Effective operation of 5G/6G private networks requires a deep cellular expertise, which hinders the adoption of this technology in the manufacturing sector. For this purpose, self-configuration, self-monitoring, self-healing and self-optimization are essential to automate service provisioning and network operations. 5G/6G networks are complex infrastructures featuring radio heads, virtualized RAN and Core Network functions running on COTS servers, alongside management frameworks such as ETSI MANO that allow to manage virtualized network and application functions. This complex technology stack generates a tremendous amount of information in terms of: i) base station and core network counters, traces and logs, ii) hypervisor and server compute related metrics, and iii) telemetry generated by transport network devices.
The focus of this PhD. will be the design and implementation of a data processing pipeline and associated AI/ML algorithms that will enable private 5G/6G managed service providers (MSPs) to quickly provision, operate and diagnose multiple 5G/6G private network deployments. Envisioned AI/ML techniques include anomaly detection and root cause analysis.
The topic of the PhD is "Zero-touch operation and service assurance of private 5G/6G networks through AI/ML", and is funded by the 6GSMART project under the Spanish UNICO program and funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU
The objectives of the PhD include:
1) Survey of the state of the art and definition of target AI/ML use cases for management of private 5G/6G networks
2) Design, development and demonstration of data processing pipeline for a private 5G/6G network.
3) Definition and evaluation of AI/ML self-X or troubleshooting algorithms in laboratory environment
4) Publications in top-tier conferences/journals
5) Patents/standardization contributions with industrial advisors
The selected candidate will be jointly mentored by a UPC professor and a senior researcher from i2CAT
Who we are:
The i2CAT Foundation is a non-profit research and innovation center that promotes mission-driven R&D activities on advanced Internet architectures, applications, and services. More than 15 years of international research define our expertise in the fields of 5G, IoT, VR, and Immersive Technologies, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, AI, and Digital Social Innovation. The center partners with companies, public administration, academia, and end-users to leverage this knowledge in order to meet real social and business challenges.
The greatest value of i2CAT is the talent of the people who make up our human team. We enjoy a team of people from more than 13 different nationalities and work every day to create and foster a work environment where we all feel comfortable creating, innovating and growing.
Want to know more? Visit our webpage! www.i2cat.net
What do we offer?
Where will you do it?
At i2CAT we already have an established telework policy for some time. You can work from home or from the office, whichever suits you best. We ask that you attend the office two days per week, one to stay connected with the team and the other one to establish relations.
If you decide to come to the office, we are located in Zona Universitària, next to the Campus Nord of the UPC, within a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment. It is a very well connected area (metro, tram, bus) with bars and restaurants around.
Our offices are designed with an open-office concept where everything is light and transparency (we do not have opaque rooms). We have a variety of workspaces so that you don't have to be at the same table all day.
i2CAT is an organization committed to equal opportunities. That is why we seek to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented, and therefore explicitly encourage the female collective to apply.
i2CAT is an organization committed to diversity and we seek to increase the number of people with disabilities in our team.
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Required education level: Graduate Degree: Masters Degree Speciality: Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, or Computer Science
Additional required academic training:
- Understanding of 3GPP technologies
- Experience on ML frameworks (e.g. sci-kit laern, Tensorflow, etc)
- Analytical thinking
- Python programming skills
- Linux administration skills
Required language skills (oral, reading, writing):
- The selected candidate must be fluent in English.
- Spanish or Catalan are considered a plus
Desired requeriments:
- Preliminary experience in applying research methodology during Master's Thesis
- Preliminary experience in developing analytical models to research problems
- Previous experience on applying AI/ML in the networking domain