Blog — 5G, AI & Telecom Insights

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 11: Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS) and Why It Matters for 5G

CUPS control user plane separation is a precisely defined 3GPP concept — Release 14’s TS 23.214 for its original 4G/EPC application, using the PFCP (Packet Forwarding Control Protocol, TS 29.244)…[...]

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 10: The Key 5G Core Network Functions — AMF, SMF, and UPF, and How They Divide Labor

AMF SMF UPF 5G Core functions are formally defined in 3GPP TS 23.501, Section 6.2, with precise responsibility boundaries — and understanding exactly where LTE’s EPC functions were split apart…[...]

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 9: 5G Core Architecture — Service-Based Architecture (SBA) Explained

5G Core Service-Based Architecture is formally specified in 3GPP TS 23.501 (architecture) and TS 23.502 (procedures), using a concrete HTTP/2 and OpenAPI-based framework called the Service-Based Interface (SBI) — a…[...]

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 8: 5G NR Initial Access — Cell Search, SSB, and Random Access in NR

5G NR initial access SSB procedures are governed by 3GPP TS 38.213 and TS 38.211, and the mechanism is meaningfully redesigned from LTE’s PSS/SSS/MIB model — partly to support beamformed…[...]

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 7: Massive MIMO and Beamforming — How 5G Gets More Capacity From the Same Spectrum

Massive MIMO beamforming 5G implementations rely on standardized reference signal feedback — principally CSI-RS, defined in 3GPP TS 38.211, Section 7.4.1.5 — to let a base station learn each device’s…[...]

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 6: 5G NR Frame Structure and Slot-Based Scheduling

5G NR slot scheduling is defined across 3GPP TS 38.211 and TS 38.213, and it’s the layer where Module 1’s 1ms URLLC latency target actually gets implemented in concrete scheduling…[...]

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 5: 5G RAN Architecture — gNB and the CU/DU/RU Split Explained

The 5G CU DU RU split isn’t a single fixed architecture — 3GPP TR 38.801 defines eight distinct functional split options between these components, each cutting the radio protocol stack…[...]

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 4: New Radio (NR) Numerology — Flexible Subcarrier Spacing and Why LTE’s Fixed 15kHz Had to Go

5G NR numerology is defined precisely in 3GPP TS 38.211, Section 4.2, as a scaling parameter μ that determines subcarrier spacing, symbol duration, and cyclic prefix — and unlike LTE’s…[...]

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 3: 5G Deployment Options — NSA vs. SA Explained

5G NSA vs SA isn’t just industry jargon for “early” versus “mature” 5G — 3GPP formally defined multiple specific deployment architectures in TS 37.340 and TS 23.501, each with a…[...]

BY Ezzat Abowarda August 10, 2026

Introduction to 5G — Module 2: The 5G Spectrum Story — FR1, FR2, and mmWave

5G spectrum FR1 FR2 designations aren’t informal shorthand — they’re precise 3GPP frequency range definitions in TS 38.104, each governing a completely different set of physical propagation behavior, and each…[...]

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