Contents
The course starts with a general description of the 5G System elements and principles, various RAN — core and dual connectivity options, followed by a discussion of aspects of the new air interface and the nodes, interfaces and procedures in the NG-RAN. Some interworking aspects with E-UTRA radio and non-3GPP access are also discussed.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of LTE/4G is required. Basic knowledge of the overall 5G System is recommended. Good 5G background knowledge is provided e.g. by Apis 5G System Overview course.
Note: The course is under development and the content may be subject to changes.
Course content
Network Overview
- 5G System introduction, new Network Functions and Service Based Architecture
- 5G System standardisation: history, current status and the future
- PDU Sessions and QoS flows
- NG-RAN elements: gNB, eNB, ng-eNB, en-gNB
- NR and E-UTRA Dual Connectivity options
- Non-Stand Alone (NSA) and Stand-Alone (SA) deployment options
- Architecture options: gNB Central Units and Distributed Units, Control Plane and User Plane separation
- Connectivity to non-3GPP access
New Radio (NR) Physical Layer Fundamentals
- ITU-R requirements on 5G system radio performance
- NR frequency bands, cell bandwidth, carrier aggregation, millimetre waves
- OFDM introduction, flexible numerologies, frame and slot structure
- Differences between NR and E-UTRA
Radio Interface Protocols
- Overview of the radio interface protocol stack
- RRC protocol overview and states: Idle, Connected, Inactive
- Layer 2 protocols: SDAP, PDCP, RLC, MAC
- Channel architecture
- UE identities
Protocols and Functions
- Overview of NG-RAN interfaces and protocols
- N2/N3/NG interfaces and NGAP protocol functions
- Xn interface and XnAP protocol functions
- F1 interface and F1AP protocol functions for Central/Distributed Units split
- E1 interface and E1AP protocol functions for CP/UP splitting
- User Plane protocols
- Network Slicing for RAN
NR and NG-RAN Procedures
- Radio connection establishment
- Registration and PDU Session establishment
- Tracking Areas and Registration Areas
- Mobility functions in RRC idle, inactive, and connected states
- RAN-based Notification Areas (RNA)
- Connected mode mobility: measurements and handovers (intra-NR and inter-RAT)
