Abstract: Provided are a communications apparatus including a central node including a radio base station, a processor, and a virtualized core operatively connected with the radio base station, each of the radio base station and the core being configured on a common platform; and, in a radio access network, a communications method including receiving a first signal at a central node comprising a radio base station and a virtualized core operatively connected with the radio base station, in which the radio base station and the core are configured on a common platform, and transmitting a second signal, based on the first signal, from the central node.