* [Topics](/en/topics "Topics") * What is vRAN? What is vRAN? ============= Published January 31, 2018•*2*-minute read Copy URL Jump to section --------------- OverviewRadio access networksBenefitsRed Hat’s strategy Overview -------- Virtualized radio access networks (vRANs) are a way for telecommunications operators to run their baseband functions as software. One of the primary benefits of virtualizing radio access networks (RANs) is that RAN functions no longer require special proprietary hardware to run, and can instead be run on standard servers. This is achieved by applying the principles of virtualization to RAN, and is usually one part of a larger [network function virtualization](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-nfv) (NFV) effort. [Explore our virtualization solution](/en/products/virtualization) Radio access networks (RAN) --------------------------- Radio access networks (RANs) are crucial connection points between wireless devices and the rest of an operator's core network. They represent significant overall network capital and operations expenses, perform intensive and complex processing, and continue to face rapidly increasing demand as more [edge](/en/topics/edge-computing/telecommunications) and [5G](/en/topics/5g-networks/what-is-5g) use cases emerge for telco customers. Just as the [virtualization](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-virtualization) of network functions has enabled telcos to modernize their networks, similar principles can also be applied to RAN. This is especially important as the future of the industry focuses on the transition to 5G—in fact, the ongoing 5G network transformation often depends on the virtualization of RAN, and increasingly assumes that it is [container-based](/en/topics/containers/whats-a-linux-container) and [cloud-native](/en/topics/cloud-native-apps). Red Hat resources ----------------- [Keep reading](/en/resources "Keep reading") What are the benefits of vRAN? ------------------------------ Many carriers have lowered their costs and created a more agile infrastructure by deploying a variety of virtual network functions ([VNFs](/en/topics/cloud-native-apps/vnf-and-cnf-whats-the-difference)), including virtual firewalls, DNS, SBC/IMS, virtual evolved packet cores (vEPCs) for 4G networks, and vRANs. This approach: * Uses less (and less expensive) hardware. * Increases flexibility. * Provides the ability to spin workloads up and down with minimal effort. * Allows resources to be scaled elastically to address changing network demands. The economic benefits of virtualizing network infrastructure can be significant, with the RAN representing an important transformation opportunity. ACG Research estimates that network operators who virtualize the entire RAN can see a total cost of ownership (TCO) savings of 44%. Red Hat’s RAN and NFV strategy ------------------------------ Red Hat believes telecommunications service providers should adopt a consistent horizontal cloud-native platform hardened for their environments. This [telco cloud](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-telco-cloud) enables them to use the same infrastructure for multiple use cases and reduce management and operational expenses. In addition to the initial cost benefits of virtualizing the entire RAN, [ACG Research also found](/en/engage/telco-oss-bss-s-201910190436) open horizontal platforms can lower TCO up to 30% when compared to siloed vertically integrated deployments of vRANs. By taking this horizontal approach, customers have access to more choice and better service. Red Hat’s NFV solution is open source and standards-based, creating a stable, interoperable foundation to build upon. A [telco cloud](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-telco-cloud) with network functions virtualized on [Red Hat® OpenStack Services on OpenShift®](/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openstack-services-on-openshift) delivers these benefits: * US$462,500 additional revenue per year per virtualized network function (VNF) while reducing operating costs. * 45% faster development cycle * 79% less unplanned downtime In addition to virtualization options, communications service providers (CSPs) are embracing cloud-native architectures and containers to increase efficiency, performance, resilience, security, and agility. The architecture of choice is to deploy containers on bare metal without an added layer of virtualization. This option presents significant advantages to their specific use cases. [Learn how to simplify telco cloud deployment with Red Hat and Dell](/en/resources/simplify-telco-cloud-deployment-with-dell-brief) The official Red Hat blog ------------------------- Get the latest information about our ecosystem of customers, partners, and communities. [Keep reading](/en/blog "The official Red Hat blog") All Red Hat product trials -------------------------- Our no-cost product trials help you gain hands-on experience, prepare for a certification, or assess if a product is right for your organization. [Keep reading](/en/products/trials "All Red Hat product trials") Keep reading ------------ ### How to create a virtual machine with an instance type Find out how to create a virtual machine with an instance type in Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization using the Red Hat OpenShift console graphical user interface. [Read the article](/en/topics/virtualization/how-create-virtual-machine-instance-type "How to create a virtual machine with an instance type") ### What is a virtual machine (VM)? A virtual machine (VM) is an isolated computing environment created from a pool of hardware resources. [Read the article](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-a-virtual-machine "article | what is a virtual machine (VM)?") ### What is virtualization? Virtualization is a technology that allows you to create virtual, simulated environments from a single, physical machine. [Read the article](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-virtualization "article | what is virtualization?") Virtualization resources ------------------------ ### Related content * Blog post [Confidential guest reset on QEMU hypervisor: Design choices and approach](/en/blog/confidential-guest-reset-qemu-hypervisor-design-choices-and-approach) * Blog post [Customer stories and continued momentum: OpenShift Virtualization sessions at Red Hat Summit 2026](/en/blog/openshift-virtualization-sessions-red-hat-summit-2026) * E-book [An executive’s guide to navigating insurance modernization](/en/engage/navigating-insurance-modernization-ebook) * Analyst material [A Proven Modern Virtualization Technical Stack](/en/resources/idc-proven-modern-virtualization-stack) ### Related articles * [What is KVM?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-KVM) * [Containers vs. VMs: Similarities, differences, and combined approaches](/en/topics/containers/containers-vs-vms) * [How to create a virtual machine with an instance type](/en/topics/virtualization/how-create-virtual-machine-instance-type) * [What is a virtual machine (VM)?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-a-virtual-machine) * [What's the difference between cloud and virtualization?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/cloud-vs-virtualization) * [What is virtualization?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-virtualization) * [What is virtualization management?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-virtualization-management) * [Red Hat OpenShift on VMware](/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/vmware) * [How to migrate VMs from VMware to Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization](/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/migrate-vmware-to-openshift-virtualization) * [KVM vs. VMware](/en/topics/virtualization/kvm-vs-vmware-comparison) * [What is virtual infrastructure management? And how can automation help?](/en/topics/automation/virtual-infrastructure-management) * [How to choose a virtualization platform](/en/topics/virtualization/how-to-choose-a-virtualization-platform) * [What is KubeVirt?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-kubevirt) * [What is live migration?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-live-migration) * [Why choose Red Hat for virtualization?](/en/topics/virtualization/why-choose-red-hat-for-virtualization) * [Why migrate virtual machines to Red Hat?](/en/topics/virtualization/why-migrate-your-virtual-machines-to-red-hat) * [What is a hypervisor?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-a-hypervisor) * [Learn everything you need to know about Open RAN](/en/topics/5g-networks/what-is-open-ran) * [VNF and CNF, what’s the difference?](/en/topics/cloud-native-apps/vnf-and-cnf-whats-the-difference) * [What is SD-WAN?](/en/topics/edge-computing/what-is-sd-wan) * [What is network virtualization?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-network-virtualization) * [What is a radio access network?](/en/topics/5g-networks/what-is-radio-access-network) * [What is hyperconverged infrastructure?](/en/topics/hyperconverged-infrastructure/what-is-hyperconverged-infrastructure) * [What is software-defined networking?](/en/topics/hyperconverged-infrastructure/what-is-software-defined-networking) * [What is NFV?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-nfv) * [What is container-native virtualization?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-container-native-virtualization) [More about this topic](/en/topics/virtualization "More about this topic")