All Articles
30 technical articles and tutorials spanning 5G NR fundamentals, 5G Advanced, 6G research, Open RAN, and AI in telecom.
What is Open RAN?
Open RAN explained: what it is, why operators are pursuing disaggregation, and how it changes the traditional RAN vendor model.
What is 6G?
An introduction to 6G technologies: the vision, target capabilities, and how 6G is expected to build on and go beyond 5G.
What is 5G NR?
A clear, practical introduction to 5G New Radio (NR) - what it is, how it differs from LTE, and why it's the air interface at the heart of every 5G network.
Top 5G Interview Questions and Answers
A curated list of the most common 5G engineering interview questions, spanning RAN, core network, and protocol fundamentals, with guidance on how to answer them.
THz Communication in 6G
Terahertz (THz) communication explained: why 6G is looking beyond mmWave, and the propagation and hardware challenges involved.
Semantic Communications
Semantic communications explained: a 6G research direction focused on transmitting meaning rather than raw bits to improve efficiency.
Scheduling Algorithms
An overview of 5G MAC-layer scheduling algorithms - round robin, proportional fair, and QoS-aware scheduling - and how the gNB scheduler allocates resources.
RRC States Explained
RRC_IDLE, RRC_INACTIVE, and RRC_CONNECTED explained - how 5G NR radio resource control states work and why RRC_INACTIVE is new in 5G.
RedCap
RedCap (Reduced Capability) explained: the 5G NR device category built for IoT use cases between eMTC/NB-IoT and full mobile broadband.
QoS Flow
How 5G QoS flows work, what 5QI values mean, and how QoS flows map from the core network down to radio bearers.
PDU Session Explained
What a PDU session is in 5G, how it's established, and how QoS flows map onto it end to end.
Open RAN Tutorial: Getting Started
A hands-on Open RAN tutorial covering the core concepts, architecture, and terminology you need to start working with disaggregated RAN.
O-RAN Architecture Explained
A breakdown of the O-RAN Alliance reference architecture: O-CU, O-DU, O-RU, the RIC, and the open interfaces connecting them.
NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks)
Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) explained: how 5G extends coverage via satellites, the architecture involved, and the key 3GPP work items.
NSA vs SA Architecture
NSA vs SA 5G architecture explained: how non-standalone and standalone deployment options differ, their signaling paths, and when operators choose each.
Network Slicing
5G network slicing explained: how operators run multiple virtual networks on shared infrastructure, and the role of S-NSSAI and slice selection.
Massive MIMO
Massive MIMO explained: how large antenna arrays multiply 5G capacity through spatial multiplexing and beamforming.
Integrated Sensing
Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) explained: how 6G networks are expected to sense the environment using the same signals used for communication.
HARQ
Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) explained: how 5G combines forward error correction and retransmission for reliable, low-latency links.
gNB Explained
gNB explained: the 5G base station architecture, its CU/DU split, key interfaces (F1, Xn, NG), and how it differs from a 4G eNB.
Generative AI in Network Operations
How generative AI is being applied to telecom network operations - from natural-language network assistants to automated root-cause analysis.
Dual Connectivity
EN-DC and other 5G dual connectivity options explained - how a device connects to two base stations simultaneously for better throughput and mobility.
Digital Twins
How digital twins are used in telecom network planning, operations, and 6G research - creating live virtual replicas of physical networks.
Carrier Aggregation Tutorial
A step-by-step carrier aggregation tutorial: how CA is configured, measured, and validated in a live 5G network.
Carrier Aggregation
How carrier aggregation combines multiple component carriers to boost 5G throughput, with intra-band and inter-band CA explained.
Beamforming Explained
How 5G beamforming works, why massive MIMO antennas depend on it, and the difference between analog, digital, and hybrid beamforming.
AMF vs SMF vs UPF
A side-by-side breakdown of the three core 5G core network functions - AMF, SMF, and UPF - and the role each plays in session and mobility management.
AI-RAN
AI-RAN explained: how artificial intelligence is being embedded into the radio access network for optimization, energy savings, and automation.
AI Native Networks
What it means for 6G to be 'AI-native' - embedding machine learning into network design from the ground up rather than bolting it on.
5G Core Architecture
5G Architecture Explained: a full walkthrough of the 5G Core (5GC) service-based architecture, its network functions, and how they interconnect.