18 articles

5G

5G NR fundamentals through advanced RAN and core topics: architecture, protocols, scheduling, and more.

5G5G Fundamentals

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.

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5G5G Advanced

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.

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5G5G Fundamentals

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.

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5G5G Advanced

RedCap

RedCap (Reduced Capability) explained: the 5G NR device category built for IoT use cases between eMTC/NB-IoT and full mobile broadband.

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5G5G Advanced

QoS Flow

How 5G QoS flows work, what 5QI values mean, and how QoS flows map from the core network down to radio bearers.

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5G5G Fundamentals

PDU Session Explained

What a PDU session is in 5G, how it's established, and how QoS flows map onto it end to end.

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5G5G Advanced

NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks)

Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) explained: how 5G extends coverage via satellites, the architecture involved, and the key 3GPP work items.

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5G5G Fundamentals

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.

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5G5G Fundamentals

Network Slicing

5G network slicing explained: how operators run multiple virtual networks on shared infrastructure, and the role of S-NSSAI and slice selection.

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5G5G Advanced

Massive MIMO

Massive MIMO explained: how large antenna arrays multiply 5G capacity through spatial multiplexing and beamforming.

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5G5G Advanced

HARQ

Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) explained: how 5G combines forward error correction and retransmission for reliable, low-latency links.

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5G5G Fundamentals

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.

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5G5G Fundamentals

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.

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5G5G Fundamentals

Carrier Aggregation

How carrier aggregation combines multiple component carriers to boost 5G throughput, with intra-band and inter-band CA explained.

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5G5G Advanced

Beamforming Explained

How 5G beamforming works, why massive MIMO antennas depend on it, and the difference between analog, digital, and hybrid beamforming.

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5G5G Fundamentals

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.

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5G5G Advanced

AI-RAN

AI-RAN explained: how artificial intelligence is being embedded into the radio access network for optimization, energy savings, and automation.

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5G5G Fundamentals

5G Core Architecture

5G Architecture Explained: a full walkthrough of the 5G Core (5GC) service-based architecture, its network functions, and how they interconnect.

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