Macro, Small Cell, Private 5G/CBRS — Engineered, Secure, and Proven
Note: In industry usage RAN means Radio Access Network (not “Radio Area”). We’ll use the standard term and deliver everything you expect—macro + small cells, private 5G/CBRS, Wi-Fi interplay, and cloud/edge integration—end-to-end.
SolveForce builds RAN as a system: spectrum planning and RF design, RU/DU/CU architecture (4G/5G), Open RAN options, fronthaul/midhaul/backhaul over fiber or microwave, MEC/edge compute, Zero-Trust management, and evidence pipelines so every attach, handover, and change is measurable and auditable.
Related foundations
RF & Private Networks → /private-5g • /cbrs • Edge & Core → /edge-data-centers • WAN → /sd-wan • Backhaul → /connectivity
Security → /cybersecurity • /ztna • Evidence & Ops → /siem-soar
Industry 4.0 & IoT → /industry-4-0-in-automation • /suite-of-internet-of-things-iot
🎯 Outcomes We Optimize
- Coverage & capacity where you need it — deterministic attach, reliable throughput, and controlled interference.
- Low-latency experiences — optimized handovers and short backhaul paths for voice/video/AR/OT control.
- Secure operations — SIM/eSIM lifecycle, Zero-Trust management, encrypted backhaul, role-based access.
- Interoperability — private 5G/CBRS + Wi-Fi + public 5G/LTE blend; seamless SD-WAN and cloud on-ramps.
- Evidence on demand — RF surveys, KPI dashboards, drive tests, and change diffs exported to SIEM/SOAR.
🧭 RAN Reference Architecture (4G/5G)
Cells & Radios
- Macro (rooftop/tower), small cells (indoor/outdoor), Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS), neutral host options.
- RU/DU/CU split (O-RAN or vendor-integrated): RU (radio), DU (real-time baseband), CU (non-real-time control).
- Timing/Sync: GNSS + PTP (IEEE 1588v2), SyncE as needed.
Transport
- Fronthaul (RU↔DU): eCPRI/CPRI over fiber; strict latency/jitter budgets.
- Midhaul/Backhaul (DU/CU↔Core): fiber, microwave, DIA + IPsec as policy; SD-WAN for routing resiliency. → /sd-wan • /connectivity
Core & Edge
- 4G EPC / 5G Core (AMF/SMF/UPF) with local breakout to MEC at edge data centers for sub-20 ms apps. → /edge-data-centers
Spectrum & Policy
- Licensed bands (operator), CBRS (3.5 GHz) for private, unlicensed/shared where appropriate; power/channelization per site.
Management & Security
- SIM/eSIM lifecycle, private APNs, ZTNA for OSS/NMS/admin, IPsec/MACsec on backhaul, role-based UIs, audit logs. → /ztna
📦 Service Catalog (what we design & operate)
1) RF Planning & Site Design — propagation models, clutter/terrain, antenna tilt/azimuth, small-cell layout, indoor distributed systems, PIM/VSWR checks.
2) Spectrum Strategy — CBRS PAL/GAA coordination, licensed band coordination, channel plans, power budgets, interference management. → /cbrs
3) RAN Build — RU/DU/CU or integrated gNB/eNB; fiber/microwave fronthaul/backhaul; timing (GNSS/PTP); cabinet/UPS/grounding.
4) Core & MEC — 4G EPC / 5G SA/NSA core integration, UPF placement at edge for low-latency apps, slice/QoS policies.
5) Wi-Fi & Private 5G Interplay — steer devices and workloads across Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 and private 5G for best latency and mobility. → /wlan • /private-5g
6) Operations & SON — auto-optimization (tilt/power/neighbor lists), alarm correlation, KPI tuning, vendor escalation.
7) Security & SIM Ops — eSIM provisioning, SUPI/SUCI privacy, device allow-lists, ZTNA admin, encrypted backhaul, compliance logging.
8) Observability & Evidence — RF (RSRP/RSRQ/SINR), attach/TAU, PRB utilization, HO success, CQI, throughput, latency, jitter; drive tests, RF maps → /siem-soar.
📊 Spectrum & Cell Type Matrix
| Layer | Typical Bands* | Cell Type | Range (urban) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low band | 600/700/850/900 MHz | Macro | 1–10 km | Wide coverage, indoor penetration |
| Mid band (incl. CBRS 3.5 GHz) | 1.8–3.7 GHz | Macro / small cell | 0.2–3 km | Capacity + good coverage; private 5G |
| High band (mmWave) | 24–39+ GHz | Small cell | 50–300 m | Ultra-high throughput, venues/campuses |
* Exact availability varies by country/operator; CBRS (US) enables enterprise private 5G.
🧰 Use-Case Patterns
- Private 5G/CBRS Campus — mid-band small cells + indoor DAS, SIM identity, local UPF at the edge, QoS/slicing for AGVs/AMRs and tablets; Wi-Fi for user access. → /private-5g
- Industrial/OT RAN — deterministic coverage along lines/aisles/yards; OPC UA/MQTT over private APN; cell/zone segmentation; MEC for vision/QC. → /industry-4-0-in-automation
- Logistics Yards / Ports / Airports — outdoor small cells + macro overlay; RTLS, OCR cameras, apron safety; SD-WAN backhaul to core. → /maritime-aviation
- Venues & Smart Cities — neutral-host or shared RAN, mmWave/HAPS where sensible, public safety tie-ins, crowd density analytics. → /smart-cities
- Retail / Pop-Ups / Events — portable small cells + 5G backhaul, UC/PoS/IoT lanes, quick de-mobilization. → /retail
- Healthcare & Campus Clinics — indoor coverage with PHI-aware policies, Wi-Fi coexistence, NG911 readiness; EHR performance. → /healthcare-networks
🔐 Security & Trust (built-in)
- Identity: SIM/eSIM lifecycle (K/OP keys handled safely), private APN & IP address plans, device allow-lists.
- Management plane: ZTNA for OSS/NMS, PAM JIT for privileged actions, least-privilege roles, audit trails.
- User plane: IPsec/MACsec on backhaul; SUPI/SUCI privacy (5G); DDoS posture at Internet edges.
- Compliance: sector overlays—HIPAA (PHI), PCI (payments over cellular), NIST/CJIS for public safety. → /hipaa • /pci-dss • /nist
📐 SLO Guardrails (targets you can tune)
| Domain | KPI / SLO (p95 unless noted) | Baseline Target |
|---|---|---|
| Attach | UE attach/registration time | ≤ 1–3 s |
| Handover | Intra/Inter-cell HO latency | ≤ 50–150 ms |
| Coverage | RSRP at cell edge | ≥ −100 to −95 dBm (band-dependent) |
| Quality | SINR at service edge | ≥ 0–5 dB (profile-dependent) |
| Throughput | UE DL/UL in served area | Per design (e.g., 100/20 Mb/s p95 mid-band) |
| Utilization | PRB utilization (busy hr) | ≤ 70–80% sustained |
| Latency | UE→App (local MEC) | ≤ 10–20 ms |
| Backhaul | One-way (metro) | ≤ 1–3 ms |
| Security | ZTNA admin attach | ≤ 1–3 s |
| Evidence | KPIs/tests → SIEM | ≤ 60–120 s |
Breaches auto-open a case and trigger SOAR plays (adjust tilt/power/neighbor lists, enable carrier aggregation, reroute backhaul, rotate keys, rollback config), with artifacts. → /siem-soar
🧪 Acceptance Tests & Artifacts (we keep the receipts)
- RF: site surveys, clutter models, drive/walk tests (RSRP/RSRQ/SINR/CQI), PCI/NR-ARFCN plans, spectrum analyzer captures, PIM/VSWR results.
- Throughput/Latency: UE test matrices (DL/UL), UDP/TCP tests, MEC vs backhaul split.
- Mobility: attach/TAU timers, intra/inter-cell handover logs, neighbor lists, paging success.
- Transport: fronthaul/midhaul/backhaul latency/jitter/BER; IPsec/MACsec proofs.
- Security: SIM/eSIM provisioning logs, APN routing, ZTNA admin admits, RBAC audit, KMS/vault rotations.
- Ops: alarm thresholds, SON actions, firmware baselines, change diffs.
Artifacts stream to /siem-soar and bundle into QBR/audit packs.
📦 RAN Options (choose your fit)
| Option | When to Choose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Macro + Small Cell Overlay | City/large campus coverage + hotspots | Macro for reach, small cells for capacity |
| Private 5G/CBRS | Enterprise control & QoS | SIM identity, local UPF, deterministic RF |
| Neutral Host / DAS | Multi-operator indoor | Real estate/venue model, shared infra |
| Open RAN | Vendor diversity, cloud-native DU/CU | Validate fronthaul budgets & timing |
| MEC at Edge | Sub-20 ms apps (vision/AR/OT) | Place UPF near site; SD-WAN routing |
🧱 Design Notes & Best Practices
- Engineer diversity: dual power, fiber routes, GNSS/antenna redundancy, diverse backhaul POPs.
- Bound interference early: channel reuse plans, PCI planning, down-tilt for vertical zoning, enforce power masks.
- Keep LLS (lower layer split) budgets: eCPRI fronthaul latency/jitter must be honored end-to-end.
- Wi-Fi coexistence: use 6 GHz for user density, private 5G mid-band for deterministic mobility; steer devices by role.
- Plan SIM lifecycle: bind SIMs to users/devices & policies; automate issuance/retire with audit trails.
- Quarterly drills: backhaul cut, GNSS loss, RRU/BBU failover, slice/QoS change, firmware rollback with artifacts.
📝 RAN Intake (copy-paste & fill)
- Sites & maps (macro, small cell, indoor areas), heights, mounting options, power/grounding
- Use-cases & KPIs (coverage, throughput, MEC latency, mobility patterns)
- Spectrum (licensed bands, CBRS PAL/GAA, shared/unlicensed), regulatory constraints
- Transport (fronthaul/midhaul/backhaul paths, fiber/microwave, latency/jitter budgets)
- Core/MEC (4G EPC or 5G SA/NSA; UPF placement; slice/QoS needs)
- Interplay (Wi-Fi, SD-WAN, private APNs, cloud on-ramps)
- Security (SIM/eSIM ops, ZTNA admin scope, IPsec/MACsec, RBAC, audit)
- Compliance (HIPAA/PCI/NIST/CJIS/etc.), artifact retention
- Operations (managed vs co-managed, SIEM destination, change windows, SON scope)
- Budget & timeline, success metrics (attach, HO, throughput, p95 latency)
We’ll return a design-to-quote with architecture, supplier options, SLO-mapped pricing, acceptance plan, and an evidence pipeline for audits and QBRs.
Or jump to /customized-quotes.
📞 Build a RAN That Performs, Protects, and Proves It
- Call: (888) 765-8301
- Email: contact@solveforce.com
From macro + small cells to private 5G/CBRS, from MEC to cloud cores, we’ll deliver a RAN your business can measure, trust, and prove.