Digital Technologies and Services for Rural Communities

The content of this course is divided into four different units, whose contents are expanded as follows:

· Unit 1: Wireless communications. Introduction to wireless communications, fundamentals of mobile communications, hardware and wireless link budgets, modulation and error control coding, multi-antenna systems (MIMO), mobile communications systems (4G & 5G), wireless communication systems (WPAN/Bluetooth, WLAN/WiFi & LPWAN/LoRa), Key Performance Indictors (Energy and Spectral efficiency).

· Unit 2: Data networks. Introduction to data networks, architectures of data networks, routing in data networks. Introduction to satellite communication networks.

· Unit 3: Sustainable energy sources. Renewable energy sources, technologies for renewable energy systems, dimensioning renewable energy generation systems, energy storage devices. Practices and new habits to maximize energy efficiency.

· Unit 4: Human and social aspects of digital technologies. User-centered mobile service design, design with participation from rural communities, social aspects of community networks.