Distinguished Lecture Tour by Nizar Zorba

TITLE

“Are UAVs needed for wider implementation of Terahertz Communications?”

ABSTRACT

Wireless backhaul/fronthaul links are proposed as an alternative for massive deployment of small cells because they are more flexible, easy to deploy, and cost effective as compared to the traditional optical fiber links. High frequency millimetre wave (mmWave) and terahertz (THz) links meet the capacity requirements of next generation communication networks. However, mmWave/THz links suffer from susceptibility to weather conditions and require a line-of-sight (LoS) connection, which is the main hurdle in urban regions. The utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a wireless fronthaul hub point between small cells and the core network is the promising solution. These UAV-hubs acting as networked flying platforms (NFPs) provide a possibility of wireless LoS fronthaul link and thus, enable the implementation of mmWave/THz in commercial systems at a fast pace, and is expected to boom in the next years.

In this talk we will start with a literature review on the chronological order for mmWave/THz communications, Intelligent reflecting surface (IRS), UAVs and multihop technology with the objective to introduce the different technologies that will merge to solve the challenges faced by Terahertz communications. Along the whole talk, we will highlight the different technologies that enable the tackled scenario, together with the comparison to the different proposals from the literature/industry to deal with such scenario.

BIOGRAPHY

Nizar Zorba received the B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from JUST University, Jordan, in 2002, and the Ph.D. degree in signal processing for communications from UPC Barcelona, Spain, in 2007. He is currently a Professor with the Electrical Engineering Department, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. He has authored six international patents, two books, contributed to seven book chapters, and co-authored over 170 papers in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences. He is associate EiC of the IEEE Communications Magazine, an Area Editor of the IEEE Communications Letters and an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking. He is also an IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecturer. Dr. Zorba is a Former Chair of the IEEE Communication Society Technical Committee on Communications Systems Integration and Modelling.

LOCATION

November 20, 11:00
Centre Technologic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), Castelldefels.
Host: Ana Perez Neira
More information: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/436593

November 21, 11:00
Universidad Oberta de Catalunya (UoC), Barcelona.
Host: Ferran Adelantado
More information: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/436595

November 21, 16:00
Universidad Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona.
Host: Giovanni Geraci
More information: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/436596

November 22, 11:30
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid.
Host: Ana Garcia Armada and Victor Gil Jimenez
More information: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/436597
Follow the talk: https://www.youtube.com/live/khakWHEZBJA