Head of Division
Professor Erik Ström
E-mail: erik.strom@chalmers.se
Phone: +46 31 772 51 82

The importance of communication systems can hardly be overestimated. Communication systems, such as TV, radio, fixed and mobile telephony, and the Internet, are essential in modern society. Efficient, rapid transmission of information reduces the need for energy-demanding transportation of paper and people, and can therefore reduce the negative impact on our common environment. Moreover, it is difficult to imagine a democratic society without efficient communication systems.

Our main research focus is on methods and algorithms for digital communications. We study systems such as

• fourth generation wireless systems (4G),
  
  

• ad-hoc networks for communication and sensor networks (where traffic safety is currently an important application),
  
  

• fibre-optic communication systems
  
  

• ultra-wideband (UWB) systems for wireless video and audio devices.

Within these fields, we have acquired expertise in channel estimation, synchronisation, modulation, error control coding, and hardware implementation, mainly for wireless, but also for fibre-optic systems. In addition to these physical layer problems, we have activities in higher layers and cross-layer designs, e.g. in scheduling, admission control, adaptive modulation and coding, multiple access schemes as well as link layer and radio access network design. Finally, we have expertise in the area of source coding, quantisation, speech and audio coding and processing.

We are strongly involved in undergraduate education, primarily in the master's programme Communication Engineering, but also in the MScEng programmes in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Technology and Engineering Physics.