Advanced Wireless and 5G 2020–2026

Slides, notebooks and exam questions for the Master in Computer Science course on Advanced Wireless and 5G networks that I taught at the Universiteit Antwerpen from 2020 until 2026 - taking over from the great Chris Blondia. The approach was based around a set of steps and questions that you should be able to answer for all technologies namely

1. Switch on the mobile (& infrastructure)
2. Select a frequency band to receive & send
3. Pick a way to send and receive digital bits
4. Define how we are going to organize the bits for multiple users
5. Listen to synchronize and get system information
6. Random Access
7. Get a channel
8. Authenticate
9. Ask to send data (or get some data)
10. Ask to make a call
11. Move around
12. … (location update, release call, handover, etc …)

Which leads to the questions:

1. What is the equipment needed?
2. Which frequencies?
3. How do we send bits?
4. How are the bits organized?
5. How do we figure out what to connect to?
6. How do we get connected the first time?
7. How do we set up a connection?
8. How do we authenticate?
9. How do we send packets e2e?
10. What happens when we move?

Hope this is useful for future students. The course contents varied and evolved over time - depending also on student interest and timing. Feedback and questions are always welcome at michael.peeters@ieee.org.