For 5G networks, the 3GPP proposes a Next Generation (NG) RAN architecture with an additional functional split. To illustrate, FIG. 1C is an illustrative representation of an NG-RAN architecture 100C for a 5G network (e.g. the 5G network of FIG. 1B, NG-RAN 104). In NG-RAN architecture 100C, baseband processing originally in the BBUs of a C-RAN are now distributed into central units (CUs) 156 (such as CU 158) and distributed units (DUs) 160 (such as a DU 162). Each one of DUs 160 may interface with one or more remote radio units (RRUs) 164 (such as an RRU 166). An RRU may also be known as a remote radio head (RRH); an RRU may include or be combined with a remote interface unit (RIU). CUs 156 may communicate with a core network 152 via a multi-access edge computing (MEC) system or node 154. In some implementations, a cluster of RRUs may be associated with or aggregated into a single DU. In turn, multiple DUs may be associated with or aggregated into a single CU. As is apparent, such an architecture may allow an operator to scale the network as the number of cells, frequencies, and user capacity increases.
