TCO CWA Certification Package:
Certified Wireless Analyst
Major Update Released 2022
Major Update Released 2022
Get the core technical knowledge needed by anyone serious in the wireless business today - plus TCO Certification to prove it!
The TCO Certified Wireless Analyst Certification Package delivers the core technical knowledge needed by anyone serious in the wireless business today.
With the high-quality self-paced courses in the CWA Certification package, you'll gain broad knowledge spanning:
... and TCO Certified Wireless Analyst Certification and Letter of Reference to prove it!
Students who learn better from a person than from computer-generated images will appreciate that many of the CWA lessons are taught to you by our entertaining instructor speaking directly to you via the camera, with on-screen bullets and graphics.
As close as you can get to private lessons from the Course Director without actually being there!
Unlimited Repeats and No Time Limits
The CWA Certification Package includes three online certification courses and the TCO CWA Certification Exam, all with unlimited repeats – which means
Study Guide Available in eBook and Print
The optional CWA Study Guide is a great enhancement to the TCO Certified Wireless Analyst Certification Courses.
The CWA Study Guide contains detailed notes and graphics corresponding exactly to the CWA lessons. This book therefore contains all of the answers to the CWA exam questions!
Having a companion reference textbook avoids the need to take notes, and greatly enhances learning and retention.
The CWA Certification Package includes three self-paced instructor-led training courses covering the full range of wireless fundamentals, jargon and technologies, giving you the knowledge required in the wireless business today — plus TCO Certification to prove it!
Purchase courses in this set of three in the CWA Certification Package, or individual courses as best meets your needs. Check out the CTNS + CWA combo package discount special!
The Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert CTSME Certification Package
includes all of these courses at a substantial discount... plus 5 TCO certification exams, all with unlimited repeats.
Course 2231 Wireless Fundamentals
Radio fundamentals • Spectrum • Digital radio • Modems and Modulation • Propagation, Penetration and Fading
Wireless Fundamentals is the first course in the CWA Certification Package. We begin with the basics: what radio is, how it's organized and how and it's used to communicate information.
We begin by understanding what radio actually is, and why we use it for communications. We'll understand how radio frequencies are in the Gigahertz range, used within frequency bands measured in the Megahertz wide.
Then we will look at the spectrum, i.e. standardized bands of frequencies, how they are allocated and the need for licenses. You will learn which bands are used for what, from cordless phones to Wi-Fi and cellular, including new allocations in 600, 700 and 800 MHz bands, 3.5 GHz fixed wireless, and new allocations for 5G including the 3.7 GHz C-band... and how some aircraft operators learned the meaning of "spectrum clearing".
Next, we'll understand how information is represented using radio. The first stop is a quick review of old-fashioned analog radio and TV, followed by what most systems use today: digital. We'll spend some time understanding digital, how 1s and 0s are communicated by modems and familiarize you with jargon and buzzwords like QAM and QPSK.
We'll finish off with radio transmission issues, including propagation, penetration and fading.
Course Lessons
1. Radio Fundamentals (watch free)
2. Wireless Spectrum and Radio Bands (watch free)
3. Analog Radio
4. Digital Radio: How Modems Work
5. Propagation, Penetration and Fading
Course 2231
Wireless Fundamentals
1 Introduction to CWA
2 Radio
2.1 Definition of "Radio"
2.2 Applications for Radio
2.3 Representing Information Using Radio
3 Wireless Spectrum and Radio Bands
3.1 The Need for Regulation
3.2 Spectrum
3.2.1 Capacity vs. Performance Tradeoff
3.3 Frequency Bands
3.3.1 Broadcast Television
3.3.2 Repurposing of Broadcast Television Spectrum
3.3.3 Two-Way Radio: FDD or TDD
3.3.4 600 MHz Band
3.3.5 700 MHz Band
3.3.6 800, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz bands
3.3.7 Unlicensed Bands
3.3.8 2.5 GHz Band
3.3.9 3.5 GHz Band
3.3.10 3.7 GHz C-Band 5G
3.3.11 Millimeter-Wave Bands
4 Analog Radio
4.1 Definition of Analog
4.2 Carrier Frequency for Radio
4.3 AM, FM and PM
5 Digital Radio: Modems
5.1 Amplitude Shift Keying
5.2 Frequency Shift Keying
5.3 Phase Shift Keying
5.4 Baud Rate
5.5 More Signals = More Bits
5.6 QPSK: 2 Bits per Signal
5.7 QAM
5.8 Limits
5.9 Summary
6 Propagation, Penetration and Fading
6.1 Propagation
6.2 Omni Antennas
6.3 Directional Antennas and Sectorization
6.4 Attenuation and Carrier-to-Noise Ratio
6.5 Fading
6.6 Interference
On completion of this course, you will be able to explain:
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Wireless Analyst (CWA) Certification Package
Three courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CWA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Free Lesson 1: Mobile Network Components and Operation
Free Lesson 8: Mobile Network Operators, MVNOs & Roaming
Course 2232 Mobile Communications
Cellular Principles • Mobility • Handoffs • PSTN Phone Calls • Mobile Internet • FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, OFDM • GSM, UMTS, HSPA • LTE and OFDMA • 5G New Radio • mmWave • IoT
Course 2232 Mobile Communications is the second course in the CWA Certification Package.
With a good foundation in place, we'll cover mobile communications from A to Z. This is where the money is!
We begin with mobile network concepts and mobility terminology including base stations and transceivers, mobile switches and backhaul, handoffs, cellular radio concepts, virtual network operators and roaming.
You'll learn how voice calls using a PSTN phone number are connected from a mobile network to a landline network, and how and where the mobile operator connects to the Internet for mobile Internet service.
We'll review Wi-Fi hotspots: bridging a smartphone's mobile Internet service to its Wi-Fi Access Point, providing mobile internet to devices without cellular service.
We'll explain the different spectrum-sharing technologies and their variations: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA and OFDM, and installed-base technologies GSM, UMTS, HSPA.
Then we'll concentrate on LTE, LTE-Advanced and 5G New Radio, including millimeter-wave ultra broadband and low bitrates for IoT devices.
Course Lessons:
1. Mobile Network Components and Operation (watch free)
2. Cellular Principles
3. 1G: Analog Frequency-Division Multiple Access
4. Second Generation: Digital
5. PSTN Calls Using the Native Phone App: "Voice Minutes"
6. Mobile Internet: "Data Plan"
7. Mobile Network Operators, MVNOs & Roaming (watch free)
8. TDMA (IS-136): Time-Division Multiple Access
9. TDMA (GSM): Time-Division Multiple Access
10. CDMA: Code-Division Multiple Access
11. Spread Spectrum
12. CDMA Operation and Patents
13. 3G: CDMA 1X, UMTS and HSPA
14. 4G LTE: Mobile Broadband
15. Dynamic Assignment of Subcarriers
16. 5G NR: Enhanced Mobile Broadband, IoT Communications
17. Spectrum-Sharing Roundup: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, OFDMA
Course 2232 Mobile Communications
1 Mobile Network Components and Operation
1.1 Mobile Network and Mobility
1.2 Handset, SIM Card and IMSI
1.3 Airlink, Base Station, Towers and Cells
1.4 Mobile Telephone Switching Office
1.5 Backhaul and Network Connections
1.6 Incoming Call and Paging
1.7 Mobility and Handoffs
2 Cellular Principles
2.1 Coverage, Capacity and Mobility Requirements
2.2 First Generation
2.3 Cellular Design to Meet the Coverage Objective
2.4 Frequency Re-use
2.5 Handoffs
3 1G: Analog Frequency-Division Multiple Access
3.1 AMPS, NMT and TACS
3.2 Frequency-Division Multiplexing
3.3 Frequency Re-Use
3.4 Analog FM
3.5 Difficulties
3.5.1 Eavesdropping
3.5.2 Modem Disconnect During Handoff
3.5.3 Low Capacity
4 Second Generation: Digital
4.1 Spectrum
4.2 Incompatible Spectrum-Sharing Technologies
4.2.1 CDMA: IS-95
4.2.2 TDMA: IS-136
4.2.3 GSM
5 PSTN Calls Using the Native Phone App: "Voice Minutes"
5.1 Voice Communication End to End
5.2 Coding
6 Mobile Internet: "Data Plan"
6.1 "Data" is Internet Traffic
6.2 Using the Built-in Modem
6.3 Tethered Modem
6.4 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Links
6.5 Smartphones
6.6 Data Plans
6.7 Converged Communications + Converged Device Achieved
7 Mobile Network Operators, MVNOs & Roaming
7.1 Mobile Network Operator
7.2 Mobile Virtual Network Operator
7.3 Roaming
8 TDMA (IS-136) Time-Division Multiple Access
8.1 TDMA
8.2 IS-136 and D-AMPS
8.3 Capacity Increase
8.4 Inefficiency
9 TDMA (GSM)
9.1 Spectrum-Sharing Method
9.2 Inefficiency
9.3 Data, GPRS and EDGE
9.4 Terminology: Misuse of the Term "GSM Phone"
10 CDMA Code-Division Multiple Access
10.1 Carriers
10.2 Codes
10.3 Forward Error Correction
10.4 Variable-Rate Coding
10.5 Packetized Voice and Data
10.6 Qualcomm, IS-95A and IS-95B
11 Spread Spectrum
11.1 Chips and Chipping Rate
11.2 Spreading
11.3 Direct Sequence vs. Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum
11.4 Error Correction
11.5 Rake Filters and Multipath
12 CDMA Operation and Patents
12.1 Communication via Multiple Base Stations
12.2 Multipath
12.3 Soft Handoffs
12.4 Walsh Codes and Pseudonoise
12.5 Base Station Identification, Short Codes and Timing
12.6 Power Control
12.7 Qualcomm
13 3G: CDMA 1X, UMTS and HSPA
13.1 IMT-2000
13.2 1X
13.3 Data-Optimized Carriers
13.4 Capitulation
14 4G LTE: Mobile Broadband
14.1 Introduction
14.2 LTE for the UTRAN
14.3 Modems, Modulation, and How OFDM Moves 6-Bit Numbers Simultaneously to Different People on the Same Carrier
14.3.1 Modulation
14.3.2 Communicating Six Bits: Sending One of 64 QAM Signals
14.3.3 Baud Rate Equal to Subcarrier Spacing
14.3.4 LTE Specification and OFDMA
14.4 3GPP Releases
14.4.1 The Eventual Pivot To 5G Across the Spectrum
15 Dynamic Assignment of Subcarriers
15.1 1G vs. 4G and 5G
16 5G New Radio: Enhanced Mobile Broadband, IoT Communications
16.1 Introduction
16.2 3GPP Release 15
16.2.1 Immediate Impact Of 5G: More Bits Per Second
16.3 New Spectrum
16.3.1 Millimeter-wave
16.4 5G Design Goals and Use Cases
16.4.1 Enhanced Mobile Broadband
16.4.2 Massive Machine-type Communication
16.4.3 Ultra-Reliable, Low-Latency Communications
17 Spectrum-Sharing Roundup: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, OFDMA
17.1 FDMA
17.2 TDMA
17.3 CDMA
17.4 OFDM and OFDMA
On completion of this course, you will be able to:
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate.
Certified Wireless Analyst (CWA) Certification Package
Three courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CWA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Course 2233 Fixed Wireless
Wireless LANs • 802.11 Standards • Wi-Fi • Security • Bluetooth • 3.5 GHz Wireless Home Internet • Point-to-Point Microwave • Low-Power Wide-Area Networks for IoT • Satellites
Course 2233 Fixed Wireless is the third and final course in the CWA Certification Package.
We'll round out your knowledge with wireless that does not support mobility, including the most important, Wi-Fi, and other current technologies.
We'll start with infrared and Bluetooth.
Next is Wi-Fi, more accurately called 802.11 Wireless LANs. We'll explain how Wi-Fi works, and survey the different variations like 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac and the latest 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, the first full-duplex Wi-Fi.
Then we'll cover the crucial issue of security on Wi-Fi and why you want the WPA-2 Personal standard.
We'll cover the new 3.5 GHz Fixed Wireless Broadband Home Internet, and Low-Power Wide Area (LPWA) Networks for the Internet of Things.
We finish off with point-to-point microwave systems, and satellites: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites and how they are used for voice and data communications.
Course Lessons
1. Infrared
2. Bluetooth (watch free)
3. Wi-Fi: Wireless LANs
4. Wi-Fi Security and WPA2
5. Point-to-Point Microwave
6. 3.5 GHz Broadband Wireless Home Internet (watch free)
7. Low-Power Wide Area Radio Networks for IoT
8. Satellite Communications
Course 2233 Fixed Wireless
1 Infrared
1.1 IrDA
1.2 Wavelength
1.3 Start/Stop/Parity
2 Bluetooth
2.1 Data Rates and Variations
2.2 Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum
2.3 Masters and Slaves, Ticks and Slots
2.4 Discovery and Connection
3 Wi-Fi: Wireless LANs
3.1 Access Point and SSID
3.2 Half-Duplex
3.3 802.11 Standards
3.3.1 2.4 GHz Band
3.3.2 5 GHz Band
3.4 Application
4 Wi-Fi Security and WPA2
4.1 Address Filtering
4.2 Eavesdropping
4.3 Airlink Encryption
4.4 WEP and WPA2
4.5 WPA2 Enterprise vs. Personal
4.6 Operation
5 Point-to-Point Microwave
5.1 Frequency Bands
5.2 Fading, Diversity and Error Correction
6 3.5 GHz Broadband Fixed Wireless Internet
6.1 Initial Deployment
6.2 Near-Field Interference
6.3 Subsequent Deployments
7 Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) Radio Networks for IoT
7.1 Technologies Deployed by Non-Mobile Network Operators
7.2 Technologies Deployed by Mobile Network Operators
7.3 The 5G Steamroller
8 Satellite Communications
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Geosynchronous Earth Orbit
8.2.1 Path Delay
8.3 Low Earth Orbit
On completion of this course, you will be able to explain
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Wireless Analyst (CWA) Certification Package
Three courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CWA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Invest in yourself with the CWA Certification Package!
Specifically designed for non‑engineers, this certification will get you up to speed on the fundamentals of radio and mobility, the technologies, jargon, buzzwords and most importantly, the underlying ideas ... and how it all fits together.
Get up to speed on all major topics, at your own pace.
Plus, get your Telecommunications Certification Organization (TCO) Certified Wireless Analyst (CWA) Certification to prove it!
Teracom Training Institute is a Certified Training Partner of the Telecommunications Certification Organization , authorized to administer courses and exams for TCO certifications on the myTeracom Learning Management System, and award TCO Certifications.
Certification Packages are high-quality training courses plus TCO Certification at a discounted price.
TCO Certification is proof of your knowledge of telecom, datacom and networking fundamentals, jargon, buzzwords, technologies and solutions.
It's backed up with a Certificate suitable for framing plus - a Teracom exclusive - a personalized Letter of Reference / Letter of Introduction detailing the knowledge your TCO Certification represents and inviting the recipient to contact Teracom for verification. You may list Teracom Training Institute as a reference on your résumé if desired.
The Unlimited Plan gets you unlimited repeats of courses and exams... which means guaranteed to pass if you're willing to learn, jump in and out of courses as needed and refresh your knowledge anytime.
Get started today!
Join thousands of satisfied customers including the FBI Training Academy, US Marine Corps Communications School, US Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, CISA, DISA, DoJ NSD, NSA and CIA, IRS, FAA, DND, CRA, CRTC, RCMP, banks, power companies, police forces, manufacturers, government, local and regional telcos, broadband carriers, individuals, telecom planners and administrators, finance, tax and accounting personnel and many more from hundreds of companies.
Benefit from decades of knowledge, insight and experience distilled into clear lessons designed for non‑engineers, logically organized to build one concept on another... in plain English. Teracom's GSA Contract supplying this training to the US government reflects approved quality and value that you can depend on.
Available CWA Certification Study Guide and
Companion Reference Handbook
CWA Course Book / Certification Study Guide
7" x 9" book • 162 pages • published 2022 • hardcover • softcover • eBook
The CWA Study Guide is an great enhancement to the TCO Certified Wireless Analyst Certification courses. The Study Guide contains detailed notes and graphics corresponding exactly to the CWA lessons... and therefore contains all of the answers to the CWA exam questions!
Having a companion reference textbook avoids the need to take notes, and greatly enhances learning and retention, helping you learn and retain what you learn.
The course book will also be a valuable day-to-day reference handbook and glossary on its own, independent of the online courses.
Get a professionally bound printed copy to enhance your learning!
What You Get With The CWA Certification Package
1. High-quality, up-to-date, comprehensive training
You will get a solid foundation of structured knowledge, delivered in our trademark "telecom for non‑engineers" style. Cut through jargon to understand the fundamentals, technologies and buzzwords… and how it all fits together, in plain English.
2. The certification exam
Each course in the certification package has an associated exam, typically ten multiple-choice questions. You get unlimited repeats of the exam - which means guaranteed to pass. Plus, on achieving a passing grade:
3. Your certificate, suitable for framing
A full-color TCO Certificate suitable for framing is automatically awarded by the Learning Management System on completion of the required exams. It can be immediately printed on plain or textured paper on any color printer and framed by student as desired, with no shipping charges. It can also be attached to the electronic version of the student's CV. An original hard copy of your Certificate, signed and sealed, can be sent to you by mail for $25 plus first-class mail cost.
4. A personalized Letter of Reference / Letter of Introduction
You also receive a personalized Letter of Reference / Letter of Introduction explaining the courses you took and the knowledge you have, and inviting anyone you give it to to contact us as a reference... excellent addition to your CV.
5. Right to display the TCO logo
You'll have the right to display a high-resolution copy of the TCO logo on your résumé, business card, LinkedIn profile, web page, blog, or email signature.
6. TCO Certification Designation
Passing the Certified Wireless Analyst, you will be able to state that you:
- "are a Certified Wireless Analyst",
- "hold a Certified Wireless Analyst certification from the Telecommunications Certification Organization",
- are "certified as a Telecommunications Network Specialist by the Telecommunications Certification Organization",
- are a "Telecommunications Certification Organization (TCO) Certified Wireless Analyst",
- are "TCO-Certified",
and may sign your name - "Richard Smith, CWA," or "Jane Smith, Certified Wireless Analyst"
7. A 30-day no-questions-asked 100% money-back guarantee.
If for any reason you change your mind, for 30 days after purchase you can get your money back. You have nothing to lose! – and a marketable skill to gain!
Benefits of Certification For Individuals
One benefit of TCO certification is differentiating yourself from the rest of the crowd when applying for a job or angling for a promotion.
The knowledge you gain taking Teracom's Online Courses, confirmed with TCO Certification, is foundational knowledge in telecommunications, IP, networking and wireless: fundamental concepts, mainstream technologies, jargon, buzzwords, and the underlying ideas - and how it all fits together.
This type of knowledge and preparation makes you an ideal candidate to hire or promote to a task, as you will be able to build on your knowledge base to quickly get up to speed and work on a particular project - then have the versatility to work on subsequent projects.
TCO Certification will help demonstrate you have this skill... a desirable thought to have in your potential manager's mind.
Benefits of Certification For Employers
Teracom certification packages are an extremely cost-effective way of implementing consistent, comprehensive telecommunications and network technology fundamentals training, ensuring that both existing resources and new hires are up to the same speed, with a common vocabulary, framework and knowledge base.
The course exams provide concrete measurements of competency in key knowledge areas.
Management can view reports on the progress and results of team members, and export results to Excel with the click of a button. These reports identify skills strengths and deficiencies, and are a demonstration of meeting managerial objectives of team building and return on investment.
Get this training for your whole team. The scalable myTeracom Learning Management System can register and manage all of your people through courses, exams and certificates.
For larger organizations, the courses and exams can also be licensed and deployed on your LMS.
Getting Your Certificate
Each course has a course exam, consisting of ten multiple-choice questions chosen at random from a pool and shuffled in order. Passing the course exams proves your knowledge of these topics and results in your certification.
Your Certificate and Letter of Reference / Letter of Introduction will be immediately available for download from your Dashboard in the myTeracom Learning Management System. You may also order a signed and sealed Certificate by airmail.
Teracom's exclusive Unlimited Plan allows you unlimited repeats courses and exams with no expiry – which means guaranteed to get your certificate if you're willing to learn, plus jump in and out of courses and refresh your knowledge anytime in the future.
Invest in yourself
Implement a major career-enhancing upgrade to your knowledge, or prepare for a job in the telecommunications business.
Get the knowledge you need
Understand telecom, datacom and networking fundamentals, jargon, buzzwords, technologies and standard practices... and how it all fits together.
Benefit from decades of experience
with courses covering all major topics, right up to date, in clear lessons logically organized to deliver structured knowledge that lasts a lifetime.
Interactive lessons
rich with photographs, video and graphics make this self-paced learning enjoyable.
| Teracom Advantages | ||||||||||||||||
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Technical Level and Intended Audience
Our training has been taught to wide acclaim across North America since 1992 and is designed for the non-engineering professional needing an overview and update, and for those new to the business needing to get up to speed quickly on telecommunications, data communications, IP, MPLS, wireless, networking, Voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems, SIP and security.
Our emphasis is conveying the key concept-level knowledge in plain English - which you can't get reading trade magazines or talking to vendors. We put in place a solid, valuable and long-lasting understanding. It is our goal to bust the buzzwords, demystify the jargon, and cut through the double-talk to present a clear, cohesive picture.
Based on Teracom's proven instructor-led training courses developed and refined over twenty years providing training for organizations including AT&T, Verizon, Bell Canada, Intel, Microsoft, Cisco, Qualcomm, the CIA, NSA, IRS, FAA, US Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force and hundreds of others, Teracom online courses are top-notch, top-quality and right up to date with the topics and knowledge you need.
The no-hassle training solution
Teracom's high-quality online courses are delivered in Google Chrome browser on any Windows or mac desktop or laptop, iPad, android tablet or phone with an Internet connection... to any number of people, anywhere, anytime.
Ideal for self-paced training, courses are divided into lessons. Stay on a lesson for as long as you like, and move to the next lesson then write the course exam only when ready.
Team training packages with group discount and management reporting from our Learning Management System are very popular.
With the Unlimited Plan, you can repeat exams as needed, and retake courses anytime in the future. There are no time limits or expiration dates. 30-day 100% money-back guarantee.
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Telecommunications Certifications
