The advent of multimedia applications with high bandwidth and quality of
service requirements has initiated a new era in telecommunications
technology. At the same time, rapid development of various wireless and
wired networks including third generation cellular mobile networks (UMTS
and cdma2000), ADSL, Wi-Fi, WiMax, terrestrial and satellite DVB
networks have emerged the next research topic toward integration and
convergence of those networks. The convergence of mobile and fixed
networks will provide new business models for the communications systems
and generate new applications. The seamless movement of a user
subscribed to one network to another network using a unique multimode
handheld device will therefore create new problems to be solved by the
telecommunications researchers. Billing and security, maintaining the
quality of service while moving from the home network to a visiting
network and fast and lossless handoff among networks are some of those
topics. This Special Issue of JCN solicits research papers on the topic
of Broadband convergence Network (BcN). In BcN the connection among
heterogeneous networks both on horizontal and vertical structures,
interaction among network-dependent elements of those networks, and
security and quality of service policies including scheduling and
admission control must be carefully designed. Articles for this special
issue will be solicited through an open call-for-papers and invitation
to the experts in the field from industry and academia. Topics of
interest include but not limited to:

Convergence of Broadcast and Communications Networks
Convergence of 2G/2.5G/3G Networks
Convergence of WPAN/WLAN/WMAN and Cellular
Convergence of Wired and Wireless Networks
Evolution of Broadcast and Communication networks
Convergence of Satellite and Terrestrial Networks
Convergence of Ad Hoc and Infrastructure Networks
IPTV Service and Other Services in the BcN
All-IP Network Convergence
Open Network Architectures Toward BcN
VoIP Applications in BcN
Multicast Techniques in BcN
BcN Service Technique in CATV Networks
Contents Adaptation in BcN
3.5G/4G Initiatives
Quality of Service Establishment in BcN
Mobility Management in BcN
Network and User Security in BcN

Continuing JCN's tradition of fast turnaround together with full peer
reviews, the following schedule has been set:
May 1, 2006:
Electronic manuscript (.ps or .pdf) submission to JCN website [An
earlier note to editors with intent to submit will be appreciated.]
July 15, 2006:
Reviews returned to author. Papers will be either accepted, rejected, or
returned to the authors with requests for changes
September 1, 2006:
Final Revised Manuscript Due
December 15, 2006:
Special Issue published

Guest Editors:
Prof. Abbas Jamalipour, University of Sydney, Australia,
a.jamalipour@ieee.org
Prof. Nei Kato, Tohoku University, Japan, kato@it.ecei.tohoku.ac.jp
Prof. Hsiao-Hwa Chen, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan,
hshwchen@ieee.org
Dr Kyung Pyo Jun, ETRI, Korea, kpjun@etri.re.kr

Electronic submissions will be made to JCN website. Information about
submissions is available on the JCN web site, http://jcn.or.kr. Please
direct inquiries and intent to submit notifications to any one of the
Guest Editors. JCN is a high-quality quarterly archival journal,
published by the Korean Institute of Communications Sciences with the
technical co-sponsorship of the IEEE Communications Society, covering
the fields of Communication Theory and Systems, Wireless Communications,
and Networks and Services. JCN began publication in March 1999.