Telecommunications Systems Course

Lesson 1 • Regulatory and Standards Frameworks

Explains how international bodies and spectrum regulators shape telecom design. Students can identify compliance requirements relevant to system planning.

Lesson 2 • Core Concepts of Signal Transmission

Introduces analog and digital signals, bandwidth, and noise. Connects signal theory to practical transmission quality and system design decisions.

Lesson 3 • Telecom Network Architecture Overview

Maps the layers of a telecom network from access to core. Provides a structural framework used throughout the course for analysing system components.

Lesson 1 • Fibre Optic Transmission Systems

Explains light propagation, fibre types, and optical components. Demonstrates why fibre is the backbone of high-capacity, long-distance networks.

Lesson 2 • Copper-Based Transmission Technologies

Covers twisted-pair and coaxial cable properties, limitations, and use cases. Links physical characteristics to achievable data rates and deployment scenarios.

Lesson 3 • Multiplexing and Channel Capacity

Teaches TDM, FDM, and OFDM techniques for sharing transmission media. Students apply Shannon's theorem to estimate maximum channel throughput.

Lesson 4 • Physical Layer Performance Metrics

Defines bit error rate, latency, jitter, and throughput as measurable KPIs. Establishes the measurement vocabulary used in all subsequent chapters.

Lesson 1 • Quality of Service at the Network Layer

Explains traffic classification, queuing, and policing for service differentiation. Connects QoS mechanisms to telecom service-level agreement fulfilment.

Lesson 2 • Data Link Layer Fundamentals

Covers framing, MAC addressing, and error detection at Layer 2. Provides the foundation for understanding switching and LAN technologies.

Lesson 3 • Ethernet and Switching Technologies

Examines Ethernet standards, VLAN segmentation, and switch operation. Students can design segmented LAN topologies for telecom environments.

Lesson 4 • IP Addressing and Subnetting

Teaches IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, CIDR notation, and subnet design. Directly enables students to plan address spaces for telecom networks.

Lesson 1 • Public Switched Telephone Network Architecture

Describes PSTN hierarchy, signalling systems, and switching centres. Provides the legacy baseline against which VoIP improvements are measured.

Lesson 2 • VoIP Quality Measurement and Troubleshooting

Introduces MOS scoring, jitter buffers, and packet loss concealment. Students diagnose voice quality degradation using standard measurement tools.

Lesson 3 • VoIP Protocols and Signalling

Examines SIP, H.323, and RTP for call setup and media transport. Students trace call flows and identify protocol roles in a VoIP session.

Lesson 4 • Unified Communications Integration

Explores how voice, video, and messaging converge on a single platform. Connects VoIP fundamentals to enterprise unified communications deployment.

Lesson 1 • Cellular Network Architecture

Describes cells, base stations, and core network elements across generations. Establishes the structural model for understanding 4G and 5G deployments.

Lesson 2 • Radio Frequency Planning and Optimization

Teaches coverage prediction, interference analysis, and capacity planning methods. Students produce a basic RF plan for a defined service area.

Lesson 3 • 5G New Radio Architecture

Introduces 5G NR spectrum bands, massive MIMO, and network slicing. Students assess 5G use cases including eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC.

Lesson 4 • Wi-Fi and Short-Range Wireless Standards

Examines IEEE 802.11 generations, Bluetooth, and Zigbee for enterprise and IoT use. Students select appropriate short-range technology for given deployment needs.

Lesson 1 • MPLS and Traffic Engineering

Introduces label switching, LSP establishment, and RSVP-TE for traffic engineering. Students configure MPLS paths to meet bandwidth and latency SLAs.

Lesson 2 • Carrier Ethernet and Metro Networks

Covers MEF service types, E-Line, E-LAN, and E-Tree for metro delivery. Connects Ethernet services to WAN transport for enterprise and wholesale markets.

Lesson 3 • Synchronous Digital Hierarchy and SONET

Explains SDH and SONET frame structures, multiplexing hierarchy, and protection. Provides the legacy transport baseline for understanding modern OTN.

Lesson 4 • Optical Transport Network Standards

Covers OTN wrapper structure, FEC, and optical channel data units. Students map client signals into OTN containers for transport planning.

Lesson 1 • Telecom Threat Landscape

Catalogues threats specific to telecom: SS7 exploits, toll fraud, and DDoS. Motivates security architecture decisions made throughout the chapter.

Lesson 2 • Security Monitoring and Incident Response

Introduces SIEM, log analysis, and incident response workflows for telecom. Students build a response playbook for a simulated network security event.

Lesson 3 • Firewall, IDS, and Access Control

Examines stateful firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and role-based access. Students design a perimeter defence for a telecom network segment.

Lesson 4 • VPN and Secure Remote Access

Teaches IPsec, SSL VPN, and MPLS VPN architectures for secure connectivity. Students select and configure VPN solutions for telecom operations staff.

Lesson 1 • Performance Management and SLA Reporting

Defines KPIs, threshold setting, and SLA reporting for telecom services. Students produce a performance dashboard aligned to service-level commitments.

Lesson 2 • Fault Management and Troubleshooting

Teaches alarm correlation, root cause analysis, and structured troubleshooting. Students resolve simulated network faults using a systematic diagnostic process.

Lesson 3 • Network Management Frameworks

Covers FCAPS, ITIL, and TMF frameworks for structured network operations. Connects management disciplines to real-world NOC and OSS/BSS environments.

Lesson 4 • SNMP and Network Monitoring Protocols

Explains SNMP versions, MIB structure, and NetFlow for traffic visibility. Students configure monitoring agents and interpret collected performance data.