On the continued march to 5G, marketing hype is giving way to increasingly impressive technical demonstrations and more refined use cases. This work is going on every day in labs, research institutions and operator sandboxes around the world. But, it can often be a challenge to keep up with the staggering volume of research, ongoing standardization work and various stakeholders that are driving telecommunications into the future.
To provide an in-depth look at the key trends shaping our industry, IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc), an independent branch of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers that represents a diverse group of communications professionals, hosts the 59th annual IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM). IEEE ComSoc and IEEE GLOBECOM serve as a forum for the sharing of technical information via networking events and publications, as well as advancing committee work on standardization and broadly fostering innovation in the communications industry.
Set for Dec. 4-8 at the Washington Hilton in downtown Washington D.C., the theme of IEEE GLOBECOM 2016 is “Freedom through Communications.”
In the run-up to the event, RCR Wireless News caught up with IEEE GLOBECOM 2016 General Chair Bijan Jabbari, professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the Volgenau School of Engineering at George Mason University, to get an advance look.
Jabbari explained that years of planning have culminated in IEEE ComSoc’s Washington D.C. event, the location of which played a central role in shaping the program. “This is, in some ways, the capital of the free world, so we wanted to highlight the vital role communications plays in enabling that freedom–people have the freedom to talk with each other, conduct business, share ideas and learn.”
In fact, IEEE ComSoc and its role in facilitating the exchange of ideas and information, mirrors the larger role of communications in fostering freedom, Jabbari said. IEEE GLOBECOM 2016 will prepare the more than 2,000 attendees for the continued evolution of the communications industry as wireless and wireline networks merge, circuit-switched voice gives way to VoLTE and VoWi-Fi, and the NFV, SDN, millimeter wave and massive MIMO technologies that will come together in 5G become more refined.
In addition to the high-level networking opportunities, the $400 three-day industry pass provides access to exclusive seminars, insightful panel discussions from industry leaders and an impressive line-up of keynote addresses from high-level executives including Edward Tiedemann, SVP of Engineering for Qualcomm Technologies Inc. who will discuss 5G New Radio and NextGen Core as well as other exciting evolutions in WAN, LAN and spectrum requirements. Julius Knapp, Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology, will highlight the policy and regulatory challenges associated with keeping up with the dizzying pace of technology. And Intel VP and GM Asha Keddy will look at how the Internet of Things, augmented reality, VoLTE and other advanced services will lay the groundwork for 5G.
Learn more about the keynotes, tutorials, symposia and other programming planned for IEEE GLOBECOM. To register for the event, click here.
