Involved in antiviral response. Associates with IFNAR2 to form the type I interferon receptor. In the presence of intracellular IFNAR1 (IFNAR1B) and IFNA1 (iIFN1b isoform), may mediate STAT1 and STAT2 phosphorylation and induction of EIF2AK2, MX1 and RSAD2. Heterodimer with IFNAR2. Mainly detected in perinuclear regions, when overexpressed in RTG-2 cell line. In the fibroblastic RTG-2 cell line, induced by polyinosine-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), a synthetic analog of dsRNA, that binds TLR3. Belongs to the type II cytokine receptor family.