Flying to the Clouds: The Evolution of the 5G Radio Access Networks

The number of connected devices and the amount of data traffic exchanged through mobile networks is expected to double in the near future. Long Term Evolution (LTE) and fifth generation (5G) technologies are evolving to support the increased volume, variety and velocity of data and new interfaces the Internet of Things demands. 5G goes beyond increasing data throughput, providing broader coverage and reliable ultra-low latency channels to support challenging future applications. However, this comes with a cost. As such, the architectural design of radio access network requires due consideration. This chapter explains why the radio access network is critical to 5G success and how novel trends on edge computing, network slicing and network virtualisation perform a critical role in optimising resources on emerging 5G infrastructures.