Telecommunications Infrastructure Planning and Management
Code: 45647Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunication Engineering | OB | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Miquel Garcia Fernandez
- Email :
- miquel.garcia.fernandez@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Regina Enrich Sard
- Jordi Verdu Tirado
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
Students are recommended to have prior knowledge of:
- Fundamentals of telecommunications systems and networks.
- Digital transmission and mobile communications.
- Basic concepts of radio propagation and spectrum usage.
- Elementary notions of network dimensioning and traffic analysis.
- Basic proficiency with calculation tools, simulation, or programming for technical scenario analysis.
Objectives
Planning and managing telecommunications infrastructure requires connecting service demand with technical design decisions, regulatory constraints, and economic viability criteria. The course proposes an integrated vision of network deployment, from requirements definition to decision-making about coverage, capacity, transport, costs, energy efficiency, and network evolution strategy.
The subject is approached from an applied perspective, aimed at enabling students to translate real deployment scenarios into solutions justified from both engineering and business viewpoints. Throughout the course, a comparative dimension between terrestrial networks and satellite solutions will also be introduced.
The course objectives are:
- Interpret service needs and translate them into quantifiable technical requirements.
- Establish demand models and define key performance indicators for network delivery.
- Dimension a radio layer consistent with given demand and justify trade-offs between coverage and capacity.
- Design the transport network associated with access, considering traffic aggregation, latency, synchronization, and reliability.
- Evaluate the economic viability of a deployment through simplified models of CAPEX (Capital expenditure and investment costs), OPEX (Operating costs), and ROI (Return on investment).
- Integrate energy efficiency and sustainability criteria in design decisions.
- Analyze the impact of regulatory frameworks and spectrum on the definition of telecommunications infrastructure.
- Develop progressive deployment strategies and defend technical and economic decisions in realistic environments.
- Relate network planning concepts to real-world cases.
Learning outcomes
- (CA20) Manage convergence and interoperability in terrestrial and non-terrestrial telecommunications infrastructures as a set of sub-systems or networks that can integrate different services.
- (CA21) Manage interdisciplinary teams for the implementation of a terrestrial and non-terrestrial communications system.
- (CA22) Manage telecommunications works and facilities, complying with regulations and ensuring the quality of service.
- (KA19) Identify the rules and regulations in force for the planning of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communications systems, indicating how to ensure compliance with technical and operational standards in each phase of the project.
- (KA20) Identify the internal workings, organisational structure, and decision-making processes in companies in the technology and telecommunications sector.
- (SA27) Model networks for transporting, broadcasting and distributing multimedia signals with a focus on business development.
- (SA28) Plan the design of a terrestrial and non-terrestrial communications system for current applications taking into account interoperability and scalability.
- (SA29) Apply component and subsystem approval requirements in network infrastructure design.
Contents
- From Demand to Design
- Interpretation of service needs.
- Translation of service needs into quantifiable technical requirements.
- Definition of good and bad network requirements.
- Demand models.
- Usage scenarios: dense urban, rural, industrial, and mobility corridors.
- Estimation of traffic demand, user density, and quality of service requirements.
- Network KPIs: capacity per unit area, target latency, and availability.
- Identification of typical traffic profiles.
- Radio Dimensioning
- From traffic requirements to radio infrastructure.
- Coverage, capacity, and spectrum usage.
- Simplified link budget.
- Spectral efficiency.
- Differences between sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands.
- Definition of cell size.
- Dimensioning of the number of radio nodes and required spectrum.
- Trade-offs between coverage and capacity.
- Impact of densification on overall performance.
- Network Transport
- Transmission technologies: fiber optics and radio links.
- Backhaul dimensioning and transport architectures.
- Network topologies: star, ring, and mesh.
- Traffic aggregation and oversubscription.
- Latency, synchronization, and reliability.
- Design of a transport network adapted to a specific scenario.
- Economic Aspects
- Cost model and viability.
- CAPEX: equipment, infrastructure, and spectrum.
- OPEX: energy, maintenance, and rent.
- Economic KPIs: cost per user and cost per Mbps.
- Network cost models.
- ROI, payback period, and break-even.
- Energy Efficiency
- Energy impact of telecommunications networks.
- Relationship between consumption, operating cost, and sustainability.
- Quantification of energy consumption in radio nodes.
- Impact of traffic and frequency band on consumption.
- Optimization and energy-saving strategies.
- Energy KPIs and impact on OPEX.
- Regulation and Spectrum
- Regulatory restrictions and opportunities in deployment.
- Spectrum allocation: auctions and licenses.
- Characteristics of different frequency bands.
- Emission limits, exposure, and coverage obligations.
- Infrastructure and spectrum sharing.
- Deployment Strategies
- Decision-making in real-world environments.
- Deployment phases: from coverage to densification and capacity.
- Differentiated strategies according to scenario.
- Progressive deployment and sharing.
- Technical decisions versus economic decisions.
- Analysis of real operator cases.
Each of these sessions will be applied to the case of terrestrial networks and satellite networks.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Guided | |||
| Theory sessions | 136 | 5.44 | CA20, CA21, CA22, KA19, KA20, SA27, SA28, SA29 |
Learning will combine theoretical classes, case analysis, and practical sessions focused on network design and evaluation. The course is designed with an applied approach, so that concepts introduced in classroom lectures will subsequently be worked on realistic deployment scenarios and reference cases.
There are three types of activities:
- Autonomous activities:
- Individual study of the course's theoretical foundations and recommended bibliography.
- Preparation of exercises, scenario analysis, and resolution of planning, dimensioning, and viability problems.
- Progressive preparation of the integrative project developed during practical sessions.
- Directed activities:
- In-class theoretical lectures focused on introducing models, tools, and decision criteria for telecommunications infrastructure design.
- Practical sessions focused on applying course concepts to specific network scenarios.
- In each of the main blocks, part of the teaching will be reserved to map theoretical concepts to real cases, in order to connect theory, engineering, and industrial reality.
- Supervised activities:
- Tutorials and monitoring of the integrative project.
- Supervision of work in practical sessions and guidance in making technical and economic decisions.
Practical sessions will be organized in four sessions, conceived as milestones of an integrative project. In them, students will define a scenario, dimension the access solution, propose a transport network, incorporate economic, energy, and regulatory criteria, and prepare a final defense of the proposal.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partial exam: satellite systems | 25% | 2 | 0.08 | CA20, CA21, CA22, KA19, KA20, SA27, SA28, SA29 |
| Project to deploy a communications system | 50% | 10 | 0.4 | CA20, CA21, CA22, KA19, KA20, SA27, SA28, SA29 |
| Terrestrial system exam | 25% | 2 | 0.08 | CA20, CA21, CA22, KA19, KA20, SA27, SA28, SA29 |
The course consists of three evaluation activities:
- TE: Terrestrial network exam (25%).
- SE: Satellite network exam (25%).
- PROJ: Deployment project and final defense (50%).
The integrative project (PROJ) will consist of designing a complete network for a specific deployment scenario. Students must justify the adopted decisions from both technical and business perspectives. The project will be developed during the four practical sessions and will culminate with a final oral presentation.
Project evaluation will be conducted through checkpoints after each practical session and through the final presentation. The following internal distribution of the project grade is proposed:
- CP1: Scenario definition, hypotheses, and requirements (10% of final grade).
- CP2: Access layer design and preliminary dimensioning (10% of final grade).
- CP3: Transport network, economic model, and viability (10% of final grade).
- CP4: Final integration, regulation, energy, and deployment strategy (10% of final grade).
- PF: Oral presentation and project defense (60% of final grade).
The final course grade will be calculated as follows:
if (TE_Grade >= 3.5 and SE_Grade >= 3.5) --> Final_Grade = 0.25 × TE_Grade + 0.25 × SE_Grade + 0.50 × PROJ_Grade if (TE_Grade < 3.5 or SE_Grade < 3.5) --> Final_Grade = min(TE_Grade, SE_Grade)
Recovery
To pass the course, Final_Grade >= 5 is required. Students with Final_Grade < 5 may take a recovery exam corresponding to the exam portion. The integrative project, given its progressive nature, applied character, and continuous assessment during practical sessions, is not recoverable.
"Not Evaluated" Consideration
Students who do not take any written exams or participate in the minimum continuous assessment activities will receive a "Not Evaluated" grade.
Additional Considerations
Without prejudice to other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with applicable regulations, irregularities committed by the student that could lead to a change in the grade of an evaluation activity will be graded as zero. Copying or allowing copying of evaluable activities, including reports, calculations, documents, or project presentations, will result in failing the corresponding activity and may result in failing the course.
Linguistic correctness and clarity in argumentation may also be considered in the evaluation of reports, partial submissions, and presentations.
This course does not provide for a single assessment system.
Bibliography
Dahlman, E., Parkvall, S., Sköld, J. 5G NR: The Next Generation Wireless Access Technology.
Dahlman, E., Parkvall, S., Sköld, J. 4G, LTE-Advanced Pro and The Road to 5G.
Poikselkä, M., Mayer, G. 5G System Design.
Alleman, J., Noam, E. The Economics of Telecommunications Networks.
Samdanis, K., Rost, P., Maeder, A., Meo, M., Verikoukis, C. Green Communications: Principles, Concepts and Practice.
IEEE Communications Surveys. A Survey of Energy-Efficient Techniques for 5G Networks and Challenges Ahead.
Cave, M. Spectrum Management: Principles and Practice.
Osseiran, A. et al. 5G Mobile and Wireless Communications Technology.
Software
Practical sessions can be conducted using spreadsheets, Python notebooks, Matlab, or equivalent open-source tools, depending on the type of exercise and the design scenario proposed.
AI Usage
Teaching material will be structured so that it can be reused in AI-assisted learning environments (e.g., NotebookLM) and document consultation platforms.
This course permits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies as an integral part of work development, provided that the final result reflects significant student contribution in analysis and personal reflection. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology. Lack of transparency regarding AI usage is considered academic dishonesty and may result in grade penalties or more severe sanctions in serious cases.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEmRD) Teoria (màster RD) | 1 | English | first semester | afternoon |
| (PLABmRD) Pràctiques de laboratori (màster RD) | 1 | English | first semester | afternoon |