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Extended syllabus and study guide 2025

Site: TalTech Moodle
Course: IEE2650 Cellular Communication Technologies (2026 spring)
Book: Extended syllabus and study guide 2025
Printed by: Külaliskasutaja
Date: Friday, 24 October 2025, 7:13 PM

Table of contents

1. Course aims and learning outcomes

The course aim is to give an overview of 5G cellular communication system, particularly 5G NR radio access network.

After completing this course, the student:

  1. describes the architecture of 5G cellular communication network
  2. explains main functions of the core of 5G cellular network
  3. analyses the quality of service provided by 5G test network based on self-collected parameters of radio signal, communication channel and network
  4. explains main principles of advanced topics including cellular internet of things, mobile positioning, radio access techniques, MIMO, cooperative communication, device to device communication and network slicing


2. Prerequisites

Course prior knowledge: basic knowledge about radio communication and networking, OSI model.

MATLAB is used in the labs. Materials to study: Get started with MATLAB. Install MATLAB for Taltech students.

Recommended toolboxes to install for MATLAB: 5G Toolbox, Communications Toolbox, Communications Toolbox Wireless Network Simulation Library, Signal Processing Toolbox, Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox, LTE Toolbox.

3. Study process description

The course has 16 weeks of classes, followed by an examination period.

Each week there is a lecture. Lectures are held in Teams and recordings are available in Teams. 

After some topics there is a self-assessment quiz or student quiz in the moodle. 

Practices start on study week 2. There are 8 practices.

Project topic is selected on study week 10. Consultation times are at lab times. Project presentation is done on study week 15 or 16.

Details are included in the description of a study week.

4. Requirements for completing the course

Assessment preconditions: both individual work in labs and presentation of final project. Each lab is graded by max 5 points, presentation is graded by pass/fail.

Assessment: exam (written, open-book).

Final grade:

  • Open book exam - 50%:
    • 10 multiple choice questions - 40%
    • 2 detailed questions - 60%
  • Practical work - 50%: 
    • 4 self-assessment quizzes - 10%
    • 4 student quizzes - 10%
    • 8 lab reports - 40%
    • 1 final project - 40%

5. Evaluation principles and criteria

Total grade 100 points consists of exam grade (50%) and sum of practical work grades (50%).

Students are allowed to take the exam when all practical work is completed.
Final Grade Total Points
„excellent“ (5) 91...100
„very good“ (4)
81...90
„good“ (3) 71...80
„satisfactory“ (2) 61...70
 „sufficient“ (1) 51...60
  „fail“ (0)  50 and below


6. Feedback principles

Written feedback is given to the lab reports.
During the course project preparation it is possible to consult for oral feedback on the lab times or via e-mail.
Oral feedback is given to the project presentation.
Self-assessment Quizzes provide automatic numerical feedback.

7. Action Plan / Schedule

Study week Sections Lecture topic
 Tasks in moodle  Practice Learning outcome #
1 Part I. 4G/5G and beyond communication systems

Lecture 1: Introduction: Wireless Evolution and Current State of Play


Self-assessment Quiz 1
 all
2
 Lecture 2: 5G Air Interface
   Lab 1: Resource grid of 5G cellular radio access network of new radio (NR)
 3
3 Lecture 3: 5G NR Physical Resource
 Student Quiz 1
 Lab 2: 5G NR DL control signals, synchronization signals
 3
4 Lecture 4: 5G NR channels and signals
Lab 3: 5G NR channels and signals in DL
 3
5 Lecture 5: 5G NR channels and signals (continued)
 Self-assessment Quiz 2 Lab 4: 5G NR DCI
 3
6  
 Lecture 6: 5G Handover and Mobility Management
Lab 5: Data and signal processing on physical layer of 5G-NR
 3
7 Part II: Core network Lecture 7: 3GPP 5G Standard Overview, 5G Core network   Student Quiz 2 Lab 6: 5G NR channels and signals in UL
 1, 2, 3
8 Lecture 8: 5G Core (continued), network slicing
  
 Lab 7: Connect Quectel UE to academic 5G network in Taltech
 2, 3, 4
9 Lecture 9: Internet of Things - Communication technologies
  Self-assessment Quiz 3
 Lab 8:

Broadband internet via 5G network in Taltech using Quectel UE


 3
10 Part III Advanced topics Lecture 10: 5G and IoT, mobile postioning
   Project topic selection 3, 4
11
Lecture 11: Mobile Positioning
 Student Quiz 3
 Project consultations 3, 4
12 Lecture 12: Radio Access Techniques
  
 Project consultations 3, 4
13 Lecture 13: Open RAN and Interfaces
  Self-assessment Quiz 4
 Project consultations 3, 4
14 Lecture 14: MIMO, Cooperative Communications
   Project consultations
 3, 4
15 Lecture 15: Cooperative communication (continued), Device to device communications
  Student Quiz 4
 Project topic presentation
 3, 4
16 Mock exam
   Project topic presentation (reserve)
 all

8. Recommendations for successful completion of the course

There are activities each week. Try to accomplish them on schedule.

If quizzes exist, plan extra time. Lab reports are due one day before next lab.

9. Course literature

Study book of 5G:

Recommended book for catchup of basic cellular communication topics: