You are cordially invited to the following seminar, hosted by the IEEE Student Branch at Trinity College, and jointly organized by the New Wave lab at at Trinity College Dublin.

Speaker: Dr Mustafa Kishk of Maynooth University

Title: Towards Global Connectivity using Space-Aerial-Terrestrial Integrated Networks

Date and Time: 28 Oct 2022, 3:30 PM

Venue: Room 2.03, Áras an Phiarsaigh Building, Trinity College, University of Dublin

Registration link: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/328591

Abstract: The United Nations (UN) has defined a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) targeted for 2030 that include ending poverty, hunger, and inequalities, establishing high quality of education and medical services, to name a few. Achieving such goals requires advancement in many industries, which includes the internet and communication technology (ICT) sector. In particular, establishing high quality internet service provides opportunities to stimulate economy in poor communities, access to remote learning, access to digital records and remote patient monitoring, and help farmers improve productivity. In this context, and as the standardization of the fifth generation (5G) of wireless communication systems (WCSs) has been completed, and 5G networks are in their early stage of deployment, the research visioning and planning of the sixth generation (6G) of WCSs are being initiated. However, it is well-known that urbanized regions have been the major beneficiaries of the advances in the previous generations of WCSs. Hence, it is important to carry research with the focus on ensuring digital inclusion of rural and remote areas, which currently lack stable access to internet connectivity. In this talk, we focus on (i) possible network architectures to establish backhaul connectivity in rural and remote areas, with emphasis on satellite-based solutions, (ii) current challenges facing internet access in rural areas, (iii) possible solutions to enhance internet access in rural areas, with emphasis on drone-based architectures, and (iv) existing solutions to improve the flight duration of drones and ensure stable coverage in rural areas.

Short bio: Mustafa A. Kishk received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Cairo University, Giza, Egypt, in 2013 and 2015, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, in 2018, all in Electrical Engineering. He is an assistant professor at the Electronic Engineering Department, Maynooth University, Ireland. Before that, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Communication Theory Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia. He currently serves as an associate editor with IEEE Wireless Communication Letters. His current research interests include stochastic geometry, energy harvesting wireless networks, UAV-enabled communication systems, and satellite communications.