5G Technologies and Practices

The evolution and growing capabilities of mobile communications have driven innovation globally. The development of the next generation of cellular networks - 5G, comes with suggestions of transforming existing consumer, business, and industrial processes. This course will familiarize you with 5G and its capabilities while detaching the hype and fiction associated with the technology. Use this course to explore technological milestones achieved by various generations of mobile communications, the attributes and applications of 5G technologies, and the fringe theories surrounding 5G. After completing this course, you'll possess the knowledge to recognize the features and uses for 5G technologies and how they differ from those that belong to the previous generations of mobile communications.

5G has the potential to revolutionize global communications and connectivity. It is vital for decision-makers in various fields to understand the possibilities afforded by this disruptive technology. Take this course to examine distinctive capabilities and applications of 5G. This course will help you recognize the groundbreaking applications of 5G in areas like manufacturing, entertainment, transportation, military, and healthcare and the implications of 5G technology on the economy and our daily lives. Upon completion of this course, you'll be able to outline the characteristics and use cases of 5G, its potential to transform innovation, and the social and fiscal opportunities created by it.

To fully appreciate any mobile communication technology, we must explore the series of innovations that led to its arrival. 5G, as a product of decades of research and development, is no different. Diving deeper into its predecessor, 4G, will give us a better understanding of how 5G is both similar and different and how those qualities affect its future. In this course, we'll examine the history of 4G, show how it opened the way for its successor 5G, compare and contrast the key differences between these mobile communication generations, and analyze some of the notable obstacles to the rollout of 5G technologies and applications. Bu the end of this course, you'll have a foundational understanding of the benefits and obstacles of 5G's use in society.

Understanding network connectivity technologically is one thing. Appreciating how it impacts humans, individually and collectively, is another. Technology is for humans, and 5G does not exist for its own sake but has been developed to serve and respond to human needs. In this course, we'll take an in-depth look into the various human ecosystems that 5G directly or indirectly affects, how it affects them, and what kind of benefits and challenges can be expected from its future application. We'll go beyond the applications themselves, examining the more profound results expected in various "smart" domains, as well as in several logistical and data-intensive disciplines. Through this, we aim to gain insight into how these results will affect humans socially and culturally. After taking this course, you'll be able to outline the specific ways 5G could help solve many of the unique challenges facing humanity.

If you're involved in any aspect of 5G, it's valuable to know the significant players involved in this technology's lifecycle. Knowing who you may encounter along the way, the role they play, and the decision-making authority they wield is paramount to employing 5G and ensuring your utilization of this innovative technology is successful. This course will introduce you to the various players and enablers involved in the 5G lifecycle. You'll investigate players involved with previous mobile communication generations as well as those who came on the scene with the advent of 5G, examining the significant roles they continue to play in its evolution. By the end of this course, you'll know the organizations, regulatory bodies, groups, sectors, and technical personnel influencing the use and development of 5G.

Familiarity with 5G network architecture is imperative for anyone involved with this groundbreaking technology, even non-technical administrators, partners, and participants. This course approaches 5G network architecture and design concepts from a high level - an easy way for all interested parties to understand the working mechanisms of 5G networks. Topics in this course include a review of cellular mobile communication networks, their components, and architecture, in addition to a deep dive into the technologies that empower 5G's revolutionary potential. You'll also examine how 5G is expected to coexist with 4G during an initial transition period and review some more theoretical concepts involving what are known as protocol stacks. At the end of this course, you should have a solid recognition of how 5G mobile networks and network communication in general work.

The revolutionary capabilities of 5G have broadened the potential applications and services that the network can support, delivering more than just voice and data. With the help of this course, delve into the characteristics and benefits of machine-type communication (MTC). The video lessons will help you examine the history and the trends of wireless networks, how artificial intelligence, in conjunction with 5G, is playing a vital role in enhancing machine-type communications, and emerging related services that are far beyond those available with conventional mobile communication networks. After completing this course, you'll be able to outline the high-capacity, high-reliability, and high-density machine-type services with the help of machine-type communications, which involve the connection of devices that don't interface directly with humans and function autonomously.

Machine-type communication (MTC), or machine-to-machine communication (M2M), are expected to outstrip regular smartphone connectivity services as the primary service delivered over 5G networks. Gain a better understanding of machine-type communications using this course with the help of specific use cases and applications across various industries. This course will help you recognize several real-life use cases of machine-type communications - few of which have already been deployed, some are in their preliminary stations, and others are expected to emerge over the coming years. Upon completion of this course, you'll be able to identify the different ways in which machine-type communications can be utilized and the expected impacts of its implementation on businesses, industries, and society as a whole.

Revolutionary technologies often provoke opposing behaviors, as seen in the case of 5G, where obstacles from different industries stand in the way of its successful rollout. Use this course to explore these varying and often independent sources of conflict and opposition and how to approach them with an attitude of resolution and not confrontation. This course will help you investigate what it means to deal with conflicts in the technology industry, why technical personnel must learn about the effects of technology on other disciplines, and the reasons 5G technology should be appreciated by other industries. You'll also examine the most common objections to the deployment of 5G that arise from various sources and techniques and strategies for resolving them. Upon completion of this course, you'll be able to identify the key objections to 5G deployment and negotiate them successfully.

Final Exam: 5G Principles will test your knowledge and application of the topics presented throughout the 5G Principles track of the Skillsoft Aspire 5G Technologies and Practices Journey.

What in the world is the 5G protocol stack? Communication technologies are often discussed in terms of constructs called protocol stacks, which outline the distinct mechanisms working together to accomplish communication. 5G is no different! The 5G protocol stack is a complex monster - difficult to understand even for seasoned network engineers. Taking a step back to examine the good old Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is an excellent way to further familiarize ourselves with protocol stacks as a concept and begin to understand the 5G protocol stack. Use this course to examine the OSI model and see how 5G fits into the picture. Then, use the OSI model to further appreciate some of the 5G protocol stack components and their purposes and operation. Upon completion of the course, you'll have a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the remarkable 5G protocol stack.

The 5G core network is where a lot of the magic involved with 5G takes place. This next-generation technology's core network delivers network services to connected devices in a way never implemented before. Understanding the operation of this core network and its components, services, and methods of deployment is an integral part of gaining a deeper understanding of 5G as a whole. Use this course to examine the 5G core network and what makes it so groundbreaking. Investigate the various modes of 5G deployment, diving deeper into the architecture itself and exploring the role that virtualization plays in all of this. Upon completion of this course, you'll have an appreciation of the revolutionary nature of the 5G core network in comparison to previous generation mobile communication core networks.

Understanding the 5G protocol stack is an essential step in gaining a deeper knowledge of the 5G infrastructure and operation. Take a closer look at the 5G protocol stacks using this course to gain a more intimate understanding of their operation. Examine the layers of the 5G protocol stacks, identify the role of the more traditional Internet Protocol (IP) within this framework, and explore the definition and operation of specific layers of the 5G protocol stacks. You'll have an understanding of the fundamentals of protocol stacks as well as the 5G core network after completing this course.

The capabilities and performance thresholds of 5G are dependent on how 5G networks are deployed. This process of rolling out 5G is unique for each 5G carrier across the world. Of course, some elements of rollout remain the same no matter where you are on the planet. But others differ, and these differences are not always technological. Rollout decisions can relate to demographics, local attitudes, as well as national interests. Use this course to explore the 5G strategies of several international mobile communication service providers. Examine their current 5G rollout status, their marketing assertions, and the initiatives they are involved in. Evaluate the substance of their claims and compare them to the current reality of 5G. When you're done, you'll be able to outline the 5G initiatives of several of the most influential telcos.

The advent of 5G has brought about a unique dimension of networking features unavailable in previous mobile network generations. This involves a hierarchical cellular architecture that has introduced the small cell, which brings with it a great deal of new and exciting wireless networking and connectivity features. Use this course to explore the world of small cell networking that 5G employs by taking a look at the evolution of cellular networks, examining why small cells are necessary to enable 5G's unprecedented performance, and analyzing various technical aspects of small cell networks. You'll also discover various applications and real-world scenarios where small cells can be leveraged and take a closer look at how small cell networks are managed and controlled. After completing this course, you'll have a foundational understanding of small cell networking and the fundamental innovations delivered by this technology.

While 5G opens up new opportunities, it also introduces new challenges. These include security and privacy concerns. Many of the characteristics of 5G can be leveraged by malicious attackers to compromise networks and the services they carry. However, with the appropriate deployment methodologies, virtually all of these vulnerabilities can be addressed to ensure a safe and secure network for all users. Use this course to investigate various aspects of security for 5G networks. Begin by exploring security and privacy in general before taking a closer look at the potential vulnerabilities inherent to 5G. Finally, examine the various built-in security mechanisms used to mitigate these threats, as well as the best practices and policies employed to ensure 5G remains safe for all to use. When you're done, you'll be able to provide solutions and workarounds for the primary security and privacy issues pertinent to 5G.

5G is subject to numerous rules and regulations enforced by various levels of government of all countries around the world. Regulations consist of laws that require the technology to adhere to specific thresholds and implementation methods, frequency allocation procedures, as well as local government by-laws and deployment rules. Navigating through the multitude of rules and regulations can be challenging at best and prohibitive for 5G networks at worst. As a result, it is necessary to employ a specific strategy to ensure that these rules and regulations are adhered to while at the same time enabling the smooth rollout of the technology. Use this course to examine the intricacies involved in dealing with 5G governmental policies, particular obstacles that both regulators and local governments may present in 5G deployment, and some guiding principles that will help in overcoming such difficulties.

Final Exam: 5G Practices will test your knowledge and application of the topics presented throughout the 5G Practices track of the Skillsoft Aspire 5G Technologies and Practices Journey.