R&D Director, MCNS (Cyprus) and Senior Researcher, Jio (Estonia)

Title of talk 1: Οn the 3GPP standardization procedures – Releases 18-19 SON Coverage and Capacity Optimization Example

Title of talk 2: On the Capacity of 5G mMIMO Networks for RAN Design Procedures

Abstracts
Talk 1: 3GPP standardization procedures are a systematic framework for developing global telecommunication standards, particularly for mobile systems. The standardization process begins with the identification of requirements, followed by the drafting of technical specifications and reports by Technical Specification Groups (TSGs) and Working Groups (WGs). These groups focus on different aspects of mobile communication technology, such as radio access, core networks, and service capabilities. The iterative process includes proposal submission, consensus-building, and rigorous validation phases to ensure interoperability, performance, and future-proofing of mobile technologies. The outcomes are published in the form of Technical Specifications (TS) and Technical Reports (TR), which are periodically revised and updated to adapt to technological advancements and market needs. This collaborative and structured approach ensures that 3GPP standards remain robust, globally applicable, and forward-compatible, driving innovation and consistency in the mobile communications industry. As an example 3GPP Release 18-19 standards introduce significant advancements in Self-Organizing Network (SON) technologies, focusing on Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) to enhance network performance. These releases encompass a suite of procedures and algorithms designed to autonomously manage and optimize the coverage and capacity of cellular networks. Key features include dynamic adjustment of cell parameters, real-time traffic analysis, and intelligent resource allocation to address varying user demands and environmental conditions. By leveraging machine learning and advanced analytics, these standards aim to improve network efficiency, reduce operational costs, and enhance user experience. The continuous evolution of SON CCO in these releases underscores 3GPP’s commitment to facilitating more resilient and adaptive network architectures, essential for the expanding needs of modern wireless communications.

Talk 2: The capacity of 5G massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (mMIMO) networks significantly influences the design procedures of Radio Access Networks (RAN). 5G mMIMO leverages a large number of antennas at the base station to enhance spectral efficiency, data rates, and overall network capacity. RAN design procedures for 5G mMIMO involve meticulous planning and optimization of key parameters such as antenna configuration, beamforming techniques, user scheduling, and resource allocation. These procedures start with extensive channel modeling and propagation analysis to understand the spatial and temporal characteristics of the deployment environment. Advanced signal processing algorithms are employed to optimize beamforming and mitigate interference, ensuring reliable and high-capacity communication links. Capacity evaluations are performed through simulations and field trials to validate performance under various load conditions and mobility scenarios. The iterative design process incorporates feedback from these evaluations to refine network configurations and improve efficiency. This presentation is related to MCNS in-house proprietary planning project activities and procedures, accompanied with a detailed excel simulation tool to facilitate the analysis and present a practical approach on FWA MBB use case. A white paper will be distributed to the participants, as practical guide to the topic.
Short Bio:
Dr. Louvros Spiros graduated from University of Crete, Physics Department, continuing post graduate studies in Digital Communications & RF Engineering, University of Cranfield, UK and PhD Diploma in Mobile Networks from Signal Processing Laboratory, Physics Department, University of Patras, Greece. He has worked as MW engineer in Siemens, senior switching engineer in Vodafon and section manager in Cosmote-OTE group. He is currently leading the R&D department of Mobile Cloud Network & Services (MCNS - https://mcns5g.com/) for 5G and 6G technologies, in project collaborations with Ericsson and Jio platforms in Estonia, holding a number of patents and international papers in IEEE, ACM, Kluwer Academics and international congresses. For more than 10 years (2004 – 2014) held a Tenure track Academic position as Assistant Professor in the Computer & Informatics Engineering Department (CIED), Supreme Technological Educational Institution of Western Greece. He is currently an external research collaborator with the London South Bank University in UK in the Cognitive Systems Research Center for 5G O-RAN research projects. He is also an external Adjunct Professor in the University of Peloponnese, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in AI/ML research lab.