Call for Papers

Network slicing is a key component that differentiates Fifth Generation (5G) and beyond networks from their predecessors as it replaces the conventional concept of Quality of Service (QoS) with end-to-end multi-service provisioning and multi-tenancy. However, since network slicing is a concept of virtualization arisen from the Software Defined Network (SDN) paradigm where a diverse set of resources for computing, networking, storage, and power need to be smartly assigned. Traditional optimization/resource scheduling techniques are typically one-dimensional and may not scale well in such cases. Therefore, there is a pressing need to smartly address the orchestration and management of network slices. Since Beyond 5G networks will heavily use embedded intelligence, how to leverage AI-based techniques, such as machine learning, deep learning, and reinforcement learning, to address and solve the various, complex network slicing problems is emerging as a hot topic. Therefore, to facilitate a genuinely intelligent beyond 5G network rollout, researchers from academia and industry are tackling these challenges of network slicing in a smart and pragmatic manner.

This Special Issue (SI) is soliciting original technical papers addressing the main research challenges in the direction of smart, optimal, and explainable orchestration and management of network slices in 5G and beyond networks using AI-based techniques, including, but not limited to, the following topics:

• 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and smart/cognitive network slicing
• Management models for intelligent network slicing
• Dynamic network slicing for IoT based on intelligent traffic prediction
• Multi-objective optimization models for end-to-end network slice orchestration and management and smart heuristics
• Smart and energy-efficient network slices for smart vehicles
• Explainable AI for network slices
• Joint security, privacy, and trust management with computing and networking resource allocation in end-to-end network slices
• Smart network slicing-aided multi-access mobile edge computing and fog computing
• Integration of blockchain with intelligent network slicing
• Use cases of intelligent network slices for Beyond 5G/6G networks
• Intelligent network slices with multi-frequency, multi-band Device-to-Device (D2D) communications
• Cognitive Quality of Experience (QoE) slice management for service assurance
• Intelligent slice intent modeling and translation mechanisms
• Provisioning and control of customer-defined network slices
• Northbound slice management interfaces toward vertical application/service orchestration mechanisms
• Reliable and secure/privacy-preserving network slicing with resilient AI
• Validation using simulation, field trials with prototypes, and/or testbeds

Submission Guidelines

Prospective authors should prepare their submissions in accordance with the rules specified in the Information for Authors of the IEEE Wireless Communications guidelines. Authors should submit a PDF version of their complete manuscript to Manuscript Central. Select “February 2022/Smart, Optimal, and Explainable Orchestration of Network Slices in 5G and Beyond Networks” from the dropdown menu of topics.

The timetable is as follows:

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 15 May 2021
Initial Decision Date: 1 August 2021
Revised Manuscript Due: 1 September 2021
Final Decision Date: 1 October 2021
Final Manuscript Due: 15 December 2021
Publication Date: February 2022

Guest Editors

Zubair Md Fadlullah
Lakehead University and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHI), Canada

Mostafa M. Fouda
Idaho State University, USA, and Benha University, Egypt

Khaled Rabie
Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Ruidong Li
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan