Halim Yanikomeroglu of Carleton University

The NTN (non-terrestrial networks) expression has been used to refer to the satellite communications paradigm
almost exclusively until recently. It is now increasingly acknowledged that within NTN, there are separate
satellite, HAPS (high altitude platform station), and UAS (unscrewed aerial systems) paradigms with their own
special dynamics.

NTN is not only for connectivity; the framework includes connectivity, computing, edge intelligence,
surveillance, security, sensing, monitoring, positioning, localization, navigation, and more. The humanity will
demonstrate its full potential in every dimension (economic prosperity, wellbeing, equal opportunity,
environmental, and more), when the communities get ultra-connected with a sustainable, reliable, resilient,
intelligent, green/clean/eco-friendly, secure, ubiquitous & affordable, and ultra high-speed "network of networks"
with terrestrial (6G and beyond) and non-terrestrial (space and stratospheric) components.

NTN will arguably be one of the most prominent aspects of 6G. This discussion will continue throughout the
2030s as well in the beyond-6G era – exciting times indeed...

Biography:

Dr. Halim Yanikomeroglu has been with the Department Systems and Computer
Engineering at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada) since 1998, where he is currently a
Chancellor’s Professor. He received the BSc degree from the Middle East Technical
University (Turkiye) and the MASc & PhD degrees from the University of Toronto. His
research interests cover many aspects of wireless communications and networks, with a
special emphasis on non-terrestrial networks (NTN) in recent years. He has supervised or
hosted over 165 postgraduate researchers in his lab at Carleton. Dr. Yanikomeroglu has
coauthored ~650 peer-reviewed research papers including 300+ papers in 30 different
IEEE journals. His extensive collaborative research with industry resulted in 40 granted
patents. Dr. Yanikomeroglu is a Fellow of the IEEE, the Engineering Institute of Canada
(EIC), the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the Asia-Pacific Artificial
Intelligence Association (AAIA). He is a Distinguished Speaker for the IEEE Communications Society and the
IEEE Vehicular Technology Society, and an Expert Panelist of the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA).

Dr. Yanikomeroglu is currently serving as the Chair of the Steering Committee of IEEE’s flagship wireless event,
Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC). He is also a member of the IEEE ComSoc
Governance Council, IEEE ComSoc Globecom/ICC Management & Strategy (GIMS) Standing Committee, IEEE
ComSoc Conference Council, and IEEE PIMRC Steering Committee. He served as the General Chair and
Technical Program Chair of several IEEE conferences. He has also served in the editorial boards of various IEEE
periodicals. Dr. Yanikomeroglu received several awards for his research, teaching, and service, including the
IEEE ComSoc Satellite Communications Technical Recognition Award (2023), IEEE ComSoc Fred W. Ellersick
Prize (2021), IEEE VTS Stuart Meyer Memorial Award (2020), and IEEE ComSoc Wireless Communications TC
Recognition Award (2018). He received best paper awards at IEEE Competition on Non-Terrestrial Networks for
B5G and 6G in 2022 (grand prize), IEEE ICC 2021, IEEE WISEE 2021 and 2022.