The 24th Ka and Broadband Communications Conference and the 36th International Communications Satellite Systems Conference (ICSSC) will be held jointly in Niagara Falls, Canada from October 15-18, 2018. The conferences will address challenges the satellite communications industry faces in transforming itself for 5G networks over the next 5 years. Topics will include new applications and integration with terrestrial networks, as well as contention for spectrum, interference, orbital debris and laser communications systems.

1. The 24th
Ka and Broadband Communications Conference and the
36th
International Communications Satellite Systems Conference
(ICSSC), the two most influential technical conferences on
satellite systems, will be held jointly in Niagara Falls, Canada,
at the Marriott on the Falls Hotel, on October 15th
through 18th
,
2018. The first day, October 15, will be devoted exclusively to the
ICSSC Colloquium.
The theme of the 2017 Joint Conference was transformation and
a major panel in that conference identified the challenges the
satellite communications industry faces when transforming itself
into a world of ubiquitous 5G networks. The 2018 Joint Conference
will address those challenges, looking forward to the employment
of new technologies, architectures and system solutions over the
next 5 years and well into the third decade of this century.
Beyond addressing new applications and integration with the
future terrestrial networks, the conference technical program and
panel discussions will also cover challenges the industry faces in
terms of contention for spectrum, interference and orbital debris
management, laser communications systems that will be flown in
the near term.
Given the theme of this year’s conference it is appropriate that we
are holding it in Niagara Falls, Canada less than an hour away from
Alexander Graham Bell’s family home in Brantford, Ontario.
The joint Conference will provide a forum for discussing the above
challenges together with the latest results in propagation research
at Ka and Q/V bands.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JOINT CONFERENCE ARE:
• 36th
ICSSC Colloquium on Satellite for 5G
• Plenary Opening Session, Key Notes and Plenary Panels
• 16th
BroadSky Workshop
• 5th
General Assembly of the Aldo Paraboni
Propagation Experimenters Group (ASAPE), an open
forum of researchers performing propagation campaigns
with the Aldo Paraboni payload and other satellite
payloads at Q/V bands and beyond.
IMPORTANT DATES:
• ABSTRACT DUE May 4, 2018
• NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE June 22, 2018
• FINAL PAPER September 7, 2018
Under the auspices of:
Organized by:
2018 Joint Conference
Space based Communications,
Applications and Technologies in the 5G Era:
Moving forward to the Third Decade of the 21st Century
Niagara Falls, Canada • October 15-18, 2018

2. Under the auspices of:
2018 Joint Conference
Space based Communications,
Applications and Technologies in the 5G Era:
Moving forward to the Third Decade
of the 21st Century
Niagara Falls, Canada
October 15-18, 2018
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Conference will look at a broad spectrum of space
communications topics, including the evolution of GEO from
traditional area coverage to Ultra High Throughput Satellites
(UHTS), the growing number of mega constellations expected
to enter service in the next decade, navigation applications such
as vehicle autonomy, wideband data backhaul from scientific
and remote sensing payloads in LEO, and the extension of the
5G network to near earth, lunar and deep space environments in
support of human exploration.
Please consult the Joint Conference web site www.kaconf.org
for more on the Joint Conference Call for Papers, details on
conference topics and abstract and paper submission.
AUTHOR INSTRUCTIONS
Authors are invited to submit electronically abstracts for both
Conferences by May 4, 2018.
Detailed information on preparation and submission of abstracts
and final papers is available on the Joint Conference web site
www.kaconf.org
ABOUT NIAGARA FALLS
AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
A Great Place to Visit...
The City of Niagara Falls is a small vibrant city located in the
heart of the Niagara Region. When it comes to quality of life,
Niagara Falls has other communities beat. Where else can you
enjoy all the amenities of a large urban centre in a comfortable,
livable community? Whatever you are looking for you can find it
in Niagara Falls – Arts, culture, recreation, commerce and peaceful
quiet moments – they’re all here in Niagara Falls.
For more information please visit the Joint Conference web site
www.kaconf.org
Inquiries should be directed to:
• The Ka Conference Technical Program Co-Chairs at:
rtgedney@centurytel.net and
franco.marconicchio@gmail.com
• The ICSSC Technical Program Co-Chairs at:
ifiok.otung@southwales.ac.uk and at
tho.le-ngoc@mcgill.ca
• The Joint Conference Organization at:
info@kaconf.org or
organizingcommittee@kaconf.org