A central control entity configured to control a data plane flow of a stream of data packages in an access network part of a mobile communications network, the central control entity comprising: a detecting unit, configured to detect a presence of data plane applications communicatively connected to forwarding elements of the access network part, configured to detect information about a type of data plane application that is to be applied to said data plane flow, wherein the data plane applications perform various functions and/or operations associated with data packages included in the data plane flow, a flow control unit configured to determine a path of the data plane flow through the forwarding elements of the access network part to one of the network nodes containing the determined type of data plane application, characterized by the detecting unit being configured to detect flow information reports from forwarding elements which are in direct communication with one network node containing the determined type of data plane application, each flow information report from one of the forwarding elements containing information about a data packet volume transmitted from said one forwarding element to said one data plane application, and the flow control unit being configured to determine a load of said one data plane application provided on said one network node, taking into account the flow information reports from the forwarding elements which are in direct communication with said one data plane application, wherein the flow control unit determines the path of the data plane flow, taking into account the determined load of said one data plane application and a load report received directly from said one data plane application, the load report containing information about a load being processed and a processing capacity of said one data plane application. a detecting unit, configured to detect a presence of data plane applications communicatively connected to forwarding elements of the access network part, configured to detect information about a type of data plane application that is to be applied to said data plane flow, wherein the data plane applications perform various functions and/or operations associated with data packages included in the data plane flow, a flow control unit configured to determine a path of the data plane flow through the forwarding elements of the access network part to one of the network nodes containing the determined type of data plane application, characterized by the detecting unit being configured to detect flow information reports from forwarding elements which are in direct communication with one network node containing the determined type of data plane application, each flow information report from one of the forwarding elements containing information about a data packet volume transmitted from said one forwarding element to said one data plane application, and the flow control unit being configured to determine a load of said one data plane application provided on said one network node, taking into account the flow information reports from the forwarding elements which are in direct communication with said one data plane application, wherein the flow control unit determines the path of the data plane flow, taking into account the determined load of said one data plane application and a load report received directly from said one data plane application, the load report containing information about a load being processed and a processing capacity of said one data plane application.