Advanced Course on Wireless Communications (FITech)

The course concentrates on operating principles of mobile radio networks, having the focus on the radio interface and radio resource management. The main emphasis during the course is on the 4G (LTE / LTE-Advanced / LTE Advanced Pro) technology. However, especially the radio resource management part is having a fairly general structure, applicable in various wireless systems.

The course structure can be coarsely divided into two parts:

1. architectures and radio interface structure of mobile networks,
2. radio resource management functionalities.

Regarding these, more detailed descriptions are shown in the contents of the course part. For both cases, the LTE system is used as a reference, but the general discussion aims at providing knowledge for understanding and analysing different radio interface structures and radio resource management techniques used in various wireless networks.

This course focuses on creating an understanding on the evolution of the mobile radio networks from 2G to 4G and beyond. The course covers operation and functionalities of Layer 1 and Layer 2 protocols.

Course contents

Evolution of mobile radio networks:

• Evolution of radio networks from 2G to 4G and beyond (GSM, UMTS, LTE, 5G)
• Network architectures and tasks of separate network elements
• Circuit-switched and packet-switched networks
• Standardisation

LTE radio interface:

• LTE radio interface
• Description and main functionalities of layer 1 and layer 2 protocols (PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP)
• Differences between the access stratum and non-access stratum
• User plane and control plane interfaces and procedures
• Security and integrity
• Logical channels, transport channels and physical channels
• LTE radio resource management functionalities
• Radio resource management and modeling
• Resource allocation, admission control, network access and load control
• Link adaptation: Power and rate control
• Handovers and mobility management
• Scheduling
• Retransmission protocols (e.g. hybrid ARQ)
• Interference management

LTE network is used as a reference system, but the studied RRM principles are applicable also in many other wireless systems. After learning this part of the course, the students are able to assess and possible invent new methods for different radio resource management strategies related to RRM.

Procedures related to radio resource management and radio resource control protocols

• states of UE regarding RRC states and EPC related states for connectivity and mobility
• cell search and synchronisation
• random access procedure
• connected mode mobility procedures
• idle mode mobility procedures

The course will primarily be based on flexible self-studying.

Basic understanding of wireless communications fundamentals.

Lecture notes, slides and other complementary material.

Lecture recordings and other materials are available on the course platform.