A radio access network comprises a serving radio network controller
(S-RNC). The S-RNC receives successfully received medium access control
(MAC) packet data units (PDUs), discards duplicates of MAC PDUs, reorders
the non-discarded MAC PDUs based on serial numbers of the MAC PDUs and
delivers the MAC PDUs to a radio link control protocol layer. A
controlling radio network controller (C-RNC) provides information to
Node-Bs under its control for use in scheduling uplink transmissions. A
plurality of Node-Bs schedule uplink transmissions in response to the
information provided by its C-RNC, transmit scheduling information to
user equipments of its cells, receive MAC PDUs from user equipments of
its cells using hybrid automatic repeat request and forward the
successfully received MAC PDUs to an associated S-RNC.