Near-RT RIC (Near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller)
Also known as: Near-Real-Time RIC, nRT RIC
The Near-RT RIC is the O-RAN control-loop platform that hosts xApps and drives the RAN over the E2 interface with control latencies between 10 ms and 1 s. It performs radio-resource optimisation, mobility control, QoS enforcement and interference mitigation. Because xApps can push control decisions into live gNBs, xApp authentication, signing, sandboxing and E2 policy enforcement are the core security controls for Near-RT RIC.
Categories: Radio Access Network
Near-RT RIC in context
The radio access network is where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations and downgrade attacks; defenses rest on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.
To place Near-RT RIC in the wider telecom-security picture, review 1G, 2G, 5G, 5G SA, 5G NSA and 5GNR — each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.
Related terms
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Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.