TNSM Searchable Index

Author(s)	Title	Year	Publication	Keywords
Kaili Qian, Yiqin Lu, Xiaohuan Zhang, Wenqi Zhou	End-to-End Deterministic Network Slicing: A Profit-Driven Optimization Framework with Domain-Specific Algorithms	2026	Early Access	Resource management Optimization Computational modeling	With the rapid evolution of 5G/6G networks, deterministic services such as the Industrial Internet, vehicular communications, and immersive applications impose stringent end-to-end (E2E) latency guarantees. Efficient resource allocation for E2E network slicing (NS) is therefore required to simultaneously satisfy strict latency constraints and improve overall resource efficiency. However, orchestrating cross-domain and multidimensional resources across the radio access network (RAN) and core network (CN) remains challenging due to strong coupling and scalability issues. To address this problem, this paper develops a profit-driven optimization framework for static E2E NS, which jointly accounts for deterministic service guarantees and system profitability. On the RAN side, a hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA) is developed to preserve the global exploration capability of genetic algorithms, while incorporating a gradientguided resource scaling (GGRS) operator to refine elite solutions and improve solution quality. On the CN side, we design a capacity-aware workload balancing algorithm (CA-WLB). For each candidate path, CA-WLB couples capacity adaptive virtual network function (VNF) placement with demand responsive CPU allocation to jointly optimize latency and resource consumption, and then selects the path that yields the maximum profit. Extensive simulations across a wide range of scenarios demonstrate that the proposed framework consistently outperforms conventional heuristic and meta-heuristic approaches, while achieving performance close to high-complexity optimization benchmarks with significantly reduced computational overhead.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3667996
Jing Zhang, Chao Luo, Rui Shao	MTG-GAN: A Masked Temporal Graph Generative Adversarial Network for Cross-Domain System Log Anomaly Detection	2026	Early Access	Anomaly detection Adaptation models Generative adversarial networks	Anomaly detection of system logs is crucial for the service management of large-scale information systems. Nowadays, log anomaly detection faces two main challenges: 1) capturing evolving temporal dependencies between log events to adaptively tackle with emerging anomaly patterns, 2) and maintaining high detection capabilities across varies data distributions. Existing methods rely heavily on domain-specific data features, making it challenging to handle the heterogeneity and temporal dynamics of log data. This limitation restricts the deployment of anomaly detection systems in practical environments. In this article, a novel framework, Masked Temporal Graph Generative Adversarial Network (MTG-GAN), is proposed for both conventional and cross-domain log anomaly detection. The model enhances the detection capability for emerging abnormal patterns in system log data by introducing an adaptive masking mechanism that combines generative adversarial networks with graph contrastive learning. Additionally, MTG-GAN reduces dependency on specific data distribution and improves model generalization by using diffused graph adjacency information deriving from temporal relevance of event sequence, which can be conducive to improve cross-domain detection performance. Experimental results demonstrate that MTG-GAN outperforms existing methods on multiple real-world datasets in both conventional and cross-domain log anomaly detection.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3654642
Deemah H. Tashman, Soumaya Cherkaoui	Trustworthy AI-Driven Dynamic Hybrid RIS: Joint Optimization and Reward Poisoning-Resilient Control in Cognitive MISO Networks	2026	Early Access	Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces Reliability Optimization	Cognitive radio networks (CRNs) are a key mechanism for alleviating spectrum scarcity by enabling secondary users (SUs) to opportunistically access licensed frequency bands without harmful interference to primary users (PUs). To address unreliable direct SU links and energy constraints common in next-generation wireless networks, this work introduces an adaptive, energy-aware hybrid reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) for underlay multiple-input single-output (MISO) CRNs. Distinct from prior approaches relying on static RIS architectures, our proposed RIS dynamically alternates between passive and active operation modes in real time according to harvested energy availability. We also model our scenario under practical hardware impairments and cascaded fading channels. We formulate and solve a joint transmit beamforming and RIS phase optimization problem via the soft actor-critic (SAC) deep reinforcement learning (DRL) method, leveraging its robustness in continuous and highly dynamic environments. Notably, we conduct the first systematic study of reward poisoning attacks on DRL agents in RIS-enhanced CRNs, and propose a lightweight, real-time defense based on reward clipping and statistical anomaly filtering. Numerical results demonstrate that the SAC-based approach consistently outperforms established DRL base-lines, and that the dynamic hybrid RIS strikes a superior trade-off between throughput and energy consumption compared to fully passive and fully active alternatives. We further show the effectiveness of our defense in maintaining SU performance even under adversarial conditions. Our results advance the practical and secure deployment of RIS-assisted CRNs, and highlight crucial design insights for energy-constrained wireless systems.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3660728
Liang Kou, Xiaochen Pan, Guozhong Dong, Meiyu Wang, Chunyu Miao, Jilin Zhang, Pingxia Duan	Dynamic Adaptive Aggregation and Feature Pyramid Network Enhanced GraphSAGE for Advanced Persistent Threat Detection in Next-Generation Communication Networks	2026	Early Access	Feature extraction Adaptation models Computational modeling	Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) pose severe challenges to Next-Generation Communication Networks (NGCNs) due to their stealthiness and NGCNs’ dynamic topology, while conventional GNN-based intrusion detection systems suffer from static aggregation and poor adaptability to unseen nodes. To address these issues, this paper proposes DAA-FPN-SAGE, a lightweight graph-based detection framework integrating Dynamic Adaptive Aggregation (DAA) and Multi-Scale Feature Pyramid Network (MSFPM). Leveraging GraphSAGE’s inductive learning capability, the framework effectively models unseen nodes or subgraphs and adapts to NGCN’s dynamic changes (e.g., elastic network slicing, online AI model updates)—a key advantage for handling NGCN’s real-time topological variations. The DAA module employs multi-hop attention to dynamically assign weights to neighbors at different hop distances, enhancing capture of hierarchical dependencies in multi-stage APT attack chains. The MSFPM module fuses local-global structural information via a gated feature selection mechanism, resolving dimensional inconsistency and enriching attack behavior representation. Extensive experiments on StreamSpot, Unicorn, and DARPA TC#3 datasets demonstrate superior performance, meeting detection requirements of large-scale NGCNs.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3660650
Muhammad Fahimullah, Michel Kieffer, Sylvaine Kerboeuf, Shohreh Ahvar, Maria Trocan	Decentralized Coalition Formation of Infrastructure Providers for Resource Provisioning in Coverage Constrained Virtualized Mobile Networks	2026	Early Access	Indium phosphide III-V semiconductor materials Resource management	The concept of wireless virtualized networks enables Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) to utilize resources made available by multiple Infrastructure Providers (InPs) to set up a service. Nevertheless, existing centralized resource provisioning approaches fail to address such a scenario due to conflicting objectives among InPs and their reluctance to share private information. This paper addresses the problem of resource provisioning from several InPs for services with geographic coverage constraints. When complete information is available, an Integer Linear Program (ILP) formulation is provided, along with a greedy solution. An alternative coalition formation approach is then proposed to build coalitions of InPs that satisfy the constraints imposed by an MVNO, while requiring only limited information sharing. The proposed solution adopts a hedonic game-theoretic approach to coalition formation. For each InP, the decision to join or leave a coalition is made in a decentralized manner, relying on the satisfaction of service requirements and on individual profit. Simulation results demonstrate the applicability and performance of the proposed solution.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3663437
Qichen Luo, Zhiyun Zhou, Ruisheng Shi, Lina Lan, Qingling Feng, Qifeng Luo, Di Ao	Revisit Fast Event Matching-Routing for High Volume Subscriptions	2026	Early Access	Real-time systems Vectors Search problems	Although many scalable event matching algorithms have been proposed to achieve scalability for publish/subscribe services, the content-based pub/sub system still suffer from performance deterioration when the system has large numbers of subscriptions, and cannot support the requirements of real-time pub/sub data services. In this paper, we model the event matching problem as an existence problem which only care about whether there is at least one matching subscription in the given subscription set, differing from existing works that try to speed up the time-consuming search operation to find all matching subscriptions. To solve this existence problem efficiently, we propose DLS (Discrete Label Set), a novel subscription and event representation model. Based on the DLS model, we propose an event matching algorithm with O(Nd) time complexity to support real-time event matching for a large volume of subscriptions and high event arrival speed, where Nd is the node degree in overlay network. Experimental results show that the event matching performance can be improved by several orders of magnitude compared with traditional algorithms.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3664517
Jing Huang, Yabo Wang, Honggui Han	SCFusionLocator: A Statement-Level Smart Contract Vulnerability Localization Framework Based on Code Slicing and Multi-Modal Feature Fusion	2026	Early Access	Smart contracts Feature extraction Location awareness	Smart contract vulnerabilities have led to over $20 billion in losses, but existing methods suffer from coarse-grained detection, two-stage “detection-then-localization” pipelines, and insufficient feature extraction. This paper proposes SCFusionLocator, a statement-level vulnerability localization framework for smart contracts. It adopts a novel code-slicing mechanism (via function call graphs and data-flow graphs) to decompose contracts into single-function subcontracts and filter low-saliency statements, paired with source code normalization to reduce noise. A dual-branch architecture captures complementary features: the code-sequence branch uses GraphCodeBERT (with data-flow-aware masking) for semantic extraction, while the graph branch fuses call/control-flow/data-flow graphs into a heterogeneous graph and applies HGAT for structural modeling. SCFusionLocator enables end-to-end statement-level localization by framing tasks as statement classification.We release BJUT_SC02, a large dataset of over 240,000 contracts with line-level labels for 58 vulnerability types. Experiments on BJUT_SC02, SCD, and MANDO datasets show SCFusionLocator outperforms 8 conventional tools and nearly 20 ML baselines, achieving over 90% average F1 at the statement level, with better generalization to similar unknown vulnerabilities, and remains competitive in contract-level detection.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3664599
Shiyu Yang, Qunyong Wu, Zhanchao Huang, Zihao Zhuo	SGA-Seq: Station-aware Graph Attention Sequence Network for Cellular Traffic Prediction	2026	Early Access	Adaptation models Predictive models Spatiotemporal phenomena	Cellular traffic prediction is crucial for optimizing network resources and enhancing service quality. Despite progress in existing traffic prediction methods, challenges remain in capturing periodic features, spatial heterogeneity, and abnormal signals. To address these challenges, we propose a Station-aware Graph Attention Sequence Network (SGA-Seq). The core idea is to achieve accurate cellular traffic prediction by adaptively modeling station-specific spatiotemporal patterns and effectively handling complex traffic dynamics. First, we introduce a learnable temporal embedding mechanism to capture temporal features across multiple scales. Second, we design a station-aware graph attention network to model complex spatial relationships across stations. Additionally, by progressively separating regular and abnormal signals layer by layer, we enhance the model’s robustness. Experimental results demonstrate that SGA-Seq outperforms existing methods on five diverse mobile network datasets spanning different scales, including cellular traffic, mobility flow, and communication datasets. Notably, on the V-GCT dataset, our method achieves an 8.04% improvement in Root Mean Squared Error compared to the Spatiotemporal-aware Trend-Seasonality Decomposition Network. The code of SGA-Seq is available at https://github.com/OvOYu/SGA-Seq.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3664401
Rui Huang, Qingling Li, Liangru Xie, Fei Shang	Dynamic Migration in Digital Twin-Enabled Industrial Internet: A Stochastic Network Calculus Approach	2026	Early Access	Delays Stability analysis Real-time systems	Digital Twin (DT) technology serves as a critical enabler in Cyber-Physical-Social Systems (CPSS), especially within Industry 5.0’s human-centric manufacturing paradigm. However, the computational intensity of processing real-time data in DT systems often leads to resource saturation and performance degradation at computation nodes. Dynamic service migration of digital twins by offloading computation-intensive tasks to resource-rich nodes to offer a promising solution, yet introduces challenges in preserving service quality during migration. Key issues include high delay, data inconsistency, service interruptions, and limited bandwidth compromising system stability. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a dynamic migration scheduling strategy for digital twins based on a Lyapunov optimization framework. Our approach integrates Stochastic Network Calculus (SNC) for Quality of Service (QoS) quantification and a persistent queue mechanism for reliability assurance. Theoretical analysis and extensive simulations demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves near-optimal performance with provable bounds, effectively minimizing migration-induced delay while maintaining service reliability. The results confirm that our framework consistently outperforms existing solutions in managing service migration within industrial internet systems.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3665033
Bingnan Hou, Zhenzhong Yang, Xianzheng Meng, Xiaoyi Wang, Yifan Yang, Ling Hu, Xionglve Li, Zhiping Cai	HMap: Efficient Internet-wide IPv6 Scanning with Dynamic Search	2026	Early Access	Security Probes Routing	Internet-wide scanning is integral to network measurement and security analysis, but the expansive address space of IPv6 limits existing approaches in achieving efficient global-scale scans. This study introduces HMap, an innovative IPv6 scanner that markedly improves scan efficiency and coverage through the implementation of a dynamic search (DS) technique, relying solely on IPv6 routeable BGP prefixes. DS employs a dynamic feedback-driven probing strategy that uses information from previous replies to prioritize more promising address regions in subsequent scans. In Internet-wide scans over IPv6, encompassing both ping-like and traceroute-like scans with DS, HMap has demonstrated its capability to discover 2.29 million non-alias active target addresses, 0.13 million peripheries/middleboxes, and 1.61 million router interfaces, using only million-scale probes. This represents a noteworthy improvement of 1.91 times, 1.63 times, and 12.38 times, respectively, compared to current state-of-the-art alternatives. Additionally, by utilizing an efficient target generation algorithm (TGA) that more effectively leverages seed addresses, HMap expands the non-alias active address count to 44.05 million. This coverage spans 18.97 thousand ASes with a one-hour scan at a limited probing speed of 100 Kpps. The volume of active IPv6 addresses is 4.88 times larger than the currently disclosed largest IPv6 hitlists, providing a more diverse set of IPv6 networks. Unlike prior IPv6 scan studies that preclude their use for Internet-scale security analysis, we also conduct the Internet-wide security scans of IPv6 networks, focusing on the exposed internal IPv6 devices and security-sensitive services in IPv6 routers.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3664795
Ahmad Y. Alhusenat, Lei Lei, Jinjin Tian, Lihong Zhu, Tong-Xing Zheng, Symeon Chatzinotas	Dynamic Parallel Task Offloading and Sustainable On-Board Computing for Delay-Energy Optimization LEO Networks	2026	Early Access	Satellites Low earth orbit satellites Delays	Task offloading among low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites with on-board computing (OBC) is important for real-time applications. However, OBC is constrained by the battery capacity of LEO, which fluctuates with orbital dynamics and available solar power. This paper addresses the problem of energy sustainability and timeliness in LEO-OBC systems by proposing a sustainable OBC-LEO framework that combines parallel offloading strategies with dynamic energy management. This problem is formulated as a Markov decision process aiming to minimize the overall delay while satisfying the LEO satellite energy constraints and achieving a high task success rate. To balance immediate computational demands and long-term energy stability, a Lyapunov optimization-based dynamic parallel offloading (LODPO) algorithm is designed to make decisions dynamically within each time slot, integrated with subtask allocation based on a low-cost (SABLC) algorithm that dynamically adjusts task allocations. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that the LODPO framework achieves a significant reduction in execution delay, incurring only 34.0% of the delay cost of binary offloading. Most critically, it ensures exceptional reliability, with a task drop rate that is only 8.5% of that seen in binary offloading and 12.0% of that in the DQN-based approach. This ensures high responsiveness and dependability for mission-critical, delay-sensitive applications.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3665512
Jiazhong Lu, Jimin Peng, Jian Shu, Jiali Yin, Xiaolei Liu	Adversarial Sample Based on Structured Fusion Noise for Botnet Detection in Industrial Control Systems	2026	Early Access	Botnet Industrial control Feature extraction	The industrial control system’s artificial intelligence-based botnet intrusion detection system has a high detection performance and efficiency in an environment without interference. However, these systems are not immune to evasion through adversarial samples. In this study, we introduce a feature extraction technique tailored for ICS botnet detection. This approach classifies traffic packets based on network traffic attributes and ICS-specific identification codes, encompassing the statuses of ICS devices, enhancing detection precision. Meanwhile, this strategy addresses challenges in ICS data collection and bolsters experimental efficacy. To build a comprehensive botnet intrusion dataset within an ICS, we concurrently utilized existing ICS devices to collect both standard ICS and botnet traffic. Additionally, we present an innovative adversarial sample generation method for botnet detection models, integrating both time-domain and frequency-domain noise. Testing under three real-world ICS attack scenarios revealed our technique can markedly degrade the classification performance of eight leading AI-based detection models, emphasizing its potential for evading AI-based ICS intrusion detectors.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3665504
Tuan-Vu Truong, Van-Dinh Nguyen, Quang-Trung Luu, Phi-Son Vo, Xuan-Phu Nguyen, Fatemeh Kavehmadavani, Symeon Chatzinotas	Accelerating Resource Allocation in Open RAN Slicing via Deep Reinforcement Learning	2026	Early Access	Resource management Open RAN Ultra reliable low latency communication	The transition to beyond-fifth-generation (B5G) wireless systems has revolutionized cellular networks, driving unprecedented demand for high-bandwidth, ultra low-latency, and massive connectivity services. The open radio access network (Open RAN) and network slicing provide B5G with greater flexibility and efficiency by enabling tailored virtual networks on shared infrastructure. However, managing resource allocation in these frameworks has become increasingly complex. This paper addresses the challenge of optimizing resource allocation across virtual network functions (VNFs) and network slices, aiming to maximize the total reward for admitted slices while minimizing associated costs. By adhering to the Open RAN architecture, we decompose the formulated problem into two subproblems solved at different timescales. Initially, the successive convex approximation (SCA) method is employed to achieve at least a locally optimal solution. To handle the high complexity of binary variables and adapt to time-varying network conditions, traffic patterns, and service demands, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach for real-time and autonomous optimization of resource allocation. Extensive simulations demonstrate that the DRL framework quickly adapts to evolving network environments, significantly improving slicing performance. The results highlight DRL’s potential to enhance resource allocation in future wireless networks, paving the way for smarter, self-optimizing systems capable of meeting the diverse requirements of modern communication services.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3665553
Adel Chehade, Edoardo Ragusa, Paolo Gastaldo, Rodolfo Zunino	Hardware-Aware Neural Architecture Search for Encrypted Traffic Classification on Resource-Constrained Devices	2026	Early Access	Accuracy Computational modeling Cryptography	This paper presents a hardware-efficient deep neural network (DNN), optimized through hardware-aware neural architecture search (HW-NAS); the DNN supports the classification of session-level encrypted traffic on resource-constrained Internet of Things (IoT) and edge devices. Thanks to HW-NAS, a 1D convolutional neural network (CNN) is tailored on the ISCX VPN-nonVPN dataset to meet strict memory and computational limits while achieving robust performance. The optimized model attains an accuracy of 96.60% with just 88.26K parameters, 10.08M floating-point operations (FLOPs), and a maximum tensor size of 20.12K. Compared to state-of-the-art (SOTA) models, it achieves reductions of up to 444-fold, 312-fold, and 15-fold in these metrics, respectively, significantly minimizing memory footprint and runtime requirements. The model also demonstrates versatility, achieving up to 99.86% across multiple VPN and traffic classification (TC) tasks; it further generalizes to external benchmarks with up to 99.98% accuracy on USTC-TFC and QUIC NetFlow. In addition, an in-depth approach to header-level preprocessing strategies confirms that the optimized model can provide notable performance across a wide range of configurations, even in scenarios with stricter privacy considerations. Likewise, a reduction in the length of sessions of up to 75% yields significant improvements in efficiency, while maintaining high accuracy with only a negligible drop of 1-2%. However, the importance of careful preprocessing and session length selection in the classification of raw traffic data is still present, as improper settings or aggressive reductions can bring about a 7% reduction in overall accuracy. The quantized architecture was deployed on STM32 microcontrollers and evaluated across input sizes; results confirm that the efficiency gains from shorter sessions translate to practical, low-latency embedded inference. These findings demonstrate the method’s practicality for encrypted traffic analysis in constrained IoT networks.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3666676
Can Wang, Run-Hua Shi, Jiang-Yuan Lian, Pei-Xuan Wang, Ze-Hui Jiang	Quantum-Enhanced Matching Mechanism for Secure and Efficient Power IoT Data Trading	2026	Early Access	Protocols Photonics Databases	The exponential growth of power IoT data has created immense potential for intelligent energy management, but it also presents critical challenges in achieving secure and efficient data trading. In particular, emerging data trading scenarios demand support for range nearest neighbor matching, which current schemes fail to address. This paper proposes a novel quantum trading matching scheme tailored for power data markets, which, for the first time, supports range nearest neighbor matching while balancing accuracy, efficiency, and privacy. To improve matching efficiency, we design a quantum private query (QPQ) mechanism based on a bidirectional sliding window (BSW), which replaces traditional linear search with dynamic range expansion. Furthermore, to ensure strong privacy and security in real-world scenarios, we develop a two-layer QPQ framework that performs data feature matching and identity retrieval separately, supported by a customized key distribution strategy. Our solution resists quantum attacks and significantly reduces computational overhead. At the same time, by utilizing non-ideal photon sources, it offers a practical and privacy-preserving solution for large-scale power data trading and matching.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3667701
Behnam Ojaghi, Ricard Vilalta, Raül Muñoz	IBNS: Optimizing Intent-Based 6G Network Slicing for Conflict Detection and Mitigation	2026	Early Access	Quality of service 6G mobile communication Complexity theory	The Sixth-Generation (6G) mobile networks aim to automate network resource allocation and support both new and existing vertical services, each with diverse Quality of Service (QoS) intent requirements. Digital Service Providers (DSPs) must consider specific intent expectations, and targets set by different services, and re-configure and prioritize the most critical intents when resources are insufficient. This paper presents an optimization model for a flexible network paradigm using an Intent-Based Network Slicing (IBNS) framework that can manage the complexity of QoS intents and identify slice intent conflicts through closed-loop evaluation and monitoring. It dynamically adjusts the slice configurations to handle and mitigate detected conflicts by executing the agreed-upon Service Level Agreement (SLA) objectives (%) for higher-priority slices to ensure that critical intents are addressed. According to the results, this approach successfully meets the SLA target we set for slice but it negatively impacts the performance of other slices and degrades their slice capacity.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3668027
Yanxu Lin, Renzhong Zhong, Jingnan Xie, Yueting Zhu, Byung-Gyu Kim, Saru Kumari, Shakila Basheer, Fatimah Alhayan	Privacy-Preserving Digital Publishing Framework for Next-Generation Communication Networks: A Verifiable Homomorphic Federated Learning Approach	2026	Early Access	Electronic publishing Federated learning Cryptography	Next-generation communication networks are revolutionizing digital publishing through intelligent content distribution and collaborative optimization capabilities. However, existing federated learning approaches face fundamental limitations, including trusted third-party dependencies, excessive communication overhead, and vulnerability to collusion attacks between servers and participants. This paper introduces VHFL-DP, a verifiable homomorphic federated learning framework for digital publishing environments operating within 6G network infrastructures. The framework addresses critical privacy and scalability challenges through four key innovations: a distributed cryptographic key generation protocol that eliminates trusted third-party requirements, Chinese remainder theorem-based dimensionality reduction, auxiliary validation nodes that enable independent verification with constant-time complexity, and an intelligent incentive mechanism that rewards digital publishing platforms based on objective contribution quality metrics. Experimental evaluation on MNIST and Amazon reviews datasets across six baseline methods demonstrates that VHFL-DP achieves superior performance with accuracy improvements of 4.2% over the best baseline method. The framework maintains constant verification time ranging from 2.73 to 2.91 seconds regardless of platform count, increasing from ten to fifty, or dropout rates reaching thirty percent. Security evaluation reveals strong resilience with only 2.4 percentage point accuracy degradation under poisoning attacks compared to 6.7-7.0 points for baseline method, inference attack success near random guessing at 51.3%, and 92.4% successful aggregation under Byzantine adversaries.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3667167
Devanshu Anand, Gabriel-Miro Muntean	Mitigating Interferences in 5G O-RAN HetNets through ML-driven xAPP to Enhance Users’ QoS	2026	Early Access	Interference 5G mobile communication Quality of service	In today’s rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape, the demand for seamless connectivity and top-tier network performance has reached unprecedented levels. Traditional cellular systems, while valiant in their service, now struggle under the weight of spiraling data demands, spectrum scarcity, and power inefficiency. The era of ultra-dense mobile networks, with Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) at the forefront, ushers in improved throughput, spectral efficiency, and energy management. To tackle these challenges, this paper introduces MLCIMO (Machine Learning-enhanced Classification for Interference Management and Offloading) into 5G HetNets. MLCIMO employs a multi-binary classification strategy to categorize users based on interference types and levels. It also introduces an offloading scheme tailored to user service priorities, enhancing the user quality of experience, while conserving energy. It seamlessly aligns with the evolving needs of the HetNets, addressing some of the issues introduced by small cell deployments. Simulation results show that MLCIMO achieves the highest throughput, shortest delay, and lowest packet loss ratio in comparison with alternative approaches. In a comprehensive analysis, the varying degrees of interference encountered by users under different schemes are unveiled, further establishing MLCIMO’s distinguished position in mitigating interference.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3667462
Xin Song, Biao Zhang, Ze Fan, Ruomeng Li, Siyang Xu	Dynamic Normalization TD3-Based Task Offloading for UAV-Assisted Collaborative Computing	2026	Early Access	Delays Optimization Energy consumption	To meet the computational requirements of computation-intensive and delay-sensitive applications, we construct an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-assisted three-layer collaborative computing framework that integrates local, edge, and cloud computing resources. However, in dynamic UAV-assisted environments, some existing approaches lack adaptability and struggle to effectively balance delay and energy consumption. To address these challenges, we formulate a joint optimization problem that minimizes the weighted sum of delay and energy consumption, where adaptive weight factors are dynamically adjusted according to system state variations. Due to the non-convex and high-dimensional nature of our proposed problem, traditional optimization methods are generally inadequate. Hence, the problem is modeled as a Markov Decision Process (MDP), and a normalization-based reward function is designed to eliminate the dimensional imbalance between delay and energy consumption. A Dynamic Normalization Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DN-TD3) algorithm is then proposed, which incorporates mechanisms of adaptive exploration and criticdriven policy updates to enhance convergence stability and reduce sensitivity to hyperparameters. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed DN-TD3 algorithm outperforms benchmark schemes in terms of system cost reduction, convergence speed, and overall stability.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3667404
Jesus Omaña Iglesias, Carlos Segura Perales, Stefan Geißler, Diego Perino, Andra Lutu	Anomaly Detection for IoT Global Connectivity	2026	Early Access	Internet of Things Anomaly detection Ecosystems	Internet of Things (IoT) application providers rely on Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and roaming infrastructures to deliver their services globally. In this complex ecosystem, where the end-to-end communication path traverses multiple entities, it became increasingly challenging to guarantee communication availability and reliability. Further, most platform operators use a reactive approach to communication issues, responding to user complaints only after incidents have become severe, compromising service quality. This paper presents our experience in the design and deployment of ANCHOR – an unsupervised anomaly detection solution for the IoT connectivity service of a large global roaming platform. ANCHOR assists engineers by filtering vast amounts of data to identify potential problematic clients (i.e., those with connectivity issues affecting several of their IoT devices), enabling proactive issue resolution before the service is critically impacted. We first describe the IoT service, infrastructure, and network visibility of the IoT connectivity provider we operate. Second, we describe the main challenges and operational requirements for designing an unsupervised anomaly detection solution on this platform. Following these guidelines, we propose different statistical rules, and machine- and deep-learning models for IoT verticals anomaly detection based on passive signaling traffic.We describe the steps we followed working with the operational teams on the design and evaluation of our solution on the operational platform, and report an evaluation on operational IoT customers.	10.1109/TNSM.2026.3666123