Objective
This course aims to study broadband technologies and networks with particular emphasis on the most recent developments and technical advances for the next generation of networks (2030+). In the first part, broadband networks design requirements, capabilities and constraints are analyzed. In the second part, wireline and wireless broadband networks are addressed with specific focus on transceivers, baseband signal processing, physical layer procedures, multiple access, and network architecture aspects. In the third part, future technology trends and innovative design techniques are discussed, such as extreme MIMO, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces, and mmWave and THz communications.
Course Contents
- Broadband communications: requirements and recent developments (ITU, 3GPP, IEEE standards).
- Broadband transmission fundamentals: capacity, spectral efficiency, connectivity, reliability, reconfigurability and intelligence.
- Spectrally efficient broadband access: modulation, coding, multiplexing, space-time processing, spread spectrum, cooperation, coordination and interference management.
- Digital Subscriber Line (ITU-T): baseband processing, network architecture, advanced features, ADSL2, VDSL, multi-user DSL.
- Next generation Ethernet (IEEE 802.3): baseband processing, physical layer techniques, MAC protocols, xGigabit Ethernet, crosstalk, Ethernet in the first mile.
- Optical networks design and architecture (ITU-T): fiber optics basics, Wavelength Division Multiplexing, Optical Transport Network.
- Broadband Local Wireless Access and future WiFi (IEEE 802.11): OFDM, multiuser MIMO, Random Access, Scheduled Access.
- Advanced radio technologies for 4G and 5G (3GPP): cooperative techniques, coordinated muti-point transmission, massive/network MIMO, user-centric architectures.
- Broadband access in future internet and 6G technology trends: ultra dense networks and cell-less architectures.
- Research topics in Broadband Wireless Access: extreme MIMO, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces, mmWave and THz communications.
Bibliography
- W Stallings, “ Wireless Communication Networks and Systems ”, Pearson(2015).
- Rajiv Sivarajan, Kumar N. Ramaswami, “Optical Networks: A Practical Perspective (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Networking)”, Morgan Kaufmann, 2nd edition (2001).
- D. Tse, P. Viswanath, “Fundamentals of Wireless Communication”, Cambridge University Press (2005).
- T. S. Rappaport, “Wireless Communications: Principles and Practice” , Prentice-Hall, (2003).
- Bernhard H. Walke, Stefan Mangold, Lars Berlemann, “IEEE 802 Wireless Systems: Protocols, Multi-Hop Mesh/Relaying, Performance and Spectrum Coexistence”, Wiley (2006).
- A. Alexiou (editor), “5G Wireless Technologies”, IET, 2017.
- E. Bertin, N. Crespi, T. Magedanz, “Shaping Future 6G Networks: Needs, Impacts, and Technologies”, John Wiley & Sons Ltd (2022).