Abstract: Research and development of high-capacity communication networks and sophisticated communication devices enable a variety of network services to be provided anytime and anywhere.In addition to various communication systems and networks, their assessment, measurement, design, management, control, and optimization methodologies are key technologies for future network services and applications.In this situation, access and user-area networks play an important role, because these networks will be in contact with users and are responsible for discerning user requirements directly.For this purpose, access and user-area networks will be expanded from legacy high and reliable transmission functions to intelligent control catering, and subsequently to user applications.This special issue includes application aspects, e.g., video applications and human activities in addition to wired and wireless transfer technologies and standardization in access networks.It also involves IoT (Internet of Things) and related areas among the globally highlighted topics, e.g., wireless sensor network and vehicular networks.For this special issue, we received 9 general submissions.Through a careful review by competent reviewers, we have selected three high-level papers that comply with our aim.Moreover, we have invited four papers as landmarks in future access and user area networks.We expect that all published papers are referred by active researchers and engineers.