27th and 28th June 2011
Holiday Inn Hotel, Liverpool
Final Paper submission deadline: April 18th 2011
The convergence of Networking, Broadcasting and Telecommunications, which has gathered momentum in the mid to late 1990’s, has continued at a pace. The dominance of the Internet as an internetworking infrastructure and data communications model has led to the general acceptance that it will eventually form an umbrella, encompassing a variety of lower level technologies and new applications. The convergence scenario leads to a common infrastructure to cater for the communication and distribution requirements of traditional data, telephony and broadcast quality television, plus a plethora of related services, including E-commerce, multiplayer games, interactive television, videoconferencing, networked appliances and home automation. Digital radio and TV, delivered through networks to mobile devices, is a realistic scenario with many interesting implications.
There is a vast body of accumulated skills and techniques in each of the three converging industries that would be useful to the others. Moreover, there are a number of new problems, e.g. quality of service models, security, communication protocols interoperability, power management, to name but a few, which would be better solved if considered from the prospective of all these industries. Crucial to any success is the development of young researchers with the appreciation of the commonalities and the technical requirements of the areas of divergence. It is of paramount importance that the researchers and industrial players can have a more harmonised view across these industries.
Through its continued success, PGNet has become the annual gathering of the UK research students communities working in these areas. The symposium is a forum for postgraduate research students to present and converse their research, alongside guest speakers from industry and academia. An important benefit that would accrue out of such a gathering is the cross fertilisation between the different disciplines and mix of experiences and interests and will lead to the development of a Network of People.
The participation of postgraduate students in forums of this type is a vital activity in the development of the UK research base. The exchange between young researchers and leading experts should provide an exciting and stimulating environment for the development of quality research. It is also an opportunity for postgraduate students to build industrial contacts and forge future partnerships and collaborative work.
Details of previous PGNET Conferences (1999-2010) can be found here