Radio Access Networks (RAN), Components and Types

Radio Access Networks (RAN) form a key part of telecom infrastructure, enabling wireless communication between user devices and core networks for seamless connectivity.

Table of Contents

Context: India hosts first-ever 3GPP RAN meetings on 6G standardisation in Bengaluru.

About Radio Access Networks (RAN)

Radio Access Networks (RAN) are part of a telecom network that connects user devices (mobiles, laptops, IoT) to the core network via radio signals.

Components

Antennas – transmit & receive signals.
Radios – convert digital ↔ radio signals.
Baseband Units (BBUs) – handle signal processing, error correction, and encryption.
Backhaul – fibre/microwave links connecting RAN to the core network.

Types

Traditional RAN: All equipment (antenna, radio, baseband) is installed at each tower site.
- Hardware and software are tightly coupled from a single vendor.
Centralized RAN (C-RAN): Processing units (baseband) are moved to a central location (BBU pool).
- Towers only have antennas + radios.
Virtualized RAN (vRAN): Baseband functions run on cloud/virtual servers instead of physical hardware.
Open RAN (O-RAN): Based on open standards, so equipment from different vendors can work together.

Difference Between 5G and 6G

Aspect	5G	6G
Speed	Up to 10 Gbps	Expected up to 1 Tbps
Latency	~1 ms	<0.1 ms (ultra-low)
Spectrum	Uses sub-6 GHz & mmWave (24–100 GHz)	Will use terahertz band (100 GHz–1 THz)
Applications	AR/VR, IoT, smart cities, autonomous vehicles	Holographic communication, tactile internet, digital twins, and advanced AI integration
Energy Efficiency	Improved over 4G, but still high consumption	Designed for ultra energy-efficiency & green networks