UTRAN (short for "UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network''") is a collective term for the network and equipment that connects mobile handsets to the public telephone network or the Internet. It contains the base stations, which are called

Node B {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) Node B is the telecommunications node in particular mobile communication networks, namely those that adhere to the UMTS standard. The Node B provides the connection between mobile phones ( UEs) ...

's and

Radio Network Controller The Radio Network Controller (RNC) is a governing element in the UMTS radio access network (UTRAN) and is responsible for controlling the Node Bs that are connected to it. The RNC carries out radio resource management, some of the mobility manage ...

s (RNCs) which make up the

UMTS The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third generation mobile cellular system for networks based on the GSM standard. Developed and maintained by the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), UMTS is a component of the In ...

radio access network A radio access network (RAN) is part of a mobile telecommunication system. It implements a radio access technology. Conceptually, it resides between a device such as a mobile phone, a computer, or any remotely controlled machine and provides co ...

. This communications network, commonly referred to as 3G (for 3rd Generation Wireless Mobile Communication Technology), can carry many traffic types from real-time

Circuit Switched Circuit switching is a method of implementing a telecommunications network in which two network nodes establish a dedicated communications channel ( circuit) through the network before the nodes may communicate. The circuit guarantees the full ...

to IP based

Packet Switched In telecommunications, packet switching is a method of grouping data into '' packets'' that are transmitted over a digital network. Packets are made of a header and a payload. Data in the header is used by networking hardware to direct the pack ...

. The UTRAN allows connectivity between the UE (user equipment) and the

core network A backbone or core network is a part of a computer network which interconnects networks, providing a path for the exchange of information between different LANs or subnetworks. A backbone can tie together diverse networks in the same buildin ...

. The RNC provides control functionalities for one or more Node Bs. A Node B and an RNC can be the same device, although typical implementations have a separate RNC located in a central office serving multiple Node Bs. Despite the fact that they do not have to be physically separated, there is a logical interface between them known as the Iub. The RNC and its corresponding Node Bs are called the

Radio Network Subsystem Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitt ...

(RNS). There can be more than one RNS present in a UTRAN. There are four interfaces connecting the UTRAN internally or externally to other functional entities: Iu, Uu, Iub and Iur.UTRAN overall description (Release 11)
by 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network, December 2012 The Iu interface is an external interface that connects the RNC to the Core Network (CN). The Uu is also external, connecting Node B with the User Equipment (UE). The Iub is an internal interface connecting the RNC with Node B. And at last, there is the Iur interface which is an internal interface most of the time but can, exceptionally be an external interface too for some network architectures. The Iur connects two RNCs with each other.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network Code division multiple access UMTS

See also

References