Call For Papers
First International Workshop on Planning and Optimization of Wireless Networks
(OPTNet 2011)

14-15 September 2011

The Ridge, The Ranmoor Village, Sheffield, UK
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Aim of the Workshop
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The aim of the workshop is to bring together both the mobile communications industry (operators, telecom vendors, radio network planning and optimization consulting firms and tool producers) and academia to present and discuss the problems, challenges, directions, and state-of-art in the fields of future wireless communication networks deployment, planning and optimization. The workshop will try to build a bridge between the mobile communications industry and academic research so that future collaborations between two sectors can be identified. The goal of future wireless networks is to provide ubiquitous connections and support high data rate demand. The WiMAX, LTE, and LTE-Advanced standardizations have already processed toward this direction but still require significant improvements. Network planning and optimization faces many challenges arising from the use of new air interfaces and new technologies (e.g., MIMO, smart antennas, cooperative relay), the mix of voice, video and data traffic, the co-existence of different RATs (Radio Access Technologies), the growing importance of indoor coverage and the paradigm shifts (e.g., femtocells). The future wireless networks cannot operate efficiently, unless these challenges are properly addressed.

In this workshop, the advances of wireless communications that enable future wireless networks and challenges in network planning and optimization arising from the adoption of new technologies will be discussed. OPTNet seeks presentations dealing with architectural issues, theoretical studies, new paradigms, enabling technologies, practical implementations, and policy issues for future wireless communications and network planning and optimization problems. Besides the technical insights, the workshop will provide a supportive environment for technical discussions between like-minded researchers and engineers.

The goal is to have a single track meeting with lively scientific discussions and exchange of views, and to accommodate a wide variety of backgrounds and research attitudes. The program will be organized in such a way to promote networking activities between the participants.

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Topics of interests
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We therefore invite for review submissions of up to 1-page abstracts of technical presentations targeting, but not limited to the following topics:

1. Network Planning and Optimization
- Automatic planning and optimization methods for UMTS/HSPA/LTE/LTE-A/WiFi/WiMAX and hybrid radio networks
- New system simulation and performance evaluation methods
- Indoor/outdoor radio propagation models and scenarios
- The use of measurements in radio network planning and optimisation
- MIMO measurements scenarios
- Network performance study using MIMO and smart antennas
- Automatic configuration algorithms of femtocells
- Mobility management in femto/macrocell scenarios
- Interference analysis in femto/macrocell scenarios
- Indoor radio network planning and optimization (repeaters, DAS, picocells and femtocells) methods and tools
- Heterogeneous wireless networks (UMTS/HSPA/LTE/WiFi/WiMAX/DVB) planning and optimization
CRRM/JRRM in heterogeneous wireless networks
- Radio resource management (RRM)
- Dynamic frequency allocation and spectrum sharing techniques
- Radio network planning and optimization reference scenarios
- UMTS/HSPA/WiMAX pre-launch and post-launch optimization
- Self-optimization and self-healing in LTE networks
- Cooperative relay in UMTS/HSPA/LTE and WiMAX networks
- Wireless mesh network planning and optimization methods and tools
- Transmission and core network dimensioning to account for HSPA and femtocell traffic
- Traffic modeling and real network traffic scenarios

2. Future Wireless Communication

- LTE and LTE advanced
- Relay and cooperative communications
- Heterogeneous wireless networks
- Femtocells
- MIMO and smart antennas
- Cognitive radios
- Wireless mesh networks
- Green Communications
- Smart Buildings
- Vehicular communications
- Smart-grid communications
- Machine-to-machine communications

Abstracts must be submitted electronically through the OPTNet workshop web page: http://www.cwind.org/OPTNet2011

Special Issues: (Not Confirmed)

The authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit their works to Special Issue of
- EURASIP Journal of Wireless Communication and Networking (Hindawi)
- Computer Communications (Elsevier)
- Telecommunication Systems (Springer)

Important Dates

Abstract submission due: 15 August 2011

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Organizing committee: (Not Confirmed)
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General co-chairs:
Jie Zhang, CWiND, University of Sheffield, UK
Mehmet E. Aydin, University of Bedfordshire, UK
Ben Allen , University of Bedfordshire, UK

Technical Programme Committee (Not Confirmed)
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Di Yuan, Linkoping University, Sweden
Jean-Marie Gorce, CITI, University of Lyon, INRIA, INSA-Lyon, France
Ghazanfar S. Ali, University of Bedfordshire, UK
Haci Ali Mantar, Gebze Institute of Technology, Turkey
Enjie Liu, University of Bedfordshire, UK
Raymond Kwan, Ubiquisys, UK
Joyce Wu, Ranplan, UK
Stuart Allen, University of Cardiff, UK
Jie Zhang, Sheffield University, UK
Guillaume de la Roche, Mindspeed Technologies, France
Liqiang Zhao, Xidian University, China
Vangelis Angelakis, Linköping University, Sweden

To continue...

Local organizations:
Mehmet E. Aydin University of Bedfordshire, UK
Wei Dong, Ranplan Wireless Network Design Ltd., UK

Registration and Costs:
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Registration of accepted presenters and workshop attendants will be done online through the workshop webpage. No registration fee will be charged. Participants will have to support their own lodging and transportation costs.

Venue and transportation:
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The OPTNet 2011 workshop is going to be held in a conference centre at The Ridge, The Ranmoor Village, Shore Lane, Sheffield, S10 3AY, UK, which is venue of the University of Sheffield.


Travel information
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Travel information will be provided in due course.