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Telecommunications Networks

Code: 102699 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Telecommunication Systems Engineering OB 3

Contact

Name:
Josep Xavier Salvat Lozano
Email:
josepxavier.salvat@uab.cat

Teachers

(External) Josep Xavier Salvat
(External) Pere Camps

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

To follow the “Telecommunication Networks” course with guarantees, the students must have taken and passed the following courses:

  • Statistics
  • Foundations of Networks

 


Objectives and Contextualisation

The aim of the course is to understand the technological evolution and the architecture of telecommunication networks, as well as the problems that arise and the solutions that exist in the process of designing and exploiting them. Therefore, once the course is over, students must be able to:

  • Know the taxonomy, technological evolution and architecture of telecommunication networks
  • Know the mathematical tools that allow to model the operation of a system and how to apply them to the dimensioning of a telecommunication network
  • Describe the requirements of a telecommunication network regarding the quality of service and know the techniques used to implement it
  • Describe the problem of network congestion and know the operating principles of the mechanisms that exist to solve it
  • Describe the need of network interconnection and know the operation of the protocols that are used on the Internet
  • Describe the concept of network control and management, and know the operation of the protocols that are used on the Internet

Competences

  • Apply the necessary legislation in the exercise of the telecommunications engineer's profession and use the compulsory specifications, regulations and standards.
  • Communication
  • Design and dimension multiuser communication systems using the principles of communication theory under the restrictions imposed by the specifications and the need to provide a quality service.
  • Develop ethics and professionalism.
  • Develop personal attitude.
  • Develop personal work habits.
  • Develop thinking habits.
  • Direct the activities object of the projects in the field of telecommunication.
  • Draft, develop and sign projects in the field of telecommunications engineering that, depending on the speciality, are aimed at the conception, development or exploitation of telecommunication and electronic networks, services and applications.
  • Learn new methods and technologies, building on basic technological knowledge, to be able to adapt to new situations.
  • Perform measurements, calculations, estimations, valuations, analyses, studies, reports, task-scheduling and other similar work in the field of telecommunication systems.
  • Resolve problems with initiative and creativity. Make decisions. Communicate and transmit knowledge, skills and abilities, in awareness of the ethical and professional responsibilities involved in a telecommunications engineer's work.
  • Work in a team.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Adapt to multidisciplinary environments.
  2. Apply the techniques in networks, services, processes and telecom applications in both fixed and mobile environments, personal, local or long distance with different band widths, including telephony, radio, television and data are based from the point of view transmission systems.
  3. Assume and respect the role of the different members of a team, as well as the different levels of dependency in the team.
  4. Carry out management activities for the design and dimensioning of telecommunications networks considering classical and new generation methods.
  5. Communicate efficiently, orally and in writing, knowledge, results and skills, both professionally and to non-expert audiences.
  6. Construct, operate and manage networks, services, processes and telecom applications, understood these as systems of recruitment, transportation, representation, processing, storage, management and presentation of multimedia information, from the point of view of the transmission systems.
  7. Critically evaluate the work done.
  8. Develop critical thinking and reasoning.
  9. Develop curiosity and creativity.
  10. Develop independent learning strategies.
  11. Develop scientific thinking.
  12. Develop the capacity for analysis and synthesis.
  13. Differentiate and classify the main algorithms dimensioning, traffic control and congestion.
  14. Differentiate and understand the significance of measurements and assessments of telecommunications networks to Formenta and ensure their optimal design.
  15. Discuss and apply cryptography systems aimed at improving the safety of a telecommunication network.
  16. Distinguish the different nature of the problems of dimensioning and routing for each of the different types of networks and make decisions and initiatives to improve the operation and provision of telecommunications networks.
  17. Efficiently use ICT for the communication and transmission of ideas and results.
  18. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different conceptual and technological options for different telecommunication applications.
  19. Manage available time and resources.
  20. Manage networks, services, processes and telecom applications according to the laws and regulations both domestically and internationally.
  21. Respect diversity in ideas, people and situations.
  22. Use communication and computer applications (office automation, databases, advanced calculation, project management, display, etc.) to support the development and exploitation of telecommunication and electronic networks, services and applications.
  23. Work autonomously.
  24. Work cooperatively.

Content

PART I

I.1 Telecommunication Network Review

  • Architecture of telecommunication networks: layer model, network edge, access and backbone networks
  • Packet & Circuit Switching
  • Basic IP Concepts: Packets, Routing, Packet Sizes, ARP, DHCP
  • Evolution of the Internet infrastructure and architecture

I.2. Local Area Networks (LAN)

  • Ethernet (IEEE 802.3): Physical layer, evolution, switching, frame format, collision & broadcast domains
  • Loop Protection: Spanning Tree Protocol (STP, IEEE 802.1d), Rapid STP (RSTP, 802.1w)
  • Link Aggregation: LAG/LACP (IEEE 802.3ad)
  • Virtual Networks: VLANs (IEEE 802.1q), CoS (802.1p), QinQ (802.1ad)
  • MLAG and Related Protocols (MC-LAG, vPC, etc.)
  • VXLAN (RFC 7348): Overlay networks, encapsulation format, use cases in data centers
  • Data Center Networking Architectures: Spine-leaf, Clos fabric, oversubscription

I.2b. Wireless LANs (Wi-Fi)

  • Wi-Fi Overview: IEEE 802.11 family, frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz)
  • Modulation and Physical Layer: OFDM, QAM, MIMO
  • Wi-Fi Network Topologies: BSS, ESS, Roaming.
  • MAC Layer Behavior: CSMA/CA, RTS/CTS, collision avoidance.
  • Wi-Fi Standards Evolution: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E)
  • Performance Characteristics: Bandwidth, latency, coverage, interference.
  • Security and Management: WPA/WPA2/WPA3, authentication.
  • Use Cases and Design Considerations: Dense deployments, enterprise, mesh Wi-Fi.

I.3. Access and Transport Networks

  • Architecture of access networks and role in the Internet
  • DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): ADSL, VDSL, signal modulation (DMT/OFDM), vectoring, crosstalk, PPPoE
  • HFC (Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial): DOCSIS evolution, shared bandwidth model, coaxial properties
  • PON (PassiveOptical Network): GPON, XG/XGS-PON, splitters, upstream/downstreamoperation, T-CONTs, ONU registration process. Optical transmission, wavelength bands, single-mode vs multi-mode fiber

I.4. Interconnection of Networks on the Internet

  • Principles of network interconnection: Stub, transit, multi-homed
  • Autonomous Systems (AS), Internet resource management (IP, ASN, RIRs)
  • Routing algorithms: Bellman-Ford, Dijkstra
  • Interior Gateway Protocols (IGPs): OSPF, IS-IS, RIP
  • Exterior Gateway Protocol: BGP (eBGP/iBGP), route attributes, AS path, peering & policies

I.5. Internet Capacity and Service Quality

  • Key metrics: Bandwidth, delay, jitter, packet loss
  • Network capacity and overprovisioning
  • Buffers: Size estimation (BDP), statistical multiplexing, bufferbloat
  • Quality of Service (QoS): Queuing strategies (PQ, WFQ, LLQ), mouse vs elephant flows
  • Integrated Services (IntServ) and Differentiated Services (DiffServ) models

I.6. Transport Protocols

  • UDP: Lightweight, unreliable delivery
  • TCP: Reliable delivery, flow control (sliding window), congestion control (Reno, Cubic, BBR)
  • TCP Congestion Control Algorithms: Slow Start, Fast Recovery, BBR probing model
  • QUIC / HTTP/3: Multiplexed connections over UDP, encryption and congestion control

I.7. Networking “Truths”

  • RFC 1925: Fundamental truths of networking

PART II

II.1. Modeling systems using queuing theory

  • General concepts: traffic, servers, queues, and service discipline
  • Traffic characterization: exponential distribution, Poisson processes and Markov chains (discrete and continuous)
  • Basic parameters and Kendall notation: number of servers, queue size, queue discipline, inter-arrival rate and time, service rate and time, response and waiting time, average server and queue occupancy, deadlock/wait/loss probability
  • Little's law: performance, utilization and stability conditions

II.2. Dimensioning of telecommunication networks

  • Introduction and requirements of network dimensioning: grade of service
  • Sizing of a packet switching node: M/M/1 and M/M/m models
  • Dimensioning of a fixed telephone network: M/M/c/c model (Erlang B, losses)
  • Dimensioning of a cellular network: M/M/c/inf model (Erlang C, delays)

LABORATORIES

  • Session 1: Local Area Networks (Ethernet: VLAN + LAG)
  • Session 2: Internet Network Interconnection I (OSPF)
  • Session 3: Internet Network Interconnection II (BGP)
  • Session 4: Access and transport networks (GPON + VXLAN)

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Prąctiques de laboratori 12 0.48 2, 18, 5, 6, 11, 10, 12, 9, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 4, 20, 23, 22
Theory lectures 26 1.04 2, 18, 6, 11, 12, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 4, 20, 22
Type: Supervised      
Resolució de problemes 12 0.48 1, 2, 3, 7, 18, 5, 6, 12, 9, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 4, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, 22
Tutories 2 0.08 1, 7, 5, 11, 10, 12, 9, 8, 19, 21, 23
Type: Autonomous      
Individual work of the student: practices preparation 18 0.72 1, 2, 3, 7, 18, 5, 6, 11, 10, 12, 9, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 4, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, 23, 22
Individual work of the student: study and exercices resolution 70 2.8 2, 7, 18, 5, 6, 11, 10, 12, 9, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 4, 17, 19, 20, 23, 22

Directed activities:

  • Theory classes: delivery of theoretical contents
  • Practical classes: solving questions and problems related to theory classes
  • Laboratory classes: development of a challenge related to a course topic using hardware or simulators

Autonomous activities:

  • Individual study of the subject: preparation of block diagrams, summaries and answering to questionnaires
  • Problem solving: complement to the individual study and work prior to the practical classes

Supervised activities:

  • Individual or group tutoring: aimed at resolving questions, advising on the development of the course, or attending to other specific issues

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exams 70% 6 0.24 2, 5, 6, 11, 10, 12, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 23
Laboratory 30% 4 0.16 1, 2, 3, 7, 18, 5, 6, 11, 12, 9, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 4, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, 22

Course Evaluation

The evaluation of the course will be based on the following activities:

  • Exams. Two midterm exams will be conducted during the course. Each midterm will fully assess PART I (EX_PART_I) and PART II (EX_PART_II), respectively. Along with the second midterm, there will be a laboratory evaluation test (EX_PR). The final exam will allow students to recover the grades of the two midterms (EX_PART_I, EX_PART_II) and the laboratory test (EX_PR) independently.
  • Lab Work. Four lab assignments will be completed, and the grade for this component will be calculated as the average of the grades obtained in each of the reports (M_PR_1, M_PR_2, M_PR_3, M_PR_4), weighted with the lab evaluation test grade. The lab grade will be calculated as: NPR = 0.6 * ((1/4) * (M_PR_1 + M_PR_2 + M_PR_3 + M_PR_4)) + 0.4 * EX_PR. If a report is not submitted, the grade for that assignment will be zero (0).

The final grade for the course is calculated by taking into account the grades obtained in the exams (EX) and the lab work (PR), as: NFA = 0.45 * EX_PART_I + 0.25 * EX_PART_II + 0.3 * NPR

Minimum Grade Requirement

  • To be eligible for the final grade calculation, the student must obtain a minimum score of 4 out of 10 in each of the components. That is, the student must achieve at least a 4 in the PART I exam, the PART II exam, each of the lab reports, and the lab evaluation test. If any of these components receive a grade below 4, the final grade for the course will automatically be 0, regardless of the weighted average of the remaining components. This criterion aims to ensure a minimum level of proficiency in all key aspects of the evaluation, avoiding significant imbalances in student performance.

Late Submissions

  • Submissions outside the established deadlines will not be accepted unless previously requested and properly justified (e.g., medical, work-related). For late submissions without proper justification, a penalty of 1 point per day of delay will be applied to the activity’s grade.

Cheating and Plagiarism

  • Without prejudice to other disciplinary actions deemed appropriate and in accordance with current academic regulations, any irregularities committed by the student that could lead to a variation in the evaluation result will be graded with a zero (0). Therefore, copying or allowing others to copy any evaluation activity, including lab work and assignments, will result in an automatic zero (0) for that activity. Evaluation activities graded this way cannot be retaken, and as a result, the course will be failed outright, with no chance of recovery during the same academic year.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

  • The use of generative AI tools to produce assignments, exercises, essays, reports, or other evaluable activities is strictly prohibited, unless explicitly authorized by the instructor. Any unauthorized use of generative AI tools in the creation of deliverables will result in an automatic loss of 3 points from the final grade of the work or activity in question. All course deliverables will be checked for AI-generated content using the following tool:
    • Turnitin
  • Students are encouraged to develop their own analytical, writing, and critical thinking skills. The use of AI as a support tool may be permitted in exploratory phases or for technical assistance.

Not Graded ("No evaluable")

  • The grade of “Not Graded” (No evaluable) can only be awarded if the student does not attend any of the written knowledge assessments, i.e., midterms and final exam, regardless of participation in lab work or other activities.

Bibliography

PART I

  • A. Tanenbaum, D. Wetherall. Computer Networks. Prentice Hall. 2011.
  • W. Stallings. Data and Computers Communications. Pearson Education. 2014.
  • Peterson & Davie. Computer Networks: A Systems Approach. Prentice Hall. 2014.
  • Kurose & Ross: Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach. Prentice Hall. 2014.

PART II

  • Bertsekas, Dimitri, and Robert Gallager. Data networks. Athena Scientific. 2021.
  • M. Harchol-Balter. Performance Modeling and Design of Computer Systems: Queueing Theory in Action. Cambridge University Press. 2013.
  • J. F. Shortle, J.M. Thompson, D. Gross and C. M. Harris. Fundamentals of Queueing Theory. Wiley. 2018.

Software

Different software compatible with Windows, Linux and Macintosh will be used in the laboratories (i.e., Wireshark).


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 331 English second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 332 English second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 331 English second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 332 English second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 333 English second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 330 English second semester morning-mixed