The 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) is the part of a mobile network that provides the wireless connection between user equipment, such as smartphones, connected devices and industrial equipment, and the wider mobile network.
The RAN manages radio communication over the air interface between user equipment and the base station. It then carries control signalling and user data towards the core network through the operator’s transport infrastructure.
A 5G RAN includes logical base-station functions known as gNodeBs, or gNBs, together with radio units, antenna systems, processing platforms and transport connectivity. A gNB may be implemented as an integrated base station or divided into components such as a Central Unit and one or more Distributed Units. These components may be deployed across different physical locations and computing platforms.
More generally, the 3GPP-defined Next Generation Radio Access Network, or NG-RAN, can include both New Radio Node Bs (gNBs or gNodeBs) providing 5G New Radio access and ng-eNBs providing evolved LTE access connected to the 5G Core.
5G RAN is designed to support higher data rates, lower radio-interface latency, greater capacity and more connected devices than previous generations of mobile technology. These capabilities are supported by technologies such as:
- Wider radio channel bandwidths
- Massive MIMO
- Beamforming
- Carrier aggregation
- Flexible numerology
- Advanced modulation and coding
- Sophisticated radio-resource management
The performance achieved by an individual network depends on factors including the available spectrum, channel bandwidth, frequency band, radio conditions, cell loading, antenna configuration, device capabilities and network design.
The RAN also contributes to end-to-end capabilities such as network slicing by providing slice-aware admission control, radio-resource management and QoS treatment in coordination with the 5G Core and network-management systems.
A 5G RAN may be implemented using an integrated, centralised, virtualised or Open RAN architecture.
