From left to right: Prof. Eduard Jorswieck, Meriem Ghali, Abderrahmen Trichili, Alireza Vosoughi Rad, Dr. Ilias Gravalos, Dr. Iman Tavakkolnia
About IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC)
As one of the IEEE Communications Society’s two flagship conferences, the annual ICC is dedicated to driving innovation across almost every area of communications. The conference has a large global attendance with more than 3,000 scientific researchers from over 70 countries and over 1,000 papers and proposals submitted for programme sessions this year.
Content: The Research that is Shaping Our World
This years’ focus of IEEE ICC conference focused on “Communications Technologies 4Good”, featuring a comprehensive technical program including 13 symposia and a variety of tutorials and workshops. The industry programme was tailored towards practitioners, with keynotes and panels from leading research, industry and government leaders, business and industry panels, and technological exhibits.
HASC Representation at IEEE ICC 2025
Our HASC colleague, Abderrahmen Trichili, (UK IC Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, Research Fellow at Wolfson College, University of Oxford), attended the event as well as others from the HASC project. We caught up with Abderrahmen to find out the inside track on the event.
Guest Contribution: Abderrahmen Trichili on IEEE ICC 2025
I attended the IEEE ICC Conference, which was held in Montreal in June. The conference is hosted over five days. The first and last days of the conference are for workshops and tutorials, with the three days in the middle dedicated to the technical symposium.
There were many tracks running in parallel, so I had to mark the sessions I wanted to attend before heading to the conference. I also wanted to attend some of my former colleagues’ presentations.
Although I am not usually a big fan of big conferences, this one was special; I met many of my former colleagues and undergraduate friends along with people working in my field, notably Professor Steve Hranilovic. I also had dinner with 25 people who were at some point part from my previous group. So, conferences can be perfect opportunities to catch up with friends and see how successful they have become.
Networking with Leaders
Prof. Hranilovic is a pioneer in optical wireless communication at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). I have met Prof. Hranilovic a few times remotely but we finally got to meet person while attending the same tutorial and discussing with the presenters. I am very grateful for all the advice he gave during the conference – this is a striking benefit of attending conferences like this – learning from the giants.
Presenting: Optical Wireless Channel Sounding in a Realistic Environment
I was also lucky enough to be presenting in the first session of the first day of the technical symposium – even with the early morning slot, I was pleased to be presenting to packed room! Some came specifically for the topic, and others who knew of me (former colleagues, friends, even one of my former teachers) came to see the work I am currently doing at the University of Oxford!
Abderrahmen Trichili presents Optical Wireless Channel Sounding in a Realistic Environment at IEEE ICC – Photo Credit: IEEE Communications Society
I presented my work on Optical Wireless Channel Sounding in a Realistic Environment(co-authored with Mr. Grahame Faulkner and Prof. Dominic O’Brien). Prof. Majeed Safari (a co-investigator in Titan) was the chair of the session and asked me some very interesting questions together with some of the attendees.
About the Research: Optical Wireless Channel Sounding
Optical wireless communication (OWC) is seen as a promising technology for future-generation communication systems. In particular, OWC in the visible spectrum, known as visible light communication (VLC), can enable high-speed indoor connectivity, offering opportunities for data-intensive applications that conventional radio-based technologies struggle to support due to bandwidth limitations. Currently used VLC channel models have limitations in their underlying assumptions and lack verification through experimental measurements. Over the past two years, I have developed the world’s first visible laser-based channel sounder, capable of measuring optical channels with high temporal resolution. The system is based on a highly sensitive silicon photomultiplier detector and frequency-swept laser sources. The sounder was used to conduct indoor measurements to derive realistic OWC channel models. I reported initial measurement results collected in an office environment (considered a realistic deployment location for VLC) at the conference.
Abderrahmen Trichili with the measurement rig used to collect the data
Optical Networks and Systems Symposium
It was a busy schedule – I also had the chance to chair one of the sessions of the Optical Networks and Systems Symposium (ONS-03: Energy efficient optical communications). In the session, I had five brilliant presentations with presenters from the University of Alberta, Technische Universität Braunschweig, The University of Cambridge, École normale supérieure de Lyon, and Nokia; one of the presentations was given by a HASC Co-Investigator Dr. Iman Tavakkolnia (University of Cambridge).
I had the opportunity to meet with other HASC and Federated Telecoms Hubs (FTH) members, including Prof. Timothy O’Farrell (The University of Sheffield), Prof. Michail (Michalis) Matthaiou (Queen’s University Belfast, he came with a few of his group members and colleagues from the same University), and Dr. Hossein Kazemi (University of Cambridge). From Oxford, my colleague Daniele Di Martini from the Oxford Robotics Institute, with whom I co-organised a third-year project for the last two years, also attended the conference.
Conferences like these are not just an opportunity to share and learn, but also to meet and network with others – all vital for the advancement of the innovations and technologies in our field. A fantastic event and I am very much looking forward to the next ICC which will be held in Glasgow in May 2026.
Conclusion
The IEEE ICC 2025 conference in Montreal showcased the sheer depth and ambition of the research taking place across the global communications landscape from both academia and industry. It not only provided a platform for sharing cutting-edge ideas but also a space for meaningful exchanges between researchers, industry leaders, and innovators all working towards a more connected, equitable future.
Abderrahmen’s reflections capture the spirit of these gatherings: part inspiration, part collaboration, and entirely driven by a passion for progress. As we look ahead to the next IEEE ICC in Glasgow, we carry forward the momentum of these conversations, the relationships formed, and the research that continues to shape the future of communication technologies.
