Panel Sessions

Large corporations are investing billions of dollars building thousands of LEO satellites to offer broadband internet services to rural and under-developed areas. In addition, many countries are jumping onto this wagon to secure their own access to the internet as part of a national security policy. On the other hand, the high satellite launch cost, hardware cost, and high monthly subscription fees do not seem to fit the objective of providing broadband access to the general earth population, many of whom are living in poverty. Come join the panel and find out if this is expensive space junk or a revolution in broadband internet access.

The past few years have arguably seen a decrease in transformational or disruptive discoveries reported in radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFIC) papers and publications. Does this indicate that RFIC design has reached its maturity, or does it instead suggest a shift of innovations in emerging areas across the boundary of RFIC design, such as the heterogeneous integration of silicon, antennas, and processors using advanced packaging? If so, what should our community look for in publications and what would be considered “publishable work”? Are universities and research institutions addressing the most compelling challenges? And what has been the role of the funding agencies in promoting fundamental research? Our panel of experts, with the audience’s participation, will attempt to answer these questions and diagnose the trends seen in RFIC publications and in the field in general.

The true benefit of technological innovation is realized when it enhances lives while adhering to environmental sustainability. This connection is crucial for researchers, businesses, and policymakers to understand and prioritize. As technology evolves, its integration into urban environments can drive significant improvements in quality of life. Cities are often epicenters of technological gatherings like IMS, making them ideal arenas for demonstrating the implementation of sustainable technologies.
This panel will illustrate how the convergence of technology and policy can lead to significant tangible societal benefits. E.g., the adoption of broadband technology and legislation is helping bridge the digital divide, integration of smart grids and renewable energy sources are reducing carbon emissions, innovations in public transportation and waste management are improving living standards and lowering the environmental impact.
We hope that this would result in providing a roadmap for creating economically vibrant and environmentally livable communities around the world.

In the recent past we have seen an increase in space platforms launched to supply the need for communications and earth observation satellites.  This need is being driven by many factors, from the front lines of the Ukraine War to Earth-observation missions, and high-speed communication systems at home to name a few.  LEO systems like Starlink offer full earth coverage and low latency in support of this increased need.  Additionally, large GEO, High Throughput Satellites (HTS) with increased capacity are also being deployed.  The difference in these orbital environments raises a question as to the best types of electronics to use.  With LEO systems like Starlink, the need for low-cost parts has made us question how we develop these parts and what is really needed.  While the GEO type satellites require higher performance.  Subsequently, this has created a plethora of new companies to service this need.  This has also increased the types of products needed for these applications.  Above all this has made us question “Where is it all headed”?