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This paper proposes a novel framework that leverages large language models (LLMs) to automate curriculum design, thereby enhancing the application of reinforcement learning (RL) in mobile networks. As mobile networks evolve towards the 6G era, managing their increasing complexity and dynamic nature poses significant challenges. Conventional RL approaches often suffer from slow convergence and poor generalization due to conflicting objectives and the large state and action spaces associated with mobile networks. To address these shortcomings, we introduce curriculum learning, a method that systematically exposes the RL agent to progressively challenging tasks, improving convergence and generalization. However, curriculum design typically requires extensive domain knowledge and manual human effort. Our framework mitigates this by utilizing the generative capabilities of LLMs to automate the curriculum design process, significantly reducing human effort while improving the RL agent's convergence and performance. We deploy our approach within a simulated mobile network environment and demonstrate improved RL convergence rates, generalization to unseen scenarios, and overall performance enhancements. As a case study, we consider autonomous coordination and user association in mobile networks. Our obtained results highlight the potential of combining LLM-based curriculum generation with RL for managing next-generation wireless networks, marking a significant step towards fully autonomous network operations., Comment: Submitted to Proc. IEEE/CIC ICCC

Traditional anti-jamming techniques like spread spectrum, adaptive power/rate control, and cognitive radio, have demonstrated effectiveness in mitigating jamming attacks. However, their robustness against the growing complexity of internet-of-thing (IoT) networks and diverse jamming attacks is still limited. To address these challenges, machine learning (ML)-based techniques have emerged as promising solutions. By offering adaptive and intelligent anti-jamming capabilities, ML-based approaches can effectively adapt to dynamic attack scenarios and overcome the limitations of traditional methods. In this paper, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based approach that utilizes state input from realistic wireless network interface cards. We train five different variants of deep Q-network (DQN) agents to mitigate the effects of jamming with the aim of identifying the most sample-efficient, lightweight, robust, and least complex agent that is tailored for power-constrained devices. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed DRL-based anti-jamming approach against proactive jammers, regardless of their jamming strategy which eliminates the need for a pattern recognition or jamming strategy detection step. Our findings present a promising solution for securing IoT networks against jamming attacks and highlights substantial opportunities for continued investigation and advancement within this field.

Visible light communication (VLC) has been recognized as a promising technology for handling the continuously increasing quality of service and connectivity requirements in modern wireless communications, particularly in indoor scenarios. In this context, the present work considers the integration of two distinct modulation schemes, namely spatial modulation (SM) with space time block codes (STBCs), aiming at improving the overall VLC system reliability. Based on this and in order to further enhance the achievable transmission data rate, we integrate quasi-orthogonal STBC (QOSTBC) with SM, since relaxing the orthogonality condition of OSTBC ultimately provides a higher coding rate. Then, we generalize the developed results to any number of active light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and any M-ary pulse amplitude modulation size. Furthermore, we derive a tight and tractable upper bound for the corresponding bit error rate (BER) by considering a simple two-step decoding procedure to detect the indices of the transmitting LEDs and then decode the signal domain symbols. Notably, the obtained results demonstrate that QOSTBC with SM enhances the achievable BER compared to SM with repetition coding (RC-SM). Finally, we compare STBC-SM with both multiple active SM (MASM) and RC-SM in terms of the achievable BER and overall data rate, which further justifies the usefulness of the proposed scheme.

Visible light communication (VLC) technology was introduced as a key enabler for the next generation of wireless networks, mainly thanks to its simple and low-cost implementation. However, several challenges prohibit the realization of the full potentials of VLC, namely, limited modulation bandwidth, ambient light interference, optical diffuse reflection effects, devices non-linearity, and random receiver orientation. On the contrary, centralized machine learning (ML) techniques have demonstrated a significant potential in handling different challenges relating to wireless communication systems. Specifically, it was shown that ML algorithms exhibit superior capabilities in handling complicated network tasks, such as channel equalization, estimation and modeling, resources allocation, and opportunistic spectrum access control, to name a few. Nevertheless, concerns pertaining to privacy and communication overhead when sharing raw data of the involved clients with a server constitute major bottlenecks in the implementation of centralized ML techniques. This has motivated the emergence of a new distributed ML paradigm, namely federated learning (FL), which can reduce the cost associated with transferring raw data, and preserve privacy by training ML models locally and collaboratively at the clients' side. Hence, it becomes evident that integrating FL into VLC networks can provide ubiquitous and reliable implementation of VLC systems. With this motivation, this is the first in-depth review in the literature on the application of FL in VLC networks. To that end, besides the different architectures and related characteristics of FL, we provide a thorough overview on the main design aspects of FL based VLC systems. Finally, we also highlight some potential future research directions of FL that are envisioned to substantially enhance the performance and robustness of VLC systems.

The increased proliferation of connected devices requires a paradigm shift towards the development of innovative technologies for the next generation of wireless systems. One of the key challenges, however, is the spectrum scarcity, owing to the unprecedented broadband penetration rate in recent years. Visible light communications (VLC) has recently emerged as a possible solution to enable high-speed short-range communications. However, VLC systems suffer from several limitations, including the limited modulation bandwidth of light-emitting diodes. Consequently, several multiple access techniques (MA), e.g., space-division multiple access (SDMA) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), have been considered for VLC networks. Despite their promising multiplexing gains, their performance is somewhat limited. In this article, we first provide an overview of the key MA technologies used in VLC systems. Then, we introduce rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA), which was initially proposed for RF systems and discuss its potentials in VLC systems. Through system modeling and simulations of an RSMA-based two-use scenario, we illustrate the flexibility of RSMA in generalizing NOMA and SDMA, as well as its superiority in terms of weighted sum rate (WSR) in VLC. Finally, we discuss challenges, open issues, and research directions, which will enable the practical realization of RSMA in VLC., Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2002.07583

Recently, interest on the utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has aroused. Specifically, UAVs can be used in cellular networks as aerial users for delivery, surveillance, rescue search, or as an aerial base station (aBS) for communication with ground users in remote uncovered areas or in dense environments requiring prompt high capacity. Aiming to satisfy the high requirements of wireless aerial networks, several multiple access techniques have been investigated. In particular, space-division multiple access(SDMA) and power-domain non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) present promising multiplexing gains for aerial downlink and uplink. Nevertheless, these gains are limited as they depend on the conditions of the environment. Hence, a generalized scheme has been recently proposed, called rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA), which is capable of achieving better spectral efficiency gains compared to SDMA and NOMA. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of key multiple access technologies adopted for aerial networks, where aBSs are deployed to serve ground users. Since there have been only sporadic results reported on the use of RSMA in aerial systems, we aim to extend the discussion on this topic by modelling and analyzing the weighted sum-rate performance of a two-user downlink network served by an RSMA-based aBS. Finally, related open issues and future research directions are exposed., Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, Accepted (IEEE Open Journal on Vehicular Technology)

The proliferation of connected devices and emergence of internet-of-everything represent a major challenge for broadband wireless networks. This requires a paradigm shift towards the development of innovative technologies for next generation wireless systems. One of the key challenges is the scarcity of spectrum, owing to the unprecedented broadband penetration rate in recent years. A promising solution is the proposal of visible light communications (VLC), which explores the unregulated visible light spectrum to enable high-speed communications, in addition to efficient lighting. This solution offers a wider bandwidth that can accommodate ubiquitous broadband connectivity to indoor users and offload data traffic from cellular networks. Although VLC is secure and able to overcome the shortcomings of RF systems, it suffers from several limitations, e.g., limited modulation bandwidth. In this respect, solutions have been proposed recently to overcome this limitation. In particular, most common orthogonal and non-orthogonal multiple access techniques initially proposed for RF systems, e.g., space-division multiple access (SDMA) and NOMA, have been considered in the context of VLC. In spite of their promising gains, the performance of these techniques is somewhat limited. Consequently, in this article a new and generalized multiple access technique, called rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA), is introduced and investigated for the first time in VLC networks. We first provide an overview of the key multiple access technologies used in VLC systems. Then, we propose the first comprehensive approach to the integration of RSMA with VLC systems. In our proposed framework, SINR expressions are derived and used to evaluate the weighted sum rate (WSR) of a two-user scenario. Our results illustrate the flexibility of RSMA in generalizing NOMA and SDMA, and its WSR superiority in the VLC context., Comment: 16 pages, 14 figures

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as base stations (BSs) is envisaged as a key enabler for the fifth generation (5G) and beyond-5G networks. Specifically, aerial base stations (UAV-BS) are expected to provide ubiquitous connectivity and high spectral efficiency. To this end, we present in this correspondence an in-depth look into the integration of rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) with UAV-BSs and downlink transmissions. A non-convex problem of joint UAV placement, RSMA precoding, and rate splitting, aiming to maximize the weighted sum data rate of users is formulated. Due to its complexity, two sub-problems are investigated, namely the UAV placement and RSMA parameters optimization. The resulting solutions are then combined to propose a novel alternating optimization method. Simulation results illustrate the latter's efficiency compared to baseline approaches., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; Accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology as a correspondance