C-RAN means Centralized Radio Access Network
In the C-RAN architecture, the Base Band Unit (BBU) moves to a centralized location and the cell tower only has the antenna and the Remote Radio Unit (RRU). The centralized BBU can also be referred to as Virtual Base Station (VBS) pool. The resulting interface the connects and controls communication between the BBUs and the RRUs is called Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI).
Benefits of having a C-RAN include:
- Produces higher spectrum efficiency
- Flexible resource management
- Reduce the maintenance cost per cell tower