Prof. Muhammad Ali Imran is the winner of the IET Wireless Communications achievement medal. His vision of the future is more connected, inclusive and…cheaper
Professor Muhammad Ali Imran has won the 2024 IET Wireless Communications achievement medal for his work on energy-efficient and self-organising digital technologies and wireless communication infrastructure. He is also the Dean of Graduate Studies and Transnational Education for the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow, where he set up the Communication, Sensing, and Imaging Hub, which has pioneered 6G technologies and energy-efficient, self-organised cellular networks.
Past in Brief
Muhammad arrived in the UK more than twenty-five years ago on a scholarship from the Government of Pakistan as well as Imperial College, London to study for his
Master's and PhD at this world leading institution. Next, he worked at the University of Surrey as part of the team led by Professor Rahim Tafazolli, which set up the university's 5G/6G Innovation Centre.
Frugal Frontiers
What Muhammad calls 'frugal future systems' can be set up in remote areas or poor regions where people are mainly unconnected to the wider digital world.
Numerous factors make these networks frugal and cost-effective. One is the cost of hardware and infrastructure. To find a solution, Muhammad said, "I work on open systems or Open Radio Access Networking (Open RAN or ORAN) hardware as well as software so that we can break the monopoly of Tier One large telecom vendors or suppliers."
Muhammad believes it is possible to create local entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises that can produce such hardware, and he can point to the completion of four or five large projects. Another strand comes after setting up the network and consists of two parts. The first is the energy cost, and the other is the staffing cost.
Ready and Waiting, But Not Switched On
Key to making systems energy efficient is to make them always available, but not always switched on. Or put another way, the system is switched off until needed, rather than switched on all the time. Muhammad says users must factor in energy efficiency from the component to the system level.
Human resources can be an expensive part of running a network in the remote areas of any country. If it is possible to produce networks capable of learning and implementing strategies independently (autonomously), then it would not be necessary for the expensive, highly trained staff to travel to and maintain networks in remote areas.
This might be similar to the way a wi-fi router works. When unboxing the router, the user only has to plug it in and switch it on because it is already self-organised. Sadly, this is not true of 5G and 6G technology, where engineers are an important part of setting up and fixing parameters before such networks begin operations. Reducing the hardware, human and energy costs will overcome the digital divide, making it more affordable to set up such systems in remote areas.
Why this work matters
Connectivity has become a desirable, perhaps even privileged, utility – something people should have. For Muhammad, it has become a fourth utility and is rapidly becoming a human right. Without connectivity, a gap opens up in (for example) access to healthcare, education, and job opportunities. What makes this work important is the lives it can touch and improve, especially in the future when it will be more affordable - and more inclusive. It can help overcome divisions in society, not simply the digital divide.
Healthcare is one example of people unable to access the system unless they fall ill. Continuously monitoring a person's health indicators with an app on their phone and wearable devices can make it more likely that anomalies and serious issues can be spotted and treated immediately. Lives can be improved, even saved. In Muhammad's view, this would allow us to move to a true healthcare system, as opposed to an existing ‘sick-care system’, in the next ten to fifteen years.
Internet of Skills is another benefit of global connectivity that can have a positive effect, allowing people to offer their skills anywhere in the world without travelling to another country. If used wisely, this technology could foster a more acceptable, stable form of globalisation.
Muhammad suggests such a scaling up of connectivity would also help reduce humanity's global carbon footprint. While artificial intelligence and other technologies will consume energy, they can make travelling to work and appointments less relevant to people's lives. This saving of emissions will sufficiently offset the additional emissions caused by these new technologies.
Share your thoughts!
What are the most exciting developments in wireless communications on the horizon over the next decade? Share your thoughts in the comments below.