What is Radio Access Network (RAN), which elements make up the RAN, include their different functions, and how does the RAN work, and give some examples of RAN evolution?
📍What is Radio Access Network (RAN)?
A radio access network (RAN) is a major component of a wireless telecommunications system that connects individual devices to other parts of a network through a radio link
📍What components make up a RAN?
A RAN is made up of three essential elements:
1) Antenna
▪︎It interfaces with cell phone wirelessly and transmits/receivers RF signals
▪︎It decides that shape of the coverage.
2) RRU (Remote Radio Unit)
▪︎Interface with antenna in one side and with BBU in the anther side
▪︎Convenes the RF signal into data signal and the vice versa
▪︎It does filtering and amplification of the RF signal
▪︎It decides the coverage of the power.
3) Baseband units (BBU)
Provide a set of signal processing functions that make wireless communication possible. Traditional baseband uses custom electronics combined with multiple lines of code to enable wireless communication, typically using the licensed radio spectrum.
📍How does a RAN work?
A RAN provides access to and coordinates the management of resources across the radio sites. A handset or other device is wirelessly connected to the backbone, or core network, and the RAN sends its signal to various wireless endpoints so it can travel with traffic from other networks.
📍RAN through the evolution of 3GPP:
- Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) RAN, or GRAN, was developed for 2G.
- GSM EDGE RAN, or GERAN is similar to GRAN, but it specifies the inclusion of Enhanced Data GSM Environment packet radio services.
- Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial RAN, or UTRAN, came about with 3G.
- Evolved Universal Terrestrial RAN, or E-UTRAN, is part of LTE.
📍Radio Access Network new trends include:
1) Open RAN is the hot topic in the access network world now adays . It involves developing interoperable open hardware, software and interfaces for cellular wireless networks that use white box servers and other standard equipment, rather than the custom-made hardware typically used in base stations.
2) C-RAN stands for Centralized RAN which separates the radio elements in a base station into remote radio heads (RRHs). These can be used atop the cell towers for the most efficient radio coverage. RRHs must be connected to centralized baseband controllers via fiber or microwave radio links. Most baseband processing uses standard white box servers.
3) V-RAN a virtual radio access network is a type of RAN with its networking functions separated from the hardware it runs on. The control and data planes of the vRAN are also separated as part of the virtualization, this type of RAN is heavily associated with 5G networks because the networks need virtualization to support the use cases and performance requirements of 5G.
