Dr Philippos Assimakopoulos

Dr Philippos Assimakopoulos is a Lecturer in Electronic Systems and a member of the Communications Research Group at the University of Kent. His research focuses on the design and optimisation of next-generation communications networks, with particular emphasis on optical-wireless convergence, radio-over-fibre, mobile fronthaul and x-haul architectures, and next-generation Radio Access Networks (RANs) for 5G, beyond-5G and 6G systems.

His research spans both optical and wireless technologies, including analogue and digital fronthaul, subcarrier multiplexing, DSP-assisted optical transport, Ethernet-based fronthaul, and intelligent resource and network optimisation. His recent work has explored reinforcement learning for fronthaul resource allocation and power optimisation, as well as emerging challenges in 5G/6G wireless networks such as NR-U and Wi-Fi spectrum sharing. 

Dr Assimakopoulos has contributed (as Co-I and PI) to a number of internationally funded and industrial research projects and has published over 40 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers. He has also co-authored book chapters, including in the seminal book on 5G ("5G system design, Wiley publishing house") and holds an international patent relating to transport architectures for mobile networks. 

He is a former voting member of the IEEE 1914 Next Generation Fronthaul Interface Working Group and was co-recipient of the 2021 Fabio Neri Best Paper Award. He is an IEEE and ComSoc member and a member in several IEEE Technical Committees

His current research interests include intelligent and flexible RAN architectures, optical fronthaul and x-haul technologies, radio-over-fibre systems, DSP and FPGA-based signal processing, and the integration of optical transport and wireless access networks for future 6G communications.

Research Activity/Subject Expertise:

• Optical-wireless convergence
• Next-generation Radio Access Networks (RANs), including analogue/digital fronthaul and x-haul
• Radio-over-Fibre (RoF) systems and distributed antenna systems
• DSP-assisted optical transport and fronthaul
• Mobile and broadband networks and wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi, 5G and 6G
• Software-defined radio (SDR) and FPGA-based hardware acceleration for RAN signal processing

Examples of past projects:

• "Enabling Beyond-5G Industrial-IoT Applications in Unlicensed Spectrum", UKRI Time Limited Funding, collaboration with Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC)
• "Enabling Beyond-5G Industrial IoT Through Intelligent Networking In Unlicensed Spectrum" - NE/X007243/1UK, UKRI, MITACS
• "5G Impact on the EM Spectrum (5G-ITEMS)", industrial collaboration and funding by Leonardo MW Ltd
• "Optimisation of Transport Infrustructure Resources with MU-MIMO Beam Allocation Requirements (OPTIMO)", industrial collaboration and funding by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd China
• "Application of Cellular Network System Architectures and Algorithms to Communication and Sensing Systems in an Airborne Environment (ACACS)", industrial collaboration and funding by Leonardo MW Ltd
• "5G HarmoniseD Research and TrIals for serVice Evolution between EU and China (EU-5G-DRIVE)", European Union Horizon
• "intelligent Converged network consolidating Radio and optical access aRound USer equipment (iCIRRUS-5G)", European Union Horizon 2020
• "iNtellIgent, heteRogeneous, VirtuAlised Networking infrAstructure (NIRVANA-5G)", UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

Dr Philippos Assimakopoulos teaches across several areas, including digital electronics, digital IC design, embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT), VHDL and FPGA-based digital design, and microprocessor architecture. His teaching spans fundamental digital logic and circuit design through to the implementation of complex digital systems using CMOS, FPGAs and embedded platforms. He also has experience teaching communication network performance and the statistical modelling of communication systems. His teaching combines theoretical foundations with practical hardware and system-level implementation, with an emphasis on developing students’ understanding and intuition of digital systems, embedded technologies, hardware design and communication systems.

Current modules/courses:

EENG6001 - Digital System Design

EENG6003 – Medical Dynamics

EENG5107 - Embedded Systems and IoT

EENG5106 - Electronics and Digital IC Design

Past courses:

EENG6730 – Data Path Design

EENG6730 – Formal Testability

EENG3150 - Digital Technologies

EL305- Introduction to Electronics

EL822 Communication Networks

EL750 Systems Group Project

Dr Philippos Assimakopoulos has supervised and co-supervised PhD research across a range of topics in communications and electronic systems, next-generation Radio Access Networks, optical and wireless communications, radio-over-fibre systems, DSP-assisted communication systems, intelligent network optimisation, and FPGA-based digital signal processing. His supervision combines theoretical modelling, simulation and analysis with practical system design and experimental implementation, supporting students in developing research at the intersection of communications, optical technologies, digital systems and emerging communication networks.

Examples of most recent topics:

“Design and Optimisation of DSP-Assisted Mobile Fronthaul with Analogue Transport for Future Radio Access Networks”.  Doctoral researcher: H. Abdulsada

“Design Challenges and Solutions for Cellular Channel Access and Spatial Reuse in Shared Spectrum”

Doctoral researcher: G. Frangulea

Bandwidth and Power Saving Optimisation of Fronthaul for Beyond-5G Mobile Networks

Doctoral researcher: M. N. Chughtai