GREETINGS FROM THE GENERAL CHAIR

On behalf of the Executive Committee, it is a great pleasure to invite you to the 2006 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC 2006), which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, on 11-15 June 2006. The main body of the conference, which will run on 12 - 14 June, will feature 9 technical symposia disseminating the latest research and development results in communications and networking and 11 executive panels, where industry leaders will address some of the hottest business and technical challenges for the future. On Sunday, 11 June and Thursday, 15 June, the technical program will feature 21 tutorials delivered by internationally recognized experts, where students, researchers and practicing engineers can learn about new technologies and keep technically up-to-date in a fast changing world, and 5 Workshops nicely complementing the technical symposia of the conference.

The opening ceremony on Monday morning will feature two distinguished guests as keynote speakers: We are delighted to have Mr. Muzaffer Akpinar, CEO of Turkcell, the largest cellular operator with 25 million subscribers in Turkey, and Prof. Maurizio Decina, a prominent figure from Politecnico di Torino, Italy, as our keynote speakers.

The conference theme “Bridging Continents through Communications” reflects the unique geographic location of the host city. Istanbul is indeed the only city in the world that is built on two continents, with bridges over the Bosphorus connecting Europe and Asia. The former capital of three successive empires - Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman - Istanbul honors and preserves the fabulous legacy of its past, while looking forward to its modern future. Today’s Istanbul is a vibrant metropolitan city of more than 10 million citizens with a wide spectrum of economic, industrial and cultural activities, which makes it an ideal setting for ICC 2006.

We invite you to make your plans to attend the technical and the social programs of ICC 2006 and have an unforgettable stay in this magnificent city, which enchants millions of visitors every year. This is also an excellent opportunity to bring your family along for pre-conference and post-conference tours in a region that has many world-class tourist destinations.

We look forward to welcoming you to Istanbul.