5G/6G-Enabled IoT: Connectivity, Scalability and Low-Latency Applications
A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Internet of Things".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1158
Special Issue Editors
Interests: telecommunications; mobile communications; 5G; 6G; techno-economic analysis; business modelling
Interests: mobile and wireless communication systems; channel characterization and propagation models; performance modeling of wireless networks; opportunistic mobile networks; cooperative communications; satellite and aerial networks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: stochastic modeling of wireless communication channels; design and performance analysis of communication systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Today, 5G and emerging 6G technologies are transforming the Internet of Things by providing massive device connectivity, elastic scalability, and dependable sub-millisecond latency from the edge to the cloud. Cross-layer advances—spanning radio, networking, computing, and security—enable deterministic, energy-efficient, cost-effective and resilient IoT services for industry, mobility, health, and smart cities.
The Special Issue explores theoretical advances, architecture designs, and experimental validations that harness FR1/FR2/FR3 spectra, XL-/cell-free MIMO, integrated sensing and communications, and AI-native control to support time-critical applications across industry, health, mobility, and smart cities. Emphasis is placed on cross-layer co-design—radio, networking, computing, and security—that guarantees reliability, energy efficiency, and deterministic latency at scale. We welcome research on network automation, digital twins, orchestration across terrestrial/aerial/maritime assets, and hardware-in-the-loop prototypes. Submissions may include analytical models, algorithms, testbeds, and standardized evaluations aligned with 3GPP, O-RAN, and ETSI MEC. Forward-looking perspectives on sustainability, techno-economics, and interoperability are encouraged, along with datasets and open-source artifacts. We aim to build a rigorous foundation and practical toolset for next-generation IoT ecosystems that are secure, responsive, and economically viable at a global, interoperable scale.
Topics of interest, include but not limited to, the following:
- URLLC and deterministic networking (TSN) for IoT;
- Edge AI, TinyML, and on-device learning;
- RIS-aided and cell-free IoT connectivity;
- Adaptive and reconfigurable antenna arrays;
- Hybrid beamforming techniques;
- Non-terrestrial IoT (UAV/HAPS/NTN) integration;
- O-RAN/RIC xApps for IoT slicing and QoS;
- Semantic and source-aware communications for IoT;
- Energy efficiency, EH/SLIPT, and green IoT;
- Secure, zero-trust, and post-quantum IoT protocols;
- FR3/THz channel models and localization for IoT;
- Digital twins and closed-loop orchestration for IoT;
- 6G enabled maritime IoT technologies;
- Techno-economic evaluation and business modeling.
Dr. Dimitris Katsianis
Prof. Dr. Demosthenes Vouyioukas
Dr. Petros S. Bithas
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- URLLC and deterministic networking (TSN) for IoT
- edge AI, TinyML, and on-device learning
- RIS-aided and cell-free IoT connectivity
- adaptive and reconfigurable antenna arrays
- hybrid beamforming techniques
- non-terrestrial IoT (UAV/HAPS/NTN) integration
- O-RAN/RIC xApps for IoT slicing and QoS
- semantic and source-aware communications for IoT
- energy efficiency, EH/SLIPT, and green IoT
- secure, zero-trust, and post-quantum IoT protocols
- FR3/THz channel models and localization for IoT
- digital twins and closed-loop orchestration for IoT
- 6G enabled maritime IoT technologies
- techno-economic evaluation and business modeling
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