Abstract: Provided are a radio access network, a distributed radio network controlling structure and a network element, each providing mobile communications services, and each having controlling elements including at least one control plane server for providing control plane functions and at least one user plane server for providing user plane functions, and a network having a mapping function for interfacing the radio control elements with a core network. Using this solution, only the network element containing a mapping function interfaces with the core network.

Abstract: In evolved radio access network architectures the user and the control planes are separated into different network elements. This implies that the core network must exchange control and user information related to a particular user terminal with these two different network elements. Moreover, information not linked to a particular user but to a certain cell or area must also be directed to the appropriate control plane server or user plane server.