Tracks

The conference is still in preparation. The names of the tracks, and their high level descriptions are still in draft form:

• Research Track
• Programmable Real-Time Networks and Applications
• VoiceTech
• WebRTC & Real-Time Applications
• Next Generation Emergency Communications
• Emerging Technologies Applications in RTC
• IEEE Communications Quality and Reliability Workshop

Research Track

Track Co-Chairs: Ronald Marx, José Aguerre, Eiji Oki, Vijay K Gurbani

The Research Track of RTC & CQR invites paper submissions in interactive multimedia communications describing architectures, design, theoretical results, experiments, innovative systems, prototyping efforts, and case studies. Papers that are accepted and presented at the conference will be submitted for publication in IEEE Xplore.  

We are interested in works at the intersection of multimedia interactive communications with technologies in internet of things, vehicular networking, confidential computing, machine learning, network management, programmable network services, security, privacy, machine learning, voice technologies, blockchain, gaming, and robotics. The Technical Program inherits the 17-year legacy of the IPTComm Conference (http://iptcomm.org/archive.html) as well as the over 30-year history of the CQR workshop (https://cqr2024.ieee-cqr.org/about/past-workshops).

The online version of this Call for Papers and detailed submission guidelines can be found here.

Important dates for paper submissions

• Paper submission deadline: Monday, July 7, 2025 – 1200 CDT
• Notification of acceptance: Monday, August 4, 2025 – 1200 CDT
• Final camera-ready submission: Monday, September 1, 2025 – 1200 CDT

Programmable Real-Time Networks and Applications

Track Co-Chairs: Maureen Stillman, Chris Mayer

Explore the Future of Real-Time Networks: Resilience, Programmability, and Innovation!

The cloud continues to be a defining technology of the twenty-first century, putting vast computing resources at the fingertips of billions of people. At the same time, rapidly rising mobile data consumption, coupled with the high costs for network upgrades are forcing network operators to re-examine how they deploy next generation networks. This is leading communication service providers to increasingly focus on advanced technologies such as Open RAN, cloud-native 5G cores, network API’s, and the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence to increase flexibility, efficiency and automation.

A number of challenges exist that have limited more rapid and widespread adoption of these technologies.

• Do the benefits offered by these technologies justify the costs of migrating legacy infrastructure, and the risks of ceding end-to-end control of critical network functions?
• Are security and privacy concerns – often including regulatory requirements that data be stored within national borders – compatible with the distributed nature of public clouds?
• Does transitioning to the public cloud risk an increase in latency and/or service outages, jeopardizing the service quality of modern real-time networks, which are designed for a service delivery model built on five 9’s of network reliability?
• Are cloud providers also competitors to network operators, and what are the risks service providers face associated with potential vendor lock-in?

This track is your gateway to understanding the technologies behind the shift to programmable real-time networks, along with the challenges they present. Join us to:

1. Explore Programmability: Witness the rise of network engineers empowered to programmatically interact with the networks they administer. Learn how programmatic interfaces automate the creation and scaling of network services, accelerating real-time network deployment and service activation.
2. Navigate Hurdles: Examine the challenges that hinder the seamless adoption of programmable real-time networks. Understand the technical complexities, business challenges, and security and compliance issues associated with integrating advanced technologies, and explore strategies to address and overcome these obstacles for widespread implementation.
3. Examine Intersections: Delve into the intersection of programmable networking technologies with other disciplines, resulting in potential opportunities as developers are enabled to mash-up these capabilities to create new cutting-edge services.
4. Discover Telco as a Platform: Learn about the emerging concept of “Telco as a Platform,” and the potential for telecommunications infrastructure to become a foundation for innovative new services and applications.

VoiceTech

Track Chair: Joe Smetana

Speech technology has fundamentally transformed the way we interact in our daily lives. From voice assistants to conversational bots, advancements in speech and artificial intelligence technologies continue to unlock remarkable opportunities for both business applications and academic research.

At the core of these innovations are natural language understanding (NLU) and natural language processing (NLP)—the foundation of effective voice-powered technology. When implemented successfully, it creates seamless, intuitive, and efficient user experiences. However, challenges remain. Despite significant AI advancements, designing effective conversational systems still requires a high degree of expertise. The emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs)—such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini—represents major breakthroughs in generative AI. Yet, these technologies also bring ethical considerations, including concerns around privacy, data security, and responsible AI use.

This track will provide attendees with an in-depth exploration of current and emerging NLU/NLP technologies, examining state-of-the-art applications and the challenges they present. Topics will include, but are not limited to:

• Ethical and practical applications of LLMs in conversational AI
• Conversational design and optimizing user interactions
• Voice biometrics and authentication for security and personalization
• Best practices for collecting, generating, and annotating voice data
• The operational impact of new and evolving speech technologies

We invite researchers, industry leaders, and practitioners to contribute to this discussion by sharing groundbreaking research, real-world applications, and innovative solutions. Whether from academia or industry, your insights will help shape the future of VoiceTech and advance the field of speech technology.

Join us as we explore recent developments, challenge existing paradigms, and identify new opportunities for growth and improvement in this rapidly evolving landscape.

WebRTC & Real-Time Applications

Track Chair: Advait Patel

Real-time applications are now a critical part of our distributed lives, enabling us to stay connected through live audio and video, as well as real-time data transfers. WebRTC emerged as the standard for allowing easy access to the microphone and camera via the browser, enabling peer-to-peer video, audio, and data connections directly between browsers.

Since 2020, the usage of WebRTC grew more dramatically, increasing the need for scalability, higher quality, and usability. As an official standard announced by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), WebRTC is now being used in billions of browsers, mobile phones, and other devices across various industries such as social media, telecommunications, healthcare, education, broadcasting, and more.

In this track we will:

• Explore the current status of WebRTC from both standards and market perspectives
• Learn about the latest Open Source project updates
• Delve into best practices for implementing real-time applications using WebRTC 
• Learn how people are scaling WebRTC
• Examine leading use cases for WebRTC applications and integrations with AI and much more!

Join us to discover the latest advancements in WebRTC and explore its potential for enhancing modern applications.

Next Generation Emergency Communications Services

Track Chair: Shane Rekeweg, Brooks Shannon

Under new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations (47 CFR 9.31), a 911 Authority can request the delivery of 911 traffic in an IP-based SIP format, provided it meets specified infrastructure, authorization, and certification requirements. The authority must designate delivery points and properly notify the originating service provider. Furthermore, the request must align with NG911 standards to ensure seamless connectivity with Next Generation 911 Core Services, such as Location Validation and Information Server integration. Additional certifications and commitments from relevant service providers are also necessary.

Several U.S. states have initiated early deployments of Next Generation services, while Canada has announced the rollout of end-to-end NG911 services in its western provinces. Meanwhile, Canadian telecommunications companies are weighing plans to phase out their legacy networks. Core Service Providers are vying for customers as the move toward Next Generation migration accelerates.

As more end-to-end environments go live, the influx of handset-based location services, multimedia—such as pictures and video—and real-time sensor data will challenge human capacity to manage vast amounts of incident-related imagery. This emerging reality could place significant strain on critical personnel. To address these challenges, technologists will turn to Artificial and Assistive Intelligence, along with Machine Learning, in pursuit of the ideal “Goldilocks Zone” a balance where these advanced tools enhance situational awareness, improve location accuracy, and leverage past experiences to save lives and reduce suffering.

Join us to hear from the people who are writing this next exciting chapter as Real Time Communications intersects Public Safety!

Emerging Technologies Applications in RTC

Track Co-Chairs: Alvin Chin, Biswaranjan Senapati, Stephen Xia

Real Time communications is a ubiquitous part of our daily work and play, a mature technology that is largely taken for granted by the public. We now deliver real time media over a variety of network types and architectures, and we are increasingly absorbing new technologies that will add to the functions available from our real time applications and services. One of the first of these technologies to be integrated with real time applications was the Internet of Things (IoT). Today, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, Edge and Fog Computing, and Natural Language Processing, are all candidates for further integration. This track, which in prior conference was named the IoT Track, will provide insights into these new technologies themselves and how can be used to augment current real time applications and services.

We will cover topics including:

1. Big Data and AI Integration: Explore how Big Data and Artificial Intelligence are augmenting real time applications, from predictive maintenance to real-time analytics, enabling smarter decision-making and unlocking new possibilities for innovation.
2. Quantum Computing: Learn how this new technology can support and augment real time applications and services now and in the future.
3. IoT Connectivity Technologies: Explore the diverse range of connectivity options including 5G, 6G, satellite IoT, NB-IoT, and LoRaWAN, and their pivotal role in IoT deployments and their potential to shape the future of IoT ecosystems and networks.
4. IoT Applications and Use Cases: Discover real-world deployments across various verticals, showcasing the transformative impact of integrating IoT solutions with real time services.
5. Edge Computing and Fog Computing: Uncover the significance of edge and fog computing in reducing latency and processing data closer to the source, essential for optimizing real time and IoT deployments.
6. IoT Security and Privacy: Delve into critical discussions on securing IoT networks and devices, addressing authentication, encryption, and data privacy concerns.
7. Interoperability and Standards: Address interoperability and standardization to ensure seamless communication between applications, devices and platforms from different vendors and in support of different functions. Discuss relevant standards bodies and initiatives working to establish common protocols for connectivity and data exchange.

We’ll hear from industry innovators as well as researchers from academia as they share their latest developments, deployment activities, and research to explore how emerging technologies are being used to improve operational efficiencies, safety, security, and overall customer experience. This is a track that you will not want to miss!

IEEE International Communications Quality and Reliability Workshop

Track Co-Chairs: Abby Knowles, Alana Scott

The IEEE CQR (Communications Quality and Reliability) International Workshop is held annually with the purpose of bringing together industry and academic experts to present and discuss communications quality, reliability and security issues as they relate to real world issues. The output from the workshops adds to the community’s body of knowledge and serves to inform, help form opinions, and to assist in the development of best practices and relevant standards.

We are pleased to announce that, this year, the CQR Workshop will be collocated with the RTC Conference at IIT to the benefit of participants in both events. We see huge synergies between the two and know that our speakers and attendees will as well. A single registration allows you to attend sessions in either event. The Call for Papers applies to both events, and all papers that are accepted for publication will be presented in the Research Track of the RTC Conference with their origin as CQR-related appropriately identified.

At the annual workshop, participants gather to present research results, share visions and ideas, obtain updates on latest technologies and expand professional and social networks. These activities are realized through IEEE CQR’s multiple diversified and exciting programs, workshops, and outreach activities.  Additional information about the CQR TC can be found at https://cqr2024.ieee-cqr.org/about.

1. Emerging Technologies and Applications
2. Building high-performing networks and systems
3. Next-Generation Mobile Networks
4. Security, Quality, and Reliability
5. Network Operations and Resource Management