Panel: Wireless Futures Panel: From 6G to Ultimately Secure Quantum Communications

Date/Time: 11 – 12:30 18^th of June, 2025

Moderator:

Lajos Hanzo, University of Southampton, UK

Panelists:

Prof. Nei Kato, Tohoku University, Japan
Prof. Erik G. Larsson, Linkoping University, Sweden
Prof. Yingchang Liang, UESTC, Chengdu, China
Prof. Petar Popovski, Aalborg University, Denmark
Prof. Aylin Yener, Ohio State University
Prof. Moe Win MIT, USA
Prof. Kit Wong, University College London, UK

Abstract:

The 5G systems have been rolled out across large parts of the globe and research is now well under way towards the next-generation. Numerous potent enabling techniques have been conceived, which aim for meeting extremely high technical specifications, which will be finalized by the standardization body known as 3GPP and by the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) project during 2026. The next phase will focus on ratifying the specific solutions during the period of 2027 – 2030.

This panel will discuss the potential technical solutions as well as usage scenarios under consideration. These include the following six usage scenarios: Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), immersive ‘tele-presence’-style systems, artificial intelligence aided communications, hyper-reliable low-latency systems, ubiquitous connectivity and massive-scale communications. The four over-arching aspects are: sustainability, connecting the unconnected, ubiquitous intelligence as well as security and resilience.

Furthermore, the emerging research topics of quantum communications will be discussed as an extension of the keynote offered by Prof. Moe Win. In recent years quantum science has evolved in great strides as part of the second quantum revolution, paving the way for its off-the-shelf applications. Indeed, quantum key distribution is already a commercial reality and numerous operational networks have been rolled out across the globe. Some of the service providers also enhance their systems’ security level by harnessing true quantum random generators. Yet, there are huge open challenges for the research community, before the Quantum Internet as a whole becomes a reality.

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Panel: Illuminating the Future: Trends in Optical Wireless Communication

Date/Time:  14:00 – 15:30 18^th of June, 2025

Moderator:

Mohamed-Slim Alouini (KAUST)

Mohamed-Slim Alouini, was born in Tunis, Tunisia. He earned his Ph.D. from the California Institute ofTechnology (Caltech) in 1998 before serving as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota and later at Texas A&M University at Qatar. In 2009, he became a founding faculty member at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where he currently is the Al-Khawarizmi Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the holder of the UNESCO Chair on Education to Connect the Unconnected. Dr. Alouini is a Fellow of the IEEE and OPTICA and his research interests encompass a wide array of research topics in wireless and satellite communications. He is currently particularly focusing on addressing the technical challenges associated with information and communication technologies (ICT) in underserved regions and is committed to bridging the digital divide by tackling issues related to the uneven distribution, access to, and utilization of ICT in rural, low-income, disaster-prone, and hard-to-reach areas.

Panelist:

Abdelmoula Bekkali, Research Director/Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC)

Abdelmoula Bekkali is the Research Director at the Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC) in Spain. With over 15 years of experience, he has worked in the R&D divisions of leading industry players and Japanese telecom operators, including TOYO Electric, KDDI, and NTT. He earned his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan, in 2007 and 2010, respectively. His industry-driven research has resulted in award-winning innovations and the development of 15 granted patents in Japan, Korea, and the U.S., particularly in free-space optics (FSO) and fiber-wireless (Fi-Wi) communication systems. He received the 2016 KDDI Excellent Basic Research Award and the 26th TELECOM System Technology Award from the Japanese Telecommunications Advancement Foundation (TAF). He also serves as Editor of IEEE Communications Magazine.

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Guillaume Roussel, Research Engineer at Reuniwatt

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Devin Brinkley, Director of Engineering, Taara

Devin is the engineering lead for Taara, X’s moonshot to expand global access to fast, affordable internet. He is pioneering the next generation of wireless optical communication for scaled terrestrial deployment and expansion of existing broadband infrastructure, already deployed in more than dozen countries around the world with network operators and broadband internet service providers. Devin has been active in developing advanced optical communication technologies and products for nearly two decades. He previously led multiple Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) programs, a high production Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement Systems (MILES) program, and the Wireless Optical Communication hardware development on Project Loon.

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Jean-Paul Linnartz, Professor, Eindhoven University of Technology

2- Bio: Jean-Paul Linnartz is a professor at Eindhoven University of Technology. He studied Optical Wireless Communication, particularly in conjunction with intelligent lighting systems. He previously was a senior director at Philips Research, heading departments focused on security, wireless communication, and integrated circuit design. From 2018 to 2024, he was a technical leader for the LiFi team at Signify Research, where he earlier had introduced the concept of “coded light” to enable applications such as indoor positioning using the lighting infrastructure. On behalf of companies like Signify, Fraunhofer, Maxlinear, and Nokia, he has served as the technical leader for the Horizon 2020 Innovation Action ELIoT, which has made significant contributions to LiFi standardization for both ITU g.hn and IEEE 802.11.

Linnartz’ innovative ideas have resulted in more than 100 patent filings worldwide and have laid the foundation for three spin-out companies. Since 2006, he has also been a full professor at Eindhoven University of Technology, and his publications have been cited over 12,000 times. After completing his PhD at Delft University of Technology in 1991, Linnartz joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a principal investigator in the Infopad project for wireless multimedia devices and the California PATH projects for autonomous driving. His most widely cited work is related to the introduction of Multi-Carrier CDMA.

 Linnartz is a strong advocate for further strengthening the theoretical foundations of Optical Wireless Communication to design reliable and robust systems that can be replicated and scaled up in standardized solutions. To prepare for large-scale adoption in end devices, the performance, interoperability, and power consumption of a wide range of different implementations must be highly predictable. While Optical Wireless Communication links share similarities with radio links, there are also profound differences, and optical wireless components require their own advanced reference models. His own research has been highly motivated by this view.