ELEC-E7230 - Mobile Communication Systems, Lecture, 24.10.2022-7.12.2022

Guest access
Please note! Course description is confirmed for two academic years, which means that in general, e.g. Learning outcomes, assessment methods and key content stays unchanged. However, via course syllabus, it is possible to specify or change the course execution in each realization of the course, such as how the contact sessions are organized, assessment methods weighted or materials used.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course a successful student will be able to:

  • Recognize the evolution path of mobile network standards, with focus from 4G to 5G and beyond.
  • Identify the different target goals of 4G/5G classes of services and recognize the requirements that use cases impose into the development towards 5G and beyond.
  • Be aware of the network architecture and the key technological components of 4G (LTE) and 5G (NR) standards, with emphasis on the radio access network and the key aspects of the core network.
  • Know the tools that can be used for the planning of mobile networks deployments and use them to compute link budget in 4G and 5G cellular systems.
  • Analyze publications from different sources dealing with beyond 5G technologies and develop communication skills (written and oral) to disseminate group project outcomes.

Credits: 5

Schedule: 24.10.2022 - 07.12.2022

Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):

Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Alexis Dowhuszko, Jyri Hämäläinen

Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):

CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):

Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):

Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English

CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD

Content

  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    This advanced course on mobile communication systems stars with a clear description of mobile communication networks and its related key technologies. After basics are introduced, contemporary 3GPP standards are covered, with emphasis on 4G (LTE), 4G evolutions (LTE Advanced) and 5G (New Radio). In this part, key aspects of both radio access network and core network parts of the standards are considered. Finally, recent technology developments from the newly developed 5G NR standard beyond terrestrial human-centric communications are approached, including machine-centric communications and non-terrestrial networks, among others.

    The content of this course is divided into five different units, whose contents are expanded as follows:

    • Unit 1: Introduction. Mobile networks architecture and key concepts. Standardization of mobile systems. Mobile systems evolution. ITU-R activities and IMT vision for contemporary generations. Spectrum for mobile systems. 3GPPP standardization and schedule. Industrial alliances that influence standardization. Use cases and technologies.
    • Unit 2: LTE Radio Access Network and Core Network (4G). LTE requirements and targets. LTE RAN architecture (E-UTRAN). Multiple access and modulation schemes (uplink and downlink). LTE frame numerology, frequency bands and duplexing (FDD and TDD). LTE Radio protocols and channels. LTE Radio Resource Management. LTE Core Network architecture (EPS), entities and interfaces. EPC protocols and procedures. LTE session and mobility management.
    • Unit 3: LTE Advanced and its evolutions (4G+). LTE evolutions targets and requirements. LTE Advanced (Pro) technologies. Carrier aggregation, Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP), and multi-antenna support (MIMO). LTE Advanced small cell enhancements, dual connectivity and proximity services.
    • Unit 4: New Radio (5G). 5G requirements and targets. NR frame numerology, frequency bands and transmission structure (TDD and FDD). Technology components: NR carrier aggregation, Massive MIMO. NR radio protocols and channels. NG-RAN architectures. 5G core network functions and services (NFV/SDN). 5G Core Network protocols and procedures. 5G session and mobility management. Network slicing and multi-access edge computing concepts.
    • Unit 5: Beyond human-centric communications (4G+, 5G and 5G+ verticals). Machine-type communications and Narrow-Band IoT. 5G positioning and sensing. Non-terrestrial networks (space and aerial). Non-public networks (NPN). Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) and concepts of mobile communications for railways (FRMCS). Industrial-IoT (IIoT) for automation. 5G Multicast broadcast. NR for augmented/extended reality (AR/XR).

Assessment Methods and Criteria

  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Examination, Quizzes, Pre-Lecture Activities, Group project and Homeworks.

Workload

  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Contact-teaching hours: 36 hours.

    Group project (team work): 30 hours.

    Independent study: 66 hours.

DETAILS

Substitutes for Courses
Prerequisites
SDG: Sustainable Development Goals

    9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

    11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

    12 Responsible Production and Consumption

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Information

  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Teaching Language : English

    Teaching Period : 2022-2023 Autumn II
    2023-2024 Autumn II

    Enrollment :

    Registration for Courses on Sisu (sisu.aalto.fi).

Rules of Conduct - Students´ Rights and Responsibilities (in force from 1 August 2020)

Aalto University Code of Academic Integrity and Handling Violations Thereof