The 14th International Conference on Electronics, Communications and Networks (CECNet 2024)

Abstract: With the advent of 6G networks, the demand for high-speed, high-capacity wireless communication has never been greater. One of the critical components of 6G infrastructure is the backhaul network, which connects base stations to the core network. Millimeter wave (mmWave) technology, operating in the 30-300 GHz frequency range, offers a promising solution due to its vast available spectrum. However, mmWave signals suffer from high path loss and are significantly attenuated in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. This experimental research proposes a new strategy to enhance mmWave backhaul coverage in NLOS conditions, thereby improving the overall performance and reliability of 6G networks. Fig. 1 shows the layout of the scenario and the measurement setup.

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the experimental setup

Biography: Larbi Talbi received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada, in 1989 and 1994, respectively. He completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship within the Personal Communications Research Group, INRS-Telecommunications, Montreal, QC, Canada (1994–1995), where he led a project on wireless personal communication supported by Bell-Canada. From 1995 to 1998, he was an Assistant Professor at the Electronics Engineering Department, Riyadh College of Technology, Saudi Arabia. During 1998–1999, he was an Invited Professor at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University Laval, Quebec, Canada. He is currently a Full-Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DCSE) at University of Quebec in Outaouais (UQO), Gatineau, QC, Canada, which he joined in 1999. In 2005, he spent his sabbatical leave, as invited researcher, at the Communication Research Center (CRC), Ottawa, Ontario, within the Propagation Research (RVEP) group of the Satellite Communications and Radio Propagation Branch (VPSAT). This collaboration is still ongoing. His research activities include experimental characterization and modeling of millimeter waves indoor radio propagation channels and design of antennas and microwave circuits for wireless communication systems. Presently, he is leading two major projects on designing of new types of metasurfaces for reshaping the propagation channel environments. He has authored and coauthored over 300 journal and conference technical papers. Prof. Talbi is Senior member of IEEE and a member of the Order of Engineers of the Province of Quebec. He regularly acts as a Reviewer for many international scientific journals and conferences and also for research funding organizations.