Abstract: A radio access network, such as an LTE E-RAN, employs a hierarchical architecture and includes a services node that provides connectivity between the radio nodes in the RAN and a core network. The RAN employs a hybrid coordinated scheduling scheme in which independent schedulers are running on the services node and the radio nodes. In this way the services node can allocate scheduling resources for some of the UEs in the RAN while the radio nodes can allocate scheduling resources for the remaining UEs in their respective serving cells. In some cases a prioritization approach is used in which the radio nodes do not schedule any radio resources that have already been scheduled by the services node.

Abstract: A dual identity cell adapted for use in a small cell RAN includes two identities that may be supported on the same hardware platform—a dedicated PCI (Physical Cell Identity as defined under LTE) identity and a common PCI identity. The dedicated PCI identity operates similarly to a cell in a regular RAN in which neighboring cells use unique PCIs so that user equipment (UE) may distinguish among cells. The dedicated PCI identity, when exposed to the UE, may be used to determine the position of a UE within the RAN so that cells within listening range of the UE are identified. Those identified cells (termed here as the “detected set”) can then transmit the same data and control signals to the UE using their common PCI identities. In this way, all the cells in the detected set appear to the UE as one single cell.

Abstract: A services node (SN) is provided that functions as a local, premise-based gateway that anchors and aggregates a group of radio nodes (RNs). Accordingly, the SN absorbs the functionalities of conventional mobility management entities (MMEs), as well as serving and packet data network gateways, where the SN appears as a single virtual eNB to a macrocellular core network. As a result, complexity associated with aggregating and controlling a large number of RNs (performed by the SN) is hidden from the core network. Additionally, micro-mobility between individual RNs controlled by an SN is completely handled at a local enterprise gateway level, thus significantly reducing mobility-related signaling from impacting an MME pool in the code network. Moreover local data offloading is made possible via the SN.