Call for Papers

Special Issue on New Research Challenges in Mobile, Opportunistic and Delay-Tolerant Networks

Elsevier Ad Hoc Networks

* Deadline: February 17, 2014 *

Internet is extending beyond its fixed network infrastructure boundaries by gradually incorporating a wide range of challenging networks and autonomous devices, serving non-traditional user communities, such as space missions, disaster areas, and economically challenged populations. These hybrid network environments require supportive strategies to exploit even the slightest communication opportunity. Furthermore, the complexity of this task increases if we also consider device constraints, energy aspects and application diversity. In this context, what appears theoretically possible becomes conditionally feasible only when all available network resources are being efficiently exploited, including those hosted in nearby fixed deployments.

New research paradigms can give a unification perspective to the various pieces of the global network jigsaw puzzle. Software-Defined Networks (SDNs), Mobile Cloud Computing and Information-Centric Networks (ICNs) are among the recent innovations that can enable flexible solutions for integrating infrastructure with mobile and opportunistic networks, addressing challenging network conditions, and supporting promising new applications.

This Elsevier Ad Hoc Networks Special Issue aims at soliciting original manuscripts on experimental & theoretical work revisiting the research areas of mobile and opportunistic networks in the context of recent developments in networking research, including new fixed network technologies and concrete use-cases (e.g., disaster situations, space environments and free Internet deployments). On the one hand, infrastructure networks are becoming more flexible and can provide a supportive environment in which mobile-to-mobile communication can flourish, e.g., improving the Quality of Experience (QoE) and energy efficiency for users and devices, respectively. On the other hand, the deployed opportunistic networks can extend the pool of available resources and increase network coverage worldwide.

Topics for the special issue include, but are not limited to:
- Opportunistic Networks / Delay- and Disruption-Tolerant Networks
- Software-Defined Networks & OpenFlow deployments supporting mobile communication
- Mobile Cloud Computing
- Information-Centric Networks for hybrid network deployments
- Space Communications extending the Internet
- Free Internet / Lowest-Cost Denominator Networking
- Extreme conditions / Disaster area communications
- Social networking based communications
- Test-beds / real deployments of infrastructure-supported mobile communications
- Security, privacy and trust in challenging network environments
- Resource pooling between fixed infrastructures and mobile environments.
- New applications / services in integrated network environments
- Network management issues / solutions over hybrid network deployments.

* Submission Instructions *
Prospective Authors should follow the Ad Hoc Networks (Elsevier) journal manuscript format described at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/adhoc
Please select "SI: NRC-MON" when you reach the “Article Type” step in the submission process. Papers must be in single-column format, double-spaced, use at least 11pt fonts, and should not exceed 25 pages including references.

* Important Dates *
Manuscript Submission: February 17, 2014
Acceptance Notification: June 16, 2014
Final Manuscript Due: July 14, 2014

* Editor in Chief *
Ian Akyildiz, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

* Guest Editors *
Vassilis Tsaoussidis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece.
Scott Burleigh, NASA JPL, California Institute of Technology, USA
Lefteris Mamatas, University College London, UK