It’s time for a new RAN architecture

We’re in the midst of exciting and challenging times for mobile infrastructure providers. On one hand, there’s more demand than ever before, every application ever imagined is or will be operating on the mobile network and there’s no end in sight to the possibilities to utilize next generation mobile technology. On the other hand, the current RAN architecture hasn’t kept pace, becoming a barrier to operational efficiency and innovation. It’s time for a new RAN architecture.

xRAN.org is a consortium of top tier operators and radio access network equipment vendors whose goal is to develop a modular architecture for the cellular radio access network. The architecture aims to develop standardized north and south bound interfaces to quickly deploy services, enable implementation of RAN software on COTS hardware and provide flexibility in placing the software functions at the edge or at the cell site depending on fronthaul availability.

But why xRAN and why now? Learn more in the guest column by Sachin Katti.

About the author:

Sachin Katti is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University. He is helping lead the xRAN consortium in developing future RAN architectures and reference implementations. Previously Sachin founded Kumu Networks which commercialized his research on full duplex radios.