Module Directory

This module examines the architectural paradigms, emerging network forms, and protocol mechanisms that will define next-generation wireless systems, including 6G and integrated non-terrestrial networks (NTN). Students will explore how disaggregation, cloud-native RAN and core designs, Open RAN frameworks, and the development of 6G standards are reshaping network infrastructure to support demanding future services.

The curriculum covers emerging physical and logical network architectures, such as cell-free massive MIMO, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), and LEO/MEO satellite constellations, private and industrial networks, and terahertz (THz) communication links, alongside the protocol innovations required to operate them. These include scalable physical and MAC-layernumerologies, grant-free and non-orthogonal multiple access schemes, low-latency hybrid ARQ mechanisms, sidelink and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) protocols, and end-to-end network slicing with differentiated quality-of-service frameworks.

Throughout, the module situates technical developments within standardization processes, interoperability challenges, and the evolving 6G roadmap. Practical laboratory sessions enable hands-on engagement with these concepts, allowing students to evaluate protocol and architecture trade-offs using open-source platforms.

The aim of this module is:

• To equip students with a clear understanding of contemporary and near-term wireless network forms, the architectural patterns that support them, and the protocol mechanisms that deliver service requirements (latency, reliability, scale). The module emphasises standardisation context (3GPP/O-RAN), practical evaluation of protocol trade-offs, and the ability to reason about how emerging technologies (NTN, RIS, THz, cell-free MIMO) reshape architecture and protocol design

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Analyse contemporary and emerging wireless networks to show how their architectures and protocols enable efficient communication.


2. Analyse wireless protocols and assess their impact on latency, reliability, and scalability.


3. Evaluate the integration of Non-Terrestrial Networks with terrestrial systems, including link characteristics, protocol adaptations, and standardisation considerations.


4. Apply emulators and simulators to prototype protocols and architecture to determine protocol-level KPIs.


5. Critically appraise standardisation progress and research directions for B5G/6G wireless networks and identify deployment issues and  research opportunities.

Outline Syllabus

• Evolution of wireless networks from cellular systems to heterogeneous, integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication networks, and the performance drivers shaping their design.


• Reference architectures for modern wireless systems, including RAN–core separation, control and user plane split, and functional decomposition across the protocol stack.


• Radio access network architectures: traditional RAN, centralised and virtualised RAN, and disaggregated RU/DU/CU architectures, with associated design trade-offs.


• Cloud-native/ and edge-enabled wireless architectures, including virtualisation, containerisation, and mobile edge computing, and their impact on latency, scalability, and reliability.


• Open and programmable wireless architectures, including Open RAN concepts, interfaces, and control loops, and their implications for protocol design and network flexibility.


• Physical and MAC layer protocol foundations, including framing, numerology, scheduling principles, and retransmission mechanisms in modern wireless systems.


• Protocol techniques for low-latency and high-reliability communications, including flexible transmission intervals, pre-emption, grant-free access, and enhanced HARQ schemes.


• Multiple access and resource sharing mechanisms, including orthogonal and non-orthogonal approaches, and their role in supporting diverse traffic and service requirements.


• Non-terrestrial networks, including satellite and aerial platforms, their architectural integration with terrestrial systems, and required adaptations at the protocol level.


• Emerging wireless paradigms towards B5G/6G, including cell-free architectures, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and integrated sensing and communication from an architectural and protocol perspective.


• Wireless standardisation and future directions, including the roles of 3GPP, ITU-R, and O-RAN Alliance, and open research challenges in next-generation wireless networks.

This module will be delivered via:

• Two hours weekly lecture
• Two hours weekly practical lab sessions