Moreover, if the first modification is performed by the server 106-4 by executing the computer-readable instructions corresponding to the backhaul protocol stack followed by routing the first modified IP/data packet to another server (e.g., server 106-1) implementing a radio protocol stack, the RAN SD i-Switching controller instructs the server 106-1 to perform the second modification by executing the compute-readable instructions corresponding to a radio protocol stack or a different backhaul protocol stack (in case the data packet is transmitted from one backhaul protocol stack to another backhaul protocol stack).

Accordingly, example embodiments enable independent operations of radio protocol stacks (e.g., a processing of the IP/data packet according to the first modification, described above) and backhaul protocol stacks (e.g., a processing of the IP/data packet according to the second modification, described above) by different (or same) servers.

Thereafter, at S340, the RAN SD i-Switching controller, instructs the server that performed (e.g., server 106-1 or server 106-4) the second modification to transmit the second modified IP/data packet to the intended destination. The server 106-1 or the server 106-4 may then transmit the second modified packet to the intended destination either directly (if the server 106-1 or the server 106-4 is directly connected to the intended destination (e.g., one or more of the RRHs 104 or one or more of the EPCs 108)) or indirectly via another one of the servers in the network of server 106.