IWSON 2018 - a WCNC 2018 workshop (http://wcnc2018.ieee-wcnc.org/program/workshops, https://www.edas.info/newPaper.php?c=24089)

The interest in the Self-Organizing Network (SON) paradigm applied to the automated operation and management of wireless communications networks is high, both with respect to existing networks, but also for 5th generation radio access. 5G concepts are maturing, and the 7th IWSON aims at providing a forum for the corresponding academic/industrial 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) SON discussions. 5G ambitions also include a focus on verticals’ applications with end-to-end requirements, network function virtualization, cloud-based RAN, and network slicing, all having an impact on the architecture, concepts and solutions for SON. Furthermore, recent advances in cognition techniques, machine learning and big data play an important role for the further development of SON.

With the success of the first six IWSON events in Budapest, Paris, Dresden, Barcelona, Glasgow, and Valencia and the progressive focus on SON as the means to improve the performance and operability of mobile radio networks, it is timely and important to continue this workshop series bringing together people with SON interests. The scope of IWSON is intended to attract both industry and academia, primarily with a focus on 3GPP technologies, but considering other systems as well.

The program will include an invited talk, oral presentations and a demonstration session to enable lively discussions. The workshop welcomes submissions from both researchers and practitioners, either closely related to currently standardized systems or considering future systems. Areas of interest include but are not limited to
o SON use cases and functions in future radio networks
- SON in evolved radio networks, such as 5G and LTE beyond Rel. 13, including D2D, M2M, V2X technologies and others, heterogeneous networks (3GPP and non-3GPP): multi-layer, - vendor, -technology (incl. WiFi), small cells and ultra-dense network scenarios
- Load balancing, (E2E) traffic steering, mobility management, reliability
- Interference and spectrum management
- Energy Saving Management (ESM) in heterogeneous networks
- SON for adaptive antenna systems and massive MIMO deployment
- SON in shared multi-operator environments
o SON in the context of 5G virtualized networks
- SON as a virtual network function (VNF)
- Self-management concepts and methods for network slicing in the mobile access and core – slice instantiation, configuration, operation and optimization
- Self-organization for slice orchestration
o SON evolution – learning and data driven approaches
- Learning, prediction and model estimation for RAN management automation
- Big data SON concepts and solutions
- RAN management automation using geo-localized data
- Service-, application- and customer-aware SON
- Scenario- and application-specific SON, e.g., smart cities, industrial communication, telematics, disaster handling, vehicular-to-x communications
o SON management and coordination
- Intent and objective driven SON deployment, management and enforcement
- Coordination between network layers, vendors, technologies, RAN and backhaul
- Monitoring stability and performance of SON operation
o SON in the field
- Testbed activities and experience from field trials