Keerthi Ananthachar Mulugund

About Me

I am a passionate Wireless Communication Engineering professional currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Oulu, specializing in Radio Access Networks (RAN). With about three years of experience, including research, I have a strong foundation in L2/L3 protocol stack implementations, conformance testing, debugging as per 3GPP specifications. I am also gaining exposure to PHY layer concepts and practical implementations as part of my ongoing work.

Professional Experience

Currently, I am working as a Research Associate at Qualcomm, contributing to PHY-layer signal analysis and system validation. I am involved in developing a signal analyzer tool for modem projects, supporting multiple bandwidths, subcarrier spacing, and overlapping center frequencies, as well as generating system test vectors to validate modem functionality. Alongside this, I am pursuing my Master’s thesis on PAPR reduction using deep learning, exploring AI-driven methods to improve transmitter efficiency in 5G/6G systems. This combination of hands-on PHY experience and research aligns closely with next-generation radio network development.

I was a Product Development Engineer at Wisig Networks and contributed to the L2/L3 User Equipment (UE) protocol stack, primarily focusing on the MAC layer.
I have worked as a Project Associate at IIT Hyderabad on the project "Next-Generation Wireless Research (5G and Beyond)". I have also worked as a Project Assistant for Li-Fi Technology, Visible Light Communication at Amrita University.

My work and research experience in the 5G domain include:

3GPP Standards Familiarity: TS 38.321, TS 38.300, TS 38.331, TS 38.523 and Overview of PHY.

Major Procedures: Designed and implemented procedures such as Scheduling Request, MAC Control Elements like Buffer Status Reporting, Power Headroom Report, and the flow for the MAC CE execution. I have also worked on Logical Channel Prioritization and Random Access Channel (RACH).

Contributed to: Coding for PHY parameters of PUCCH, PUSCH, PRACH at MAC, Semi Persistent Scheduling (SPS), Bandwidth-Part (BWP), DU Traffic Generator, RRC and MAC message exchanges, and UE Capability Enquiry.

Conformance Testing: Coded and tested conformance testcases, primarily for the Uplink procedures in MAC and identified procedural gaps in accordance with 3GPP TS 58.523 standard.

Other: Worked with OpenAirInterface (OAI) to simulate the End to End setup.

Achievements and Personal Interests

Apart from excelling in academics, I have won gold medals in Kho-Kho for 3 years at the KVS National level and several medals at the State level in India. I have also been trained in classical music (vocal) and Bharatanatyam (dance). These have strengthened me physically and mentally to perform at high levels of competence.

Future Aspirations

I am eager to contribute to 5G/6G technologies. I aim to leverage my skills to address challenges in wireless communication protocols and drive next-generation network advancements.

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