LTE-Advanced and our journey to 5G

 An Open Lecture by Andy Sutton, Principal Network Architect at EE

GRACE is involved with many technologies that we believe have broader interest both within the University and for local businesses.  During 2016 we will be looking for opportunities to ask technology leaders to share what is happening in their field, especially where that might drive new research or support innovative new products.

For the first in our series of Open Lectures we are looking at the advances in mobile telecommunications networks.

Today's state-of-the-art mobile networks are based on LTE-Advanced technologies, these networks support true mobile broadband IP communicatons with high-peak and average data rates, and low-latency.  This lecture will not only review the opportunities associated with LTE-Advanced, it will also build on these technologies to explore what a 5G network could look like and what capabilities it will provide to enable a wide range of new and innovative applications.  From ultra-dense networks to wide area rural coverage, ultra-low latency and ultra-reliability, to truly heterogeneous networks which enable mobile to become the last-mile connectivity solution of choice for a wide range of new applications in many vertical industries.

Andy Sutton is EE's Principal Network Architect with responsibilities for RAN architecture evolution and mobile backhaul strategy and architecture.  Andy has over 30 years of experience within the telecommunications industry, mainly in radio access, transmission and transport network strategy, architecture and design.  Andy's research interests include: distributed and centralised RAN architectures and protocols, RAN dimensioning and QoS mobile backhaul, microwave and millimetre wave radio systems along with synchronisation and time distribution in telecommunications networks.  During his career, Andy has worked for Mercury Communications Ltd., Orange, France Telecom Group, H3G and EE.  Andy is a Visiting Professor with the Department of Computing, Science and Engineering at the University of Salford, and a research mentor at the 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey.  Andy is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Fellow of the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals and Fellow of the British Computer Society.  Andy contributes to International telecommunications standardisation activities and several industry forums.

This lecture is free, but you must register to attend, so please email info@grace.ac.uk as early aspossible to ensure your place.