Software-defined radio access networks are coming up on the virtualization menu at some point in the near future.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

September 27, 2016

1 Min Read
New Acronym Alert! Meet SDRAN

Another week, another acronym to throw into the ever-bubbling pot of alphabet soup that is the communications business!

This time it is SDRAN -- software-defined radio access networks -- or running basestation functions on a standard whitebox server. South Korean operator SK Telecom (Nasdaq: SKM), which is never shy about pushing the edge of mobile technology, ran a virtual LTE basestation -- with tech from Nokia Networks -- this month, a press release states.

One of the key benefits of using of using software for radio access networks is that it makes it easier to re-allocate resources for data spikes, or different types of services at the edge of the network. Concepts like self-optimizing networks (SON) have already started to introduce operators to the concept of managing resources on the RAN. (See MEC Congress: The Key Takeaways and Big Data Lights Up the SON.)

For all the latest news on 5G, visit the 5G site here on Light Reading.

You might also see different names used for SDRAN, such as SoftRAN or Cloud Radio. One thing is certain, however -- you're likely to see more of this terminology and technology as LTE advances further and 5G comes to market. (See Deutsche Telekom Opens 5G:haus.)

SK Telecom, meanwhile, is sticking to its 2020 commercial launch date for its 5G network.

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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