Central controlled IPRAN uses SDN principles to improve upon traditional IPRAN networks by moving major control functions to a central controller. This allows for free service planning, plug-and-play deployment, automatic protocol configuration, and fast troubleshooting from a single controller rather than individual network devices. The central controller has end-to-end visibility and control over forwarding nodes like base stations, cell site gateways, and aggregation gateways. This architecture simplifies operations and maintenance of the network.