Skip to content
5G/6G Academy
TELCOMA 5G RAN Specialist

5G RAN Specialist

Decode the NR air interface, run a handover in your head, and dimension a real 5G RAN — from the resource grid and massive MIMO to CU/DU/RU splits, Open RAN, and KPIs.

Watch the free lessonJoin for free
31 lessons≈3.4h of video7 modulesEarns TELCOMA 5G RAN Specialist

What you'll learn

  • Read the NR resource grid — from the radio picture you know to the time-frequency grid and how TDD shares it.
  • Follow a UE from cell search through the access handshake and channels to a packet down the stack.
  • Explain how antennas became 5G's biggest lever.
  • Justify a CU/DU/RU design and its transport budget.
  • Map the O-RAN architecture and assess it like an operator.
  • Run a handover in your head, and know how 5G keeps a moving phone connected and reachable.
  • Dimension and judge a real 5G RAN — turn coverage, capacity and quality into numbers.

Prefer to read? The same ground is covered in writing in 5G Radio Access Network (Level 3).

Module 8 — NR Air Interface I: Structure

5 lessons · 1 lab · ≈33 min

Read the NR resource grid — from the radio picture you know to the time-frequency grid and how TDD shares it.

  1. 1
    From the radio picture to the radio grid — a bridgeWatch free
    7:42
  2. 2
    Numerologies & subcarrier spacing — why flexibility winsFree with an account
    8:09
  3. 3
    Frames, slots and the resource gridFree with an account
    7:38
  4. 4
    Bandwidth parts — the radio's gearboxFree with an account
    6:28
  5. 5
    TDD patterns in the real worldFree with an account
    6:55
  6. The Numerology DialInteractive Lab

    Turn one dial (µ) to watch NR subcarrier spacing, slot length, and symbol duration flex, then pick the right numerology for three real cells.

    ~5 min
  7. Try it5G Numerology Planner

Module 9 — NR Air Interface II: Access, Channels & the Stack

6 lessons · 1 lab · ≈39 min

Follow a UE from cell search through the access handshake and channels to a packet down the stack.

  1. 1
    SSB: how a phone finds a cellRequires subscription
    6:46
  2. 2
    Random access: the four-step RACH handshakeRequires subscription
    6:50
  3. 3
    The channel map: PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH, PUSCH — where control and data rideRequires subscription
    6:50
  4. 4
    Link adaptation & HARQ in actionRequires subscription
    7:18
  5. 5
    Reference signals: DMRS, CSI-RS, SRSRequires subscription
    7:02
  6. 6
    The NR protocol stack: MAC, RLC, PDCP, SDAP — one packet's journeyRequires subscription
    6:59
  7. Order the RACH HandshakeInteractive Lab

    Assemble the four-step contention-based random-access handshake in order on a live message sequence chart.

    ~4 min
  8. Try itCell Search ProcedurePRACH Config Index Lookup5G Random Access SimulatorDMRS Pattern VisualizerCSI-RS Configuration

Module 10 — Massive MIMO & Beamforming

4 lessons · 1 lab · ≈26 min

Explain how antennas became 5G's biggest lever.

  1. 1
    Antenna arrays — where the gain comes fromRequires subscription
    5:48
  2. 2
    Digital, analog, hybrid beamformingRequires subscription
    6:51
  3. 3
    Beam management: sweep, refine, trackRequires subscription
    5:55
  4. 4
    MU-MIMO: many users, same resourcesRequires subscription
    6:36
  5. Lock the BeamInteractive Lab

    Aim a massive-MIMO beam onto a moving phone — sweep, refine, then track the narrow beam as the user walks.

    ~5 min
  6. Try itSSB Beam Planner

Module 11 — RAN Architecture & Splits

4 lessons · 1 lab · ≈26 min

Justify a CU/DU/RU design and its transport budget.

  1. 1
    The disaggregated gNB: CU, DU and RU — and where the split sitsRequires subscription
    6:50
  2. 2
    F1, E1 and Xn — wiring the split gNB togetherRequires subscription
    5:29
  3. 3
    Fronthaul: eCPRI and the latency budgetRequires subscription
    6:03
  4. 4
    vRAN: the RAN becomes softwareRequires subscription
    6:32
  5. Split the StackInteractive Lab

    Send each protocol-stack function to its unit in a disaggregated gNB, then see the two cuts and the fronthaul trade they create.

    ~4 min

Module 12 — Open RAN

4 lessons · 1 lab · ≈26 min

Map the O-RAN architecture and assess it like an operator.

  1. 1
    The case for open interfacesRequires subscription
    5:07
  2. 2
    The O-RAN architecture mapRequires subscription
    6:12
  3. 3
    The RIC, xApps and rApps — the two control loops behind RAN intelligenceRequires subscription
    6:10
  4. 4
    Open RAN in the field: open fronthaul and the deployment scorecardRequires subscription
    6:09
  5. Wire the O-RAN FabricInteractive Lab

    Match each open interface (A1, E2, O1, O2, Open Fronthaul 7.2x) to the two boxes it joins, then sort two control apps into their RIC loops.

    ~5 min

Module 13 — Mobility & Radio Procedures

4 lessons · 1 lab · ≈26 min

Run a handover in your head, and know how 5G keeps a moving phone connected and reachable.

  1. 1
    Measurements & events: A3, hysteresis, time-to-triggerRequires subscription
    6:20
  2. 2
    Handover, step by step: Xn and the N2 variantRequires subscription
    6:21
  3. 3
    Carrier aggregation & dual connectivity — and EN-DC with 4GRequires subscription
    6:06
  4. 4
    Paging, DRX and battery lifeRequires subscription
    6:21
  5. Tune the A3 HandoverInteractive Lab

    Tune A3 Offset, Hysteresis, and Time-to-Trigger so a rising neighbour hands over cleanly — no ping-pong, no dropped call.

    ~5 min

Module 14 — RAN Planning & Performance

4 lessons · 1 lab · ≈26 min

Dimension and judge a real 5G RAN — turn coverage, capacity and quality into numbers.

  1. 1
    KPIs that matter: RSRP, RSRQ, SINR — accessibility, retainability, energyRequires subscription
    5:43
  2. 2
    Link budgets & coverage planningRequires subscription
    7:11
  3. 3
    Capacity dimensioningRequires subscription
    7:04
  4. 4
    Private 5G RAN — spectrum, architecture and planningRequires subscription
    7:02
  5. Read the CellInteractive Lab

    Match five RAN KPIs to what each truly measures and its unit, then diagnose whether a cell is coverage- or interference-limited.

    ~4 min
  6. Try itLink Budget CalculatorPCI Planning Tool

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 RAN Specialist — a QR-verifiable certificate.

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

Study materials

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

  • Study HandbookPDF75 KB
  • Slide DeckPPTX14 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
RACH Failure — Debugging Preamble / Msg1–Msg4
Intermediate20 min
Config
PRACH Configuration — Rural Macro Cell
Advanced30 min
Packet trace
5G Xn-based Handover — Why Did It Fail?
Advanced25 min
Sandbox
Trigger an Xn Handover
Intermediate25 min
Packet trace
N2 (Inter-AMF) Handover Failure — What Went Wrong?
Advanced30 min
Log debug
Intermittent Handover Failures — Statistical Analysis
Advanced40 min
Config
PCI Planning — Metropolitan Tech Corridor
Intermediate25 min
Log debug
NR Dropped Calls — gNB Log Investigation
Intermediate30 min
Config
NSSAI Design — BMW Munich Private 5G
Intermediate25 min

See all hands-on scenarios

7-day money-back guarantee

Unlock every lesson in 5G RAN Specialist

Stream all 31 lessons, follow the 7-module path, and earn the TELCOMA 5G RAN Specialist certificate.

  • Every module unlocked
  • Labs & full-length practice exams
  • Verifiable certificate
  • TELCOMA since 2009
See Pro plans Or watch a free lesson — no signup