Ismat Aldmour

Wireless Broadband Tools and Their Evolution Towards 5G Networks

Telecom companies in the different generations resorted to different tools to conquer connectivity issues like coverage, throughput and quality of service. The success is driving new services of diversified requirements and more traffic which dictates a continuous increase in data rates and improved performance. This work reviews the different technology tools used to meet rates and traffic requirements of the past and the present with a look into their role in future networks. The coming fifth generation (5G), in particular, is confronted by a number of antonym challenges of capacity, spectrum, energy, connectivity, performance, complexity, and cost. Suggested tools proposed to meet these challenges and the way they act to do so are reviewed and compared to current and past solutions. The tools discussed are the use of millimetric waves, massive multiple input multiple output antenna systems, indoor–outdoor separation, ultra-dense cooperative networks, and the increased reliance on users’ terminals. The major constructional differences and tools differences between current and future 5G are finally emphasized.

Performance Model of a WIMAX 2.0 All-IP 4G System

Abstract4G is promising a wireless broadband with data rates up to 1Gbps. The two candidate technologies for 4G are the Advanced Long Term Evolution (Advanced LTE) which is based on the 3GPP standards and the WiMAX 2.0 based on the IEEE 802.16 family of standards. The common feature of both technologies is that they will provide All-IP connectivity with flexible bit rates and quality of service guarantees for multiple classes of services including voice, mainly using voice over IP, data and video services. Most of the performance studies of 4G technologies use highly complex and sophisticated simulations due to the multiple complexity factors in investigating 4G technologies such as All-IP flexible bit rates, adaptive coding and modulation as well as the multi-services provided. These factors usually make any modelling attempt very difficult. This paper presents a numerical/analytical model for a 4G WiMAX cell based on a multi-dimensional Continuous-Time Markov Chain (CTMC) model. Performance measures were derived for the key performance indicators such as throughput and average bit rate per cell and per service class. By assuming minimum acceptable bit rates for certain quality of service guarantees, we derived measures for blocking probabilities. The model has been formulated and solved using MOSEL-2 (Modelling Specification and Evaluation Language) which captures the key features of a 4G system that affect services at session/call level. The resuls obtained from the model using sample parameters show that, the model can provide very useful insight to system behavior and can give good first indication to the performance of such a complex system.

Powering the Internet of Things With 5G Networks

With the rise of mobile and wireless technologies, more sustainable networks are necessary to support such communications. These next generation networks can now be utilized to strengthen the growing era of the Internet of Things. Powering the Internet of Things With 5G Networks is a comprehensive reference source for the latest scholarly research on the progression and design of fifth generation networks and their role in supporting the Internet of Things. Including a range of perspectives on topics such as privacy and security, large scale monitoring, and scalable architectures, this book is ideally designed for technology developers, academics, researchers, and practitioners interested in the convergence of the Internet of Things and 5G networks.

Teaching and Learning Computer Science at Al Baha University, Saudi Arabia: Insights from a Staff Development Course

In this special session we meet a set of projects in computer science and engineering education at a university in Saudi Arabia. They are the product of a pedagogical development course ran in collaboration with a Swedish university during the academic year 2013/2014. The projects reflect the local situation, with its possibilities and challenges, and suggest steps to take, in the local environment, to enhance education. As such it is a unique document that brings insights from computer science and engineering education into the international literature.

Impact of Cultural and Language Background on Learning Computer Science Concepts

Computer science terminology is generally based on words that have a related original meaning in English and rooted in western tradition. Hence, students from other cultures and students that are not native English speakers, will not be helped by language and culture in understanding computer science concepts. In this work, the authors review the interrelationship between language, cultural background, and the learning of computer science. A comparative study is under preparation in which this relationship is to be examined. The study will compare the intuitive understanding of computer science concepts between Saudi student groups of different English language proficiency levels and of different maturity levels. A test has been designed in order to reveal differences in the perception of computer science concepts that can be attributed to such background differences. The study will serve as a starting point for further work on how computer science education can be enhanced for students that are non-native English speakers.