In one example embodiment, the RAN SD i-Switching controller mentioned above, coordinates (manages) switching/routing data packets between the radio and backhaul protocol stacks. In one example embodiment, the RAN SD i-Switching controller, implemented via the server 106-3 of the network of servers 106, manages all RAN network resources under its control. For example, the RAN SD i-Switching Controller establishes communication paths (e.g., for purposes of routing IP/data packets) between radio and backhaul protocol stacks (e.g., between the server 106-1 that performs fronthaul processing of the radio protocol stack and the server 106-4 that performs the backhaul processing of the backhaul protocol stack, as described in example embodiments above), between different radio protocol stacks (e.g., servers 106-1 and 106-2 each performing fronthaul processing of radio protocol stacks), between different backhaul protocol stacks (e.g., servers 106-4 and 106-5 each performing backhaul processing of radio protocol stacks), or between radio protocol stacks and other VNFs.