5G — Architecture, NR Air Interface, and Protocols
A premium 5G course covering NSA/SA architecture, NR air interface, resource grid, signals/channels, protocol stack, and real procedures like initial access and mobility.
Course details
Duration
:
10 hours
Lectures
:
34
Video
:
9 hours
Level
:
Intermediate
Certificate of Completion
- Description
- FAQ
- Reviews
5G — Architecture, NR Air Interface, and Protocols
This course is a full, engineering-grade walkthrough of 5G—built for learners who want real understanding. We treat 5G the way network professionals do: by connecting requirements → architecture → air interface → protocols → procedures → deployment tradeoffs. Every section is designed to build a correct mental model, use precise 3GPP terminology, and translate details into decisions you can defend in design, planning, troubleshooting, or technical interviews.
You’ll start with why 5G exists and what its service families (eMBB, URLLC, mMTC) demand from the network. Then you’ll learn how 5G is deployed and evolves through options like NSA vs SA, and how modern capabilities like dual connectivity and network slicing fit into the bigger picture. From there, we go deep into the 5G NR air interface: OFDMA fundamentals, numerology, resource grid structure, frequency/time resources, duplexing, reference signals, and channels—so you can read NR like a blueprint rather than a mystery.
Finally, we connect the physical layer and the protocol stack to real network behavior: synchronization, random access, power control, mobility/handover, and Voice over NR (VoNR). By the end, you’ll be able to explain how 5G works end-to-end, how key procedures unfold, and how choices (spectrum, FR1/FR2, duplexing, small cells, massive MIMO, NSA/SA) shape performance outcomes like coverage, capacity, and latency.
What you’ll learn
By completing this course, you will be able to:
Explain 5G fundamentals with correct terminology: what changed from 4G, why those changes were needed, and what capabilities 5G introduces.
Map use cases and requirements to design targets: throughput, latency, reliability, device density, and service differentiation.
Understand 5G deployment models and evolution paths, including NSA and SA, and when each makes sense.
Describe the end-to-end 5G architecture: how 5G RAN and 5G Core (5GC) work together, and what each major component is responsible for.
Understand the NR air interface deeply enough to interpret real configuration choices: numerology, resource grid, time-frequency allocation, duplexing, and key parameters.
Identify and explain NR reference signals and channels, and how they support synchronization, scheduling, and data/control transport.
Understand the protocol stack (PHY/MAC/RLC/PDCP/RRC) and how data and control move through the layers.
Interpret core procedures that make a 5G network “run”: synchronization, random access, power control, mobility/handover, and VoNR.
Connect technical choices to measurable outcomes and tradeoffs (coverage vs capacity vs latency) in realistic deployment scenarios.
What is the target audience?
- Telecom engineering students who want a complete and structured view of 5G.
RF/RAN engineers who want to solidify fundamentals and understand NR behavior more deeply.
Network engineers and solution architects transitioning into 5G projects and needing end-to-end clarity.
FAQ 1
Faq Content 1
FAQ 2
Faq Content 2
Stars 5
1
Stars 4
2
Stars 3
8
Stars 2
0
Stars 1
0
Basic info
A premium, engineer-grade 5G course covering NSA/SA architecture, NR air interface, resource grid, signals/channels, protocol stack, and real procedures like initial access and mobility.
- Hours of on-demand video
- downloadable optional reading material
- Assignments
- Certificate of completion
Course requirements
Basic familiarity with LTE/4G is helpful (cells, OFDM basics, protocol layers).
If you’re missing any necessary background, we’ll introduce it when needed—especially where 5G concepts build on LTE fundamentals.
Intended audience
- Telecom engineering students who want a complete and structured view of 5G.
RF/RAN engineers who want to solidify fundamentals and understand NR behavior more deeply.
Network engineers and solution architects transitioning into 5G projects and needing end-to-end clarity.
Introduction: Why 5G exists and what it must deliver
-
1
IntroductionWhat this course covers, how the sections connect, and how to approach 5G in a structured way (requirements → architecture → air interface → protocols → procedures).
-
2Important Note Before Watching The Course
The “rules of the game” for learning 5G properly: terminology discipline, thinking in layers, and avoiding common misconceptions (e.g., confusing marketing claims with engineering metrics).
-
3Why 5G?
Why LTE could not scale to future demands: spectrum efficiency limits, latency constraints, traffic patterns, reliability targets, and the need for flexible service differentiation.
-
45G Use cases & requirements
Deep dive into eMBB, URLLC, mMTC—what each requires, which KPIs matter, and how these requirements drive choices in spectrum, architecture, and NR features.
5G Network Architecture: NSA vs SA, slicing, RAN, and core
-
55G Network Phases and Dual Connectivity
How the industry evolved from LTE to 5G: phases of deployment, why dual connectivity matters, and the rationale behind EN-DC and related concepts.
-
65G Network Options
A structured view of deployment options (NSA and SA), what changes in control and user plane handling, and how to think about migration strategy.
-
7Network Slicing
What slicing means technically: service differentiation, slice identifiers, resource partitioning concepts, and where slicing fits in both RAN and core thinking.
-
85G RAN
The role of the gNB, high-level interfaces and responsibilities, what “RAN” includes beyond radio, and how RAN decisions shape user experience.
-
95G Core (5GC)
Core concepts: session handling, mobility management, and how the 5GC differs from EPC in philosophy. High-level view of key core functions and service orientation.
-
105G Security & RRC States
Security overview and why it matters for modern services; RRC states (Idle/Connected/Inactive context as a concept) and how state impacts signaling, latency, and battery.
5G NR Air Interface
-
115G Air Interface introduction
What NR changes compared to LTE: flexibility, numerology, wide spectrum support, and why NR is designed as a scalable framework.
-
12OFDMA introduction
The intuition behind OFDMA: why orthogonality matters, how multiple users share resources, and how this connects to scheduling.
-
13What is OFDMA?
OFDMA in practice: subcarriers, symbols, resource blocks, and how resource allocation becomes the main control lever.
-
14Mapper
How bits become constellation symbols: modulation mapping, why it matters for throughput and robustness, and where it sits in the PHY pipeline. -
15FFT & IFFT
What FFT/IFFT actually do in OFDM systems: frequency-domain ↔ time-domain conversion, how it enables subcarrier orthogonality, and why it matters for implementation.
-
16OFDM Disadvantages
Real engineering drawbacks (PAPR, sensitivity to phase noise, synchronization demands) and what systems do to mitigate them.
-
17SC-FDMA
Why SC-FDMA exists, where it’s used, how it compares to OFDMA, and the intuition behind lower PAPR.
-
185G Air interface Key Parameters and small cells
Key parameters you must know: subcarrier spacing, bandwidth, slot length, CP, and how these choices interact with small-cell deployments.
-
19Massive MIMO
Massive MIMO fundamentals: beamforming logic, spatial multiplexing, and why it’s central to 5G performance—especially for capacity.
-
20FR1 & FR2 Bands
FR1 vs FR2: propagation, penetration, beamforming needs, deployment realities, and why mmWave is powerful but unforgiving.
-
21Frequency domain resources
How NR structures frequency resources: subcarriers, PRBs, bandwidth, and how numerology impacts the frequency-time grid.
-
22Time Domain Resources
Slots, symbols, mini-slots (conceptually), and how timing structure affects latency and scheduling flexibility.
-
23Coverage vs Capacity vs Latency
The essential tradeoff triangle: how choices in spectrum, numerology, MIMO, and deployment architecture tilt the balance.
-
24NR Duplex Techniques
FDD vs TDD: what changes in scheduling, interference, guard times, and deployment suitability across bands.
-
255G Resource Grid
How to “read” the resource grid: what occupies it (signals, channels), how scheduling lives inside it, and how it translates to throughput.
-
26Bandwidth Part (BWP)
Why BWP exists: UE capability management, energy efficiency, scheduling flexibility, and how it supports wideband carriers efficiently.
-
27NR reference signals
Reference signals overview: synchronization-related signals and demodulation-related signals (conceptual mapping), why they exist, and what functions they enable.
-
285G Channels
NR channels: the purpose of control vs shared channels, and how they map to the user/control plane idea at the radio level.
Protocol Stack and Physical Layer Processing
-
295G Protocol Stack
Big-picture stack overview: why layers exist and what problems each layer solves.
-
305G Protocol Stack layers
Layer-by-layer explanation: PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, SDAP, RRC—what each does and the data/control responsibilities.
-
31Physical Layer Processing
A clean walk through the PHY chain: coding, modulation, mapping, resource allocation, and the idea of turning packets into scheduled radio resources.
-
325G Synchronization and Random access
How a UE finds the cell, aligns timing, and initiates access. What random access achieves and why it’s fundamental for reliable operation.
-
335G power control and handover
Power control logic at a high level (why it exists, what it stabilizes) and mobility fundamentals: handover intent, measurement thinking, and practical concerns.
-
34Voice over NR (VoNR)
What VoNR is, why it matters, and what network conditions/procedures must be in place for voice on NR.
