Master’s Thesis at the College of Information Technology Explores the Use of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces to Enhance Performance

Duhaa Fadill Abbas
The Department of Information Networks at the College of Information Technology – University of Babylon witnessed the defense of a distinguished master’s thesis by Zahraa Saad Sabar, entitled “Utilizing Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces Technology to Improve Vehicular Communication Networks Performance” The thesis was supervised by Professor Dr. Saad Taleb Hassoun. The defense took place at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in the College .

The study addressed the rapid evolution of Vehicular Networks (VNs) toward fifth- and sixth-generation communication systems (5G/6G), which aim to meet the increasing demand for highly reliable communication, expanded capacity, and high data rates. However, these networks continue to face critical challenges, including signal loss, blockage, and rapid variations in wireless channels—particularly in urban environments.

The research highlighted the potential of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) to mitigate these challenges by intelligently redirecting signals without active power consumption, thereby improving both coverage and network efficiency.

The thesis aimed to investigate the impact of integrating RIS with base stations to enhance signal quality and coverage in dynamic scenarios involving vehicles and variable obstacles. A mathematical model was developed and simulated in an urban environment, measuring signal loss, coverage ratio, transmission rate, and the number of successfully received messages in scenarios both with and without RIS.