguished Lecturer 2008-2010).

Crosta Paolo Secondo

ItalTel Spa, Italy

“Integrated Multi-Source Monitoring Framework for Critical Infrastructures”

Abstract

Critical infrastructures monitoring (such as highways, bridges, pipelines, etc.) is more and more important for people safety and security. Nonetheless, the problem is very complex because of the scarcity of information with respect to many different elements and the time constraints to be considered.

Traditional monitoring approach adopts sensors to measure localized and specific physical properties, with low focus on real-time aspects. In addition, many important data come from the handwritten report of human inspectors, usually scheduled on quarter, semester or (multi-)annual base timeframe. Then the data is processed according to static mathematical models, in order to determine differences between the theoretical and the measured curve.

This approach continues to be valuable in many situations, but it is possible to improve efficiency and effectiveness of such monitoring systems throughout the adoption of a new approach.

This speech will present a new possible approach based on new sensor
technologies (OF, etc.), new network and data analysis technologies (5G, MEC, IoT, AI, etc.) for an innovative open, multi-source, integrated and holistic monitoring framework, in line with emerging needs in many industrial sectors.

Speaker bio

Paolo Secondo Crosta got his degree in Electronic Engineering at University of Pavia. He started working in Italtel in 1996. Over the years, he was responsible for different R&D departments in Italtel, including the HW & SW Platform Unit. In 2012 he became responsible for the Innovation & Research Unit. Currently he is responsible for the Projects Financing Unit within the Strategy, Innovation & Communication Unit of Italtel. His main areas of interest are in HW & SW Platforms, Fixed and Mobile Networks, Virtualization, Cloud Computing, NFV, SDN, Internet of Things, Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. He is a Certified Scrum Product Owner. He acts as technical reviewer of scientific and standardization associations and as member of Technical Programme Committees for International Conferences and Workshops on ICT topics. He has matured relevant expertise in management areas as well, especially in research funding, budgeting & reporting, research & innovation management, problem solving, team building, project management and agile methodologies. He is member of the Board of Directors of the research center “Centro Milano Ricerche”, member of the Core Group of the Telecommunication European Cluster (Celtic plus), member of the steering committee between National Research Council (CNR) & Exprivia/Italtel Group, member of the technical committee related to the Innovation Agreement subscribed by National Ministry of Economic Development & Italtel, corporate representative for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Committees

Camera ready instructions

Call for Papers (Special Sessions)

Instructions for the preparation of camera-ready papers can be found here.

Submissions

Call for Papers (Main Tracks)

Prospective authors are invited to submit high-quality original technical papers reporting original research of theoretical or applied nature for presentation at the conference and publication in the GIIS 2018 Proceedings. All submitted papers will be peer-reviewed. The manuscripts must be prepared in English, following IEEE two-column Manuscript Templates for Conference Proceedings (available here) with a maximum length of five (5) printed pages without incurring additional page charges (maximum 2 additional pages are allowed with over length page charge of 100€ for each page). Papers exceeding 7 pages will not be accepted. All papers for the GIIS 2018 Tracks should be submitted via EDAS using https://www.edas.info/newPaper.php?c=24414.
Please note that every accepted paper must be accompanied by at least one FULL registration and must be presented in order to be published in the GIIS 2018 conference proceedings and IEEEXplore.

Main topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Track 1: Next Generation Networking and Communications

Next generation (5G) mobile communications
5G and Internet of Things
Heterogeneous networks and small cells
Ad Hoc and sensor networks
D2D and M2M communications
Multi-antenna and beamforming systems
Signal processing for communications
Big data networking
Cognitive radio and networks
Pervasive and mobile computing
Wireless optical communications and VLC
Communications switching and routing
Traffic measurement and analysis
Smart grid and powerline communications
Satellite and space communications

Track 2: Internet of Things

Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT
IoT architecture design and optimization
Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) networks
IoT communication protocols (6LoWPAN, RPL, 6TiSCH, LoRaWAN)
IoT data protocols (MQTT-SN, COAP, XMPP-IoT, AMQP)
URLLC for mission critical IoT
Energy efficiency and energy harvesting in IoT
Data collection, processing, aggregation, and communication
Self-organization and self-healing of IoT networks
Cross-layer design and optimization in IoT
Machine-type communications in 5G systems
Security and privacy for IoT
Blockchain and IoT
Sensor deployment, placement, control and management issues
Experimental results, prototypes, trials and testbeds for IoT

Track 3: Emerging Topics in Communications and Networking

Edge-Fog Computing
Mobile cloud computing and 5G
Privacy and security in 5G
Cyber-physical systems
Big data and 5G data analytics
V2X standards and architectures
R&D activities towards IMT-2020 and beyond
5G Spectrum
5G standardization
5G applications and services
Network functions virtualization and software defined networking
Network slicing
Emerging IoT applications in 5G networks
Tactile Internet
Molecular, biological and multi-scale communications
Telecommunication and Network Engineering Education

Track 4: Services, Standardization and Telecom Policies

Communication software and services
Services for rural and developing areas
Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE)
Cloud computing
Smart cities, smart public places, smart home, smart agriculture/farming
Standards for communications and networking
Telecommunication Standards Education
Standardization activities (IEEE, 3GPP, ITU, ETSI, IETF)
Open communities, open API, open source
Telecom, governance, policy and regulations
Telecom business: local, country, region and international cases
Business models for global access
Spectrum regulation
Strategies for growing rural connectivity
Communities in connectivity policy making
Social and societal roles of ICT

Important Dates:

Paper submission: ~~July 30~~ August 19, 2018 (extended, firm deadline)
Notification of paper acceptance: September 5 7, 2018
Camera ready papers: September 23, 2018

Extended versions of selected papers will be invited for possible inclusion in Special Issues of Wiley Internet Technology Letters and MDPI Telecommunications.

Authors of selected accepted papers in GIIS 2018 will be invited to give a talk to the IEEE 5G/IoT Summit

Call for Papers (Special Sessions)

The GIIS 2018 conference will include the following Special Sessions:

Special Session 1: IoT and Cultural Heritage Protection

Organizers
Patrikakis Charalampos, University of West Attica, Greece
Roberto Minerva, Institute Mines Telecom – Telecom Sud Paris, France

Abstract
Cultural Heritage initiatives are trying to exploit new digital technologies in order to achieve two main objectives: the conservation and preservation of the Cultural Heritage and the possibility to acquire new knowledge and data applying AI techniques. IoT opens a wealth of new possibilities in the exploitation of Cultural Heritage information and artifacts. New relationships between artifacts can be created, controlled and exploited, new services on top of them can be built and objects themselves can be organized in such a way to enable the creation of virtual environments reflecting the current status and explaining the history of objects.

Submissions
Prospective authors are invited to submit high-quality original technical papers following the rules of the Main Tracks via EDAS using https://www.edas.info/newPaper.php?c=24414&track=92775. All presented papers will be published in GIIS 2018 Proceedings and IEEE Xplore.

Download Call for Papers

Special Session 2: Vehicular Networks – from Theory to Practice

Organizers
Dimitrios D. Vergados, University of Piraeus, Greece
Angelos Michalas, Technological Educational Institute of Western Macedonia, Greece
Dimitrios J. Vergados, Technological Educational Institute of Western Macedonia, Greece

Abstract
Vehicular networking is an active area of research, with the objective to improve road safety and traffic management, to assist the driver and also to allow for additional services such as entertainment. The vehicles are equipped with an on-board unit (OBU), and may communicate either among themselves directly or with roadside units (RSUs). This enables the operation of distributed applications, such as notifications for road conditions (accidents, closed roads, bad road surface), situation aware routing, real-time collision prediction/avoidance etc. We invite original contributions on theoretical and practical aspects of vehicular networks.

Submissions
Prospective authors are invited to submit high-quality original technical papers following the rules of the Main Tracks via EDAS using https://www.edas.info/newPaper.php?c=24414&track=92776. All presented papers will be published in GIIS 2018 Proceedings and IEEE Xplore.

Download Call for Papers

Special Session 3: Security, Privacy and Trust in the Internet of Things

Organizers
Costas Vassilakis, University of Peloponnese, Greece
Nicholas Kolokotronis, University of Peloponnese, Greece
Stavros Shiaeles, University of Plymouth, United Kingdom

Abstract
The technological and industrial revolution brought by the Internet of Things (IoT) comes with new forms of threats and attacks that exploit the inherent complexity and heterogeneity of IoT networks. There are many recent examples of attacks that exploit IoT devices to perform large-scale distributed denial of service attacks, to spy on people, and to hijack communication links, therefore delivering full control of anything that is remotely accessible to an attacker. The special session focuses on both the theoretical & practical aspects of the security, privacy, and trust of IoT networks, devices, applications, and services as well as novel ways of dealing with their vulnerabilities and mitigating sophisticated cyber-attacks.

Submissions
Prospective authors are invited to submit high-quality original technical papers following the rules of the Main Tracks via EDAS using https://www.edas.info/newPaper.php?c=24414&track=92778. All presented papers will be published in GIIS 2018 Proceedings and IEEE Xplore.

Download Call for Papers

Important Dates for Special Sessions:

Paper submission: ~~July 30~~ August 19, 2018 (extended, firm deadline)
Notification of paper acceptance: September 5 7, 2018
Camera ready papers: September 23, 2018

Call for Papers (Recent Results)

The Recent Results Track will accept submissions in all topics relevant to the GIIS conference. It differs from other Tracks in that:

Different page length, with a maximum length of four (4) printed pages without incurring additional page charges (maximum 1 additional page is allowed with over length page charge of 100€ for each page). Papers exceeding 5 pages will not be accepted.
Different timeline, submission deadline is August 26, 2018.

Submissions
Prospective authors are invited to submit high-quality original technical papers following the rules of the Main Tracks via EDAS using https://www.edas.info/newPaper.php?c=24414. All presented papers will be published in GIIS 2018 Proceedings and IEEE Xplore.

Important Dates for Recent Results:

Paper submission: August 26, 2018
Notification of paper acceptance: September 5 7, 2018
Camera ready papers: September 23, 2018

Registration

Information about registration can be found here.

Program

The program of the GIIS 2018 conference conference includes (a) Plenary Talks, paper presentations (main Tracks, Special Sessions and Recent Results), Panels and Tutorials (October 23-24) and (b) the IEEE 5G/IoT Summit (October 25). A Training School on 5G and IoT will be also organized (October 22-25).

All the above activities belong to the 5G/Internet of Things Thessaloniki Week that will take place in Thessaloniki during October 22-25, 2018.

Travel information

Thessaloniki also known in English as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece.

Thessaloniki is Greece’s second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe; its commercial port is also of great importance for Greece and the southeastern European hinterland. The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greece’s cultural capital. Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually.

Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination in Greece. For 2013, National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide, while in 2014 Financial Times FDI magazine (Foreign Direct Investments) declared Thessaloniki as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle.

Thessaloniki enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with its location in northern Greece resulting in the region receiving more rain than other areas of the country, and seeing lower temperatures during the winter. Summers in Thessaloniki are generally hot and dry, and the area receives an abundance of sunshine even during the low season.

Thessaloniki’s international airport is 16 km outside the city and served by many major airlines. The airport is served by the 24-hour bus line 78 (or 78N during night) from OASTH. Line 78 starts from Macedonia Central Bus Station, stops at the Railway Station of Thessaloniki and arrives to the airport through the city center. Line 78A travels the same route with the difference, that it makes an additional stop at the A.S. IKEA bus station. At the Railway Station and A.S. IKEA bus stops, passengers can find many connections with many other major bus lines.

Visit Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki travel guide

Trip Advisor for Thessaloniki

Greece A 365-Day Destination

Visa Information

Visa Letters are available through EDAS for all accepted papers. Authors and attendees outside EU are advised to arrange their Visas the soonest possible. Information regarding visas can be found at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hellenic Republic at http://www.mfa.gr/en/visas/.