5G Network Engineer Course

Lesson 1 • 5G Deployment Scenarios

Surveys NSA and SA deployment modes, small cell strategies, and heterogeneous networks. Prepares students to evaluate deployment options in later chapters.

Lesson 2 • Mobile Network Generations Overview

Traces the evolution from 1G to 5G, highlighting key capability jumps at each generation. Establishes the historical context needed to understand 5G design decisions.

Lesson 3 • 5G Frequency Bands and Spectrum

Introduces sub-6 GHz and mmWave spectrum, licensing models, and propagation trade-offs. Grounds students in the physical constraints shaping 5G deployment strategies.

Lesson 4 • Core 5G Design Principles

Explains service-based architecture, network slicing concepts, and cloud-native design. Provides the conceptual framework for all subsequent technical chapters.

Lesson 1 • Massive MIMO and Beamforming

Explains antenna array configurations, beamforming algorithms, and spatial multiplexing gains. Connects antenna technology to spectral efficiency improvements.

Lesson 2 • gNB Architecture and Components

Details the gNB-CU and gNB-DU split, interfaces, and protocol stacks. Establishes the building blocks of the 5G RAN for deeper protocol study.

Lesson 3 • New Radio Air Interface Fundamentals

Covers NR numerology, OFDM waveform design, and frame structure. Links physical layer parameters to system capacity and latency performance.

Lesson 4 • RAN Functional Splits and O-RAN

Examines the seven functional split options and the Open RAN disaggregation model. Prepares students to evaluate vendor-neutral RAN deployments.

Lesson 1 • Network Exposure and APIs

Covers NEF, SCEF, and northbound APIs for third-party service exposure. Introduces programmability concepts that underpin network-as-a-service models.

Lesson 2 • Control Plane Network Functions

Covers AMF, SMF, PCF, UDM, and AUSF roles and interactions. Explains how control plane NFs manage sessions, policies, and authentication.

Lesson 3 • Registration and Session Procedures

Walks through UE registration, PDU session establishment, and handover signaling flows. Builds procedural knowledge essential for troubleshooting.

Lesson 4 • User Plane and Data Path

Details UPF functions, N4 interface, and traffic steering mechanisms. Connects user plane design to latency and throughput optimization.

Lesson 1 • QoS and SLA Enforcement in Slices

Covers 5QI parameters, GBR and non-GBR flows, and SLA monitoring mechanisms. Ensures students can map business SLAs to technical QoS configurations.

Lesson 2 • Slice Lifecycle Management

Details slice template design, instantiation, scaling, and termination workflows. Connects management operations to MANO and OSS/BSS systems.

Lesson 3 • Network Slice Architecture

Covers NSSAI, slice selection, and end-to-end slice composition across domains. Links slice identifiers to resource allocation and QoS enforcement.

Lesson 4 • NFV and SDN Fundamentals

Explains ETSI NFV architecture, VNF lifecycle, and SDN control plane separation. Provides the virtualization foundation required for slice design.

Lesson 1 • Synchronization and Timing

Covers IEEE 1588 PTP, SyncE, and GNSS-based timing for 5G RAN synchronization. Explains how timing errors degrade TDD performance and MIMO coordination.

Lesson 2 • Packet Transport and Ethernet

Examines carrier Ethernet, MPLS-TP, and segment routing for 5G packet transport. Links packet transport protocols to latency and reliability targets.

Lesson 3 • Transport Network Segmentation

Defines fronthaul, midhaul, and backhaul segments and their distinct requirements. Establishes the transport framework for technology selection decisions.

Lesson 4 • Optical Transport Technologies

Covers DWDM, OTN, and passive optical network options for 5G transport. Connects optical capacity to high-density RAN deployments.

Lesson 1 • 5G Security Architecture Overview

Maps the 3GPP security architecture, trust domains, and security edge protection. Provides the structural context for all protocol-level security topics.

Lesson 2 • Network Function and API Security

Covers TLS, OAuth 2.0, and certificate management for SBI security. Ensures students can secure service-based interfaces in cloud-native deployments.

Lesson 3 • Authentication and Key Management

Covers 5G-AKA, EAP-AKA', SUPI/SUCI concealment, and key hierarchy derivation. Explains how subscriber identity is protected from registration through session.

Lesson 4 • Air Interface and NAS Security

Details AS and NAS security mode procedures, ciphering, and integrity protection. Connects radio-layer security to core network signaling protection.

Lesson 1 • Site Survey and Antenna Planning

Covers site acquisition criteria, antenna tilt and azimuth optimization, and inter-site distance. Translates planning outputs into actionable site engineering parameters.

Lesson 2 • Network Optimization Techniques

Covers drive testing, SON algorithms, and AI-assisted parameter tuning. Closes the planning-to-performance loop with data-driven optimization methods.

Lesson 3 • RF Propagation and Link Budget

Covers path loss models, link budget calculations, and coverage prediction tools. Grounds students in the physics that drive site placement decisions.

Lesson 4 • Capacity Dimensioning and Traffic Modeling

Explains traffic forecasting, spectral efficiency estimation, and cell capacity calculations. Connects demand projections to site density and spectrum requirements.

Lesson 1 • OSS/BSS Architecture for 5G

Maps OSS and BSS functions, TMF frameworks, and their integration with 5GC. Establishes the operational management context for automation and assurance.

Lesson 2 • Fault Management and Troubleshooting

Covers alarm correlation, root cause analysis, and structured troubleshooting workflows. Builds systematic diagnostic skills applicable to RAN, transport, and core faults.

Lesson 3 • Performance Monitoring and Assurance

Explains PM data collection, threshold-based alerting, and SLA assurance dashboards. Connects monitoring outputs to proactive network management actions.

Lesson 4 • Network Automation with YANG and NETCONF

Covers YANG data modeling, NETCONF/RESTCONF protocols, and configuration automation. Enables students to build automated provisioning and change management pipelines.