SDxCentral
Join Log In
SD-WAN 5G Edge 1 IoT SDN NFV Containers Cloud Security AI Data Center Storage APM/NPM Open Source

Log In to SDxCentral

Log in with your email? Forgot your password?
  • Newsletters
  • eBriefs
  • Podcasts
  • Webinars
  • Videos
  • Directory
  • White Papers
  • Resources
  • Use Cases
  • Support

Join SDxCentral and get information tailored to your particular interests everyday.

Join
Sponsored:
Dell EMC Citrix Riverbed

5G > 5G Definitions > How Is the RAN Network Evolving?

How Is the RAN Network Evolving?

The radio access network (RAN) has been in use since the beginning of cellular technology. Components of the RAN network include a base station and antennas that cover a given region, depending on their capacity. An essential component of today’s telecommunications, the RAN network it is vital in 3G and 4G network connections—just as it will be an indispensable piece of the 5G puzzle.

The radio access network has seen an incremental evolution over the years and will require a major step forward as we enter the new age of mobile telecommunications.

RAN Network

Source: ResearchGate

RAN Network Evolution

Through the mobile communications generations, the Third-Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) has added functions to the RAN and core networks to support new network elements and applications. The introduction of packet-switched data in the core network was an important change affecting the 2G RAN network, supporting the higher traffic rates. In 3G, lower redundancy and schemes for higher spectral efficiency improved data ranges on the radio access network, leading the charge to mobile broadband.

The 3GPP 4G system introduced a RAN network called Long-Term Evolution (LTE), which encapsulates a radio access network and a core network that differ from previous telecommunications systems. The LTE core network separates the packet-switched domain from the circuit-switched voice service, which carries as data via voice-over-IP (VoIP).

RAN Network Future

As we near the reality of 5G networks, research has suggested that the RAN network architecture needs to be reworked beyond the aforementioned evolution of the current and upcoming 3GPP LTE releases. The radio access network requires a new approach in light of the new use cases, services, and traffic types that 5G will introduce, particularly when it comes to configurability and flexibility.

The RAN network of 2020 will need to be far more intricate and complex, making use of an array of enabling technologies such as software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV), as well as frequency bands such as millimeter wave (mmWave). To those ends, tomorrow’s RAN network will leverage virtualization (vRAN) and cloud (cRAN) technologies.

Related Definitions

How Does HCI Shape the 5G Landscape?What Is the Radio Access Network?What Is 5G Network Slicing?What is Network Slicing?What is Dynamic Network Slicing?In the World of 5G, Virtualization Is Everything
SDxCentral Daily News

Join your Peers! Subscribe to SDxCentral's Newsletter

Subscribe to Get the Daily News!

Related Definitions

  • How vRAN Changes the 5G Game
  • What Is the Radio Access Network?
  • The Role of cRAN in 5G Networks
  • What Is 5G Network Slicing?
  • What is Dynamic Network Slicing?
  • What Is 5G NR?
  • How Is 5G Different From 4G?
  • The Top 5G Use Cases
  • What Are the Top 5G Security Challenges?
  • Will 5G Replace WiFi?
  • Key Elements for the 5G Network
  • How Will the 5G Network Impact LTE?
  • What Are the Top 5G Business Cases?
  • What Are the Essential 5G Products?
  • How 5G NFV Will Enable the 5G Future
  • Defining 5G Architecture

About SDxCentral

  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Work With Us
  • Editorial Team
  • Careers
  • Legal
  • Support

Engage With us

This material may not be copied, reproduced, or modified in whole or in part for any purpose except with express written permission from an authorized representative of SDxCentral, LLC. In addition to such written permission to copy, reproduce, or modify this document in whole or part, an acknowledgement of the authors of the document and all applicable portions of the copyright notice must be clearly referenced. All Rights Reserved.

© 2012-2019 SDxCentral, LLC, All Rights Reserved. SDNCentral™, the SDNCentral logo, SDxCentral™, SDxCentral logo, SDxNews™, SDxTech™, SDx™, the SDx logo, and DemoFriday™ are trademarks of SDxCentral, LLC in the U.S. and other countries.

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy