Multimedia Communication in 6G and Beyond Networks

Dear Colleagues,

Multimedia traffic will be more than 80% of future Internet traffic by 2022. With the new emergence of multimedia applications, such as 4K/8K video streaming services, Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR), and Internet of Things (IoT), it remains challenging for both Internet Service Providers (ISP)/Mobile Network Operators (MNO) and Over-The-Top (OTT) providers to optimize multimedia service delivery. Therefore, there is a need to provide novel network and service management approaches for multimedia services in next-generation networks such as 5G/6G networks to address the current issues and challenges related to quality of experience (QoE), cybersecurity, user privacy and traffic management. Multidisciplinary data-driven research is crucial to provide an opportunity to develop novel solutions that will transform multimedia services in next-generation networks. Furthermore, network enabling technologies such as software-defined networking (SDN), network function virtualization (NFV), and mobile edge computing (MEC) allow developing and deploying data-driven artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML)-based optimization of multimedia services in 6G and beyond networks. 

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• COVID-19 and beyond future research challenges and opportunities in field multimedia communication
• Novel approaches for multimedia network and service management in 6G and beyond
• QoE-aware monitoring and management strategies for multimedia services in 6G networks
• User privacy of multimedia applications in future networks
• Cybersecurity and multimedia communication
• Data-driven approaches for multimedia service management in 6G networks
• AI/ML solutions for multimedia service optimization in future networks
• Advanced machine learning and AI solutions for QoE prediction/measurement
• Network management solutions for multimedia applications using Software-Defined Networking (SDN)/Network Function Virtualization (NFV), and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC)
• Standardization activities in the field of multimedia communication
• QoE modeling and assessment of emerging multimedia applications such as 4K/8K video streaming, AR/VR, and IoT
• New network architectures, concepts, and testbeds to harness emerging services toward 6G and beyond networks
• New business model development and economic challenges for 5G/6G network slicing
• Innovative cloud/edge model for multimedia applications, e.g., Video Game as a Service (VGaaS)
• Congestion control mechanisms using network slicing, SDN, and NFV

Dr. Arslan Ahmad
Dr. Thanuja Mallikarachchi
Dr. Alcardo Alex Barakabitze
Dr. Chaminda Hewage
Dr. Alessandro Floris
Guest Editors

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• Multimedia Communications
• Quality of Experience (QoE)
• Network Management
• 5G/6G
• Cybersecurity and user privacy
• Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
• Network Function Virtualization (NFV)
• AI/ML based data-driven approaches
• Novel dynamic resource allocation, spectrum allocation and energy efficiency strategies in 6G and beyond networks