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TELCOMA 5G Foundation

5G Foundation

Place 5G in the real world and draw the whole system from memory — architecture, SBA, radio, and the power-on-to-first-packet journey. No prior telecom knowledge assumed.

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34 lessons≈3.3h of video7 modulesEarns TELCOMA 5G Foundation

What you'll learn

  • Place 5G in the real world — what it changes, for whom, and who defines it.
  • Command the vocabulary 5G builds on.
  • Draw the whole 5G system from memory — domains, functions, interfaces.
  • Explain why the 5G core is an API platform, function by function.
  • Read a 5G spectrum chart and explain the radio trade-offs behind it.
  • Narrate the journey from power-on to first packet.
  • Integrate everything into one mental model and certify it.

Prefer to read? The same ground is covered in writing in 5G Fundamentals (Level 2).

Module 1 — The 5G Big Picture

4 lessons · 1 lab · ≈24 min

Place 5G in the real world — what it changes, for whom, and who defines it.

  1. 1
    What 5G actually changes — the 60-second network tourWatch free
    4:48
  2. 2
    The use-case triangle: eMBB, URLLC, mMTC — and what shippedFree with an account
    6:07
  3. 3
    Who makes the rules: 3GPP, ITU, GSMA, O-RAN AllianceFree with an account
    5:03
  4. 4
    How to study this course (15 min/day method) + your first Signal CheckFree with an account
    4:56
  5. Match the Use Case to Its SliceInteractive Lab

    Place six real-world workloads onto the eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC corners of the 5G service triangle.

    ~4 min

Module 2 — Cellular Foundations

5 lessons · 1 lab · ≈33 min

Command the vocabulary 5G builds on.

  1. 1
    Cells, sectors and frequency reuseRequires subscription
    4:46
  2. 2
    Spectrum: bands, licensing, FDD vs TDDRequires subscription
    6:02
  3. 3
    1G → 4G: what each generation solvedRequires subscription
    5:34
  4. 4
    LTE & EPC in one diagram — the platform 5G extendsRequires subscription
    4:45
  5. 5
    The four limits 5G had to breakRequires subscription
    4:43
  6. Frequency or Time?Interactive Lab

    Play RF planner across five real cells, deciding whether each band should split by frequency (FDD) or by time (TDD).

    ~5 min

Module 3 — 5G System Architecture

5 lessons · 1 lab · ≈33 min

Draw the whole 5G system from memory — domains, functions, interfaces.

  1. 1
    The three domains: RAN, Core, Data NetworkRequires subscription
    4:31
  2. 2
    NSA vs SA — EN-DC and the deployment options that shippedRequires subscription
    5:09
  3. 3
    Inside the RAN: the gNBRequires subscription
    4:45
  4. 4
    Core network functions — a guided tourRequires subscription
    4:21
  5. 5
    Interfaces & reference points: N1–N6, N9, XnRequires subscription
    4:33
  6. Build the 5G NetworkInteractive Lab

    Sort every network element into RAN, 5G Core, or Data Network, with wrong drops teaching why each piece belongs where it does.

    ~4 min

Module 4 — Service-Based Architecture

6 lessons · 1 lab · ≈39 min

Explain why the 5G core is an API platform, function by function.

  1. 1
    From boxes to services: SBA in one diagramRequires subscription
    4:40
  2. 2
    SBI mechanics: HTTP/2, JSON and the NRFRequires subscription
    4:34
  3. 3
    Mobility & session control: AMF and SMFRequires subscription
    5:34
  4. 4
    Subscriber, policy & exposure: AUSF, UDM, PCF, NSSF, NEFRequires subscription
    6:15
  5. 5
    CUPS and the UPF — the user-plane workhorseRequires subscription
    6:18
  6. 6
    Cloud-native by design — why it matters operationallyRequires subscription
    6:45
  7. Register the CoreInteractive Lab

    Match each 5G Core network function to its one-line job by filling the live NRF directory.

    ~5 min
  8. Try it5G SBA ArchitectureCUPS Architecture

Module 5 — Radio & Spectrum Fundamentals

5 lessons · 1 lab · ≈33 min

Read a 5G spectrum chart and explain the radio trade-offs behind it.

  1. 1
    FR1 and FR2: real-world spectrum strategyRequires subscription
    6:49
  2. 2
    OFDM, intuitively — subcarriers without the mathRequires subscription
    6:29
  3. 3
    Modulation & coding: QAM, MCS, HARQRequires subscription
    6:08
  4. 4
    MIMO & beamforming — first passRequires subscription
    6:40
  5. 5
    Coverage vs capacity: the eternal trade-offRequires subscription
    7:02
  6. Ride the Link: SINR to ModulationInteractive Lab

    Drag the SINR dial through four real cell scenarios and land each link on the densest modulation its signal can actually carry.

    ~5 min
  7. Try it5G NR Frequency Explorer5G NR Band Reference

Module 6 — Connecting to the Network

5 lessons · 1 lab · ≈33 min

Narrate the journey from power-on to first packet.

  1. 1
    Identities: SUPI, SUCI, 5G-GUTI — privacy by designRequires subscription
    6:41
  2. 2
    RRC states: idle, inactive, connectedRequires subscription
    6:32
  3. 3
    Registration, step by stepRequires subscription
    6:34
  4. 4
    PDU sessions & QoS flows — your data's contractRequires subscription
    6:01
  5. 5
    What happens when you load a page — the end-to-end journeyRequires subscription
    6:22
  6. Register the PhoneInteractive Lab

    Order the six 5G registration steps in the only sequence that works, and see why identity stays concealed until data can flow.

    ~4 min
  7. Try itSUPI / SUCI Analyzer5G Auth Flow Visualizer5QI Reference Lookup

Module 7 — Foundation Consolidation

4 lessons · 1 lab · ≈26 min

Integrate everything into one mental model and certify it.

  1. 1
    Network slicing — first lookRequires subscription
    7:10
  2. 2
    5G myths vs measured realityRequires subscription
    7:10
  3. 3
    The full-system recap: the big diagram, rebuilt liveRequires subscription
    6:46
  4. 4
    Exam technique + what Certificate 2 unlocksRequires subscription
    6:32
  5. Trace the DownlinkInteractive Lab

    Tap the downlink packet's path from the Internet to the phone, then spot the control-plane brains that only set it up.

    ~4 min

New to the terminology? Look up any acronym in the telecom glossary.

Take the certification exam

Earns a certificate

49 questions · 60 min · 65% to pass. Score 65%+ to earn your TELCOMA Certified 5G Foundation — a QR-verifiable certificate.

Not ready yet? Take a free 20-question mock exam first.

Study materials

Download the 5G Foundation handbook and slide deck to study offline and review before the exam.

  • Study HandbookPDF84 KB
  • Slide DeckPPTX19 MB

Hands-on labs in this course

Apply each concept the moment you learn it — inspect real traces, debug configs and logs, and run a live 5G core.

Packet trace
SUCI / SUPI Privacy — Tracing Subscriber Privacy in 5G
Intermediate20 min
Sandbox
Your First 5G UE Registration
Beginner20 min
Packet trace
5G Registration Failure — Metropolitan Region
Intermediate15 min
Sandbox
Establishing a PDU Session
Intermediate25 min
Packet trace
5G PDU Session — Find the QoS Flow Setup Failure
Intermediate20 min
Sandbox
Break the Core: What Happens When the UPF Dies
Advanced30 min
Packet trace
Network Slicing End-to-End — Trace a Slice Selection
Advanced35 min
Config
NSSAI Design — BMW Munich Private 5G
Intermediate25 min

See all hands-on scenarios

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Unlock every lesson in 5G Foundation

Stream all 34 lessons, follow the 7-module path, and earn the TELCOMA 5G Foundation certificate.

  • Every module unlocked
  • Labs & full-length practice exams
  • Verifiable certificate
  • TELCOMA since 2009
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