xApps and rApps: what they are and how they work

xApps on the Near-RT RIC

xApps are containerized microservices running on the near-RT RIC platform. They subscribe to real-time RAN data via E2 — cell KPIs, UE measurements, and scheduling metrics. Based on this data, xApps make control decisions within 10ms to 1 second: triggering handovers, adjusting scheduling weights, managing interference, or controlling admission. xApps communicate with each other through the RIC Message Router (RMR). A subscription and conflict manager prevents contradictory actions when multiple xApps try to control the same resources. Popular xApp examples include traffic steering, QoE…