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Near-RT RIC vs Non-RT RIC

The main differences between a Near-Realtime RAN Intelligent Controller (Near-RT RIC) and a Non-Realtime RAN Intelligent Controller (Non-RT RIC) are their operational timescales, functions, and locations within the network:


Operational Timescales:

  1. Near-RT RIC: Operates in near-real-time, handling optimization actions that typically take between 10 milliseconds and 1 second to complete[1][2].
  2. Non-RT RIC: Operates in non-real-time, handling functions with a response time greater than 1 second[1][5].


Functions:

  1. Near-RT RIC: Focuses on near-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources, such as radio resource management (RRM), and is steered by policies and models computed/trained by the Non-RT RIC. It hosts xApps, which are specialized applications for automation and optimization of the RAN[1][2].
  2. Non-RT RIC: Supports non-real-time radio resource management, higher layer procedure optimization, policy optimization in RAN, and provides guidance, parameters, policies, and AI/ML models to support the operation of Near-RT RIC functions. It hosts rApps, which are specialized microservices for optimization and automation, and operates from within the Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) platform[1][3].


Location within the Network:

  1. Near-RT RIC: Can be deployed centrally or on the network edge, often within a telco edge cloud or regional cloud, to meet the latency requirements for near-real-time operations[3][4].
  2. Non-RT RIC: Operates centrally within the operator’s network as part of the SMO framework, which enables it to access contextual data and optimize aspects of the network that RAN nodes cannot[3].


Interaction:

  1. Near-RT RIC: Receives policy guidance from the Non-RT RIC and provides policy feedback to the Non-RT RIC[1][4].
  2. Non-RT RIC: Communicates with the Near-RT RIC’s xApps to provide policy-based guidance and assists in RAN optimization[2].


In essence, the Near-RT RIC is responsible for rapid, localized decision-making and control within the RAN, while the Non-RT RIC is responsible for broader, strategic decision-making and policy guidance that does not require immediate action. Both controllers are integral to the Open RAN architecture, enabling more dynamic and efficient network operations.


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Citations:

[1] https://moniem-tech.com/2022/11/08/what-is-the-difference-between-non-rt-ric-and-near-rt-ric/

[2] https://www.rcrwireless.com/20221021/featured/open-ran-near-real-time-ric-vs-non-real-time-ric

[3] https://www.rcrwireless.com/20211129/fundamentals/non-real-time-ric-vs-near-real-time-ric

[4] https://www.juniper.net/us/en/research-topics/what-is-ric.html

[5] https://blog.viavisolutions.com/2022/05/06/ran-intelligent-real-time-and-non-real-time-ric-the-test-challenges/

[6] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/near-rt-ric-hype-deliver-o-ran-promise-manoharan-ramalingam

[7] https://docs.o-ran-sc.org/projects/o-ran-sc-nonrtric/en/cherry/overview.html

[8] https://rimedolabs.com/blog/ran-intelligent-controller-ric-overview-xapps-and-rapps/

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