ICCCN 2005 Panel Session: October 17, 2005 Monday 16:45 – 18:15: Title: The Next Big Bang in Wireless and Mobile Communication Chair: Dr. Sandra Thuel, Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies Moderator: Prof. Rene Cruz, University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Abstract: Cognitive radios, MIMO antennas, wireless mesh networks, self-configuration support, seamless and context mobility, mobile user agents, and mobiquitous, multimedia, always-on, location-based communication services, are just some of the terms that have become part of the emerging lexicon to describe the future wireless communication technology landscape for 4G and beyond. From the mobile device, airlinks, and internet access network to the applications and services that next generation mobile service providers are to support, only one point seems to enjoy global consensus: we have barely begun to scratch the surface in creating the networks to serve the communication needs of a future media-hungry world equipped with an ever-increasing number of wireless devices. At the core of all this anticipated growth lies the following question: what technology enablers or application drivers will provide the incentive to fuel all these innovations? This panel will elicit thought-provoking discussions on the evolution and/or revolution of wireless and mobile networking technology. Technology experts from academia and industry will share their perspectives on which are the key drivers that are likely to support the introduction of innovations and propose a technology roadmap highlighting research, industrial, and political challenges to be addressed. Those who can predict where the next big bang is likely to occur will have a running start in the race to untether the communication services of future generations. Panelists: Dr. Rajiv Laroia, Flarion Technologies Founder and CTO of Flarion Technologies Dr. Preston Marshall, DARPA Program Manager, Next Generation Communications and Connectionless Networking, Advanced Technology Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S. Department of Defense Dr. Joseph Evans, NSF Program Director of Computer and Network Systems, NSF (NeTS program) Professor Ramesh Rao, UC San Diego Professor and Qualcomm endowed chair in the ECE department for UC San Diego (UCSD). Also Director of UCSD Division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology