The main structure of a 5G network is the radio access network (RAN), which can be implemented in several architectures. Regardless of the architecture, software-defined radios (SDRs) play a major role in every step of the RAN chain, including backhaul, midhaul, and fronthaul. SDRs – whether on the battlefield or the urban jungle – provide important technological features that handle the “big data” glut, including fast 10-100 Gb/sec fiber communication, wide tuning range, several multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) channels, high phase coherency, and a software-based backend that can be programmed to fit any applications.