Internet of Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IoIRS)

Abstract: Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS) are anticipated to serve as a key cornerstone of future wireless networks, providing an unmatched capability to deterministically shape electromagnetic wave propagation. Despite this potential, most existing research still considers the IRS merely as a standalone physical-layer component, controlled by transmitters. However, as networks grow to encompass a massive number of these surfaces and a massive number of transmitters wishing to use them, this transmitter-centric design encounters substantial challenges. To overcome this challenge, we propose the Internet of IRS (IoIRS), an architecture that reconceives the IRS not just as a passive reflecting surface, but as a connected, hybrid entity functioning across both the physical layer and upper network layers. We present the conceptual framework and a preliminary protocol suite necessary to integrate these surfaces into the higher network layers. We conclude by examining how IoIRS architectures could be applied in practice, as their deployment will be essential for fully realizing the capabilities of future wireless networks.