A radio access network (RAN) is the part of a mobile network that connects phones and other wireless devices to the operator’s core network over radio links. It is the network’s wireless access edge—not the whole mobile network, the core, or the public internet.
How a RAN connects a device to the mobile network
A phone communicates by radio with nearby network equipment. The RAN provides that wireless connection and carries the communication toward the core network. Ericsson describes the 5G RAN as the link connecting cellular devices to the core network: Ericsson’s 5G RAN overview.
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In a high-level mobile-network model, the user equipment, RAN, core network, transport network, and operations and management are distinct domains. Ericsson identifies the RAN as the domain that uses radio frequencies to provide wireless connectivity: Ericsson’s overview of 5G radio access networks.
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RAN, core network, and transport network: the difference
- RAN: Provides the radio connection between user equipment and the mobile network.
- Core network: Coordinates mobile-network functions and provides onward connectivity.
- Transport network: Interconnects network domains, including the RAN and core.
These parts work together, but they are not interchangeable: the RAN is the radio-access portion, rather than the entire path through the operator’s network or the internet.
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RAN components depend on the generation and design
There is no single parts list that describes every RAN. The names and arrangement of network functions change across generations and deployments. For example, ITU-R Recommendation M.2012-7, published in February 2026, describes the LTE-Advanced architecture as a flat network with eNodeBs responsible for radio-related functions in one or more cells. It specifies S1 connectivity between eNodeBs and core-network elements, with separate user-plane and control-plane parts, and X2 links between eNodeBs for functions that include active-mode mobility: ITU-R Recommendation M.2012-7.
eNodeB is an LTE-family example, not a universal RAN component name. 5G descriptions refer to base-station functions and radio components, and implementations can divide functions among units in different ways. The 3GPP RAN WG3 remit spans UTRAN, E-UTRAN, and NG-RAN architecture and related interface protocols, reflecting that RAN architecture covers multiple generations: 3GPP RAN WG3.
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What Open RAN means
RAN is the general name for the mobile network’s radio-access domain. Open RAN is an architectural approach to organizing RAN functions that emphasizes disaggregation and open interfaces. Ericsson characterizes it as an architectural concept built on 3GPP specifications and driven by the O-RAN Alliance: Ericsson’s overview of 5G radio access networks.
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