Holistic-Service-Based Architecture for Open-Source 6G Core Networks

Service-based architecture (SBA) has long been recognized as a key enabler of the 5G core network in supporting a wide variety of use cases with challenging requirements, both in the Internet of Things (IoT) and across vertical industries. However, the evolution toward 6G reveals inherent limitations of existing SBA-based core networks, which are primarily designed for static service provisioning. As a consequence, artificial intelligence (AI) is often introduced as an external add-on rather than being natively embedded into the core network architecture, fundamentally limiting the ability to support intelligent, adaptive, and service-aware networking. Furthermore, AI is increasingly becoming a native capability, rather than an external “plug-in” function, in nextgeneration networks. In this context, SBA and AI are natively integrated into an open-source core network (OpenCN). First, we present a novel holistic-service-based OpenCN architecture that incorporates native AI as well as a management and orchestration (MANO) plane. The servicebased MANO plane is designed according to two core principles: (i) decoupling monolithic OpenCN components into independent functions and resources, and (ii) reconfiguring the required functions and resources to construct a customized OpenCN instance tailored to users’ specific requirements. In this manner, each user can be provisioned with a personalized service. Second, we evaluate the performance of the proposed OpenCN framework using a smallscale test network. The results demonstrate that OpenCN achieves higher bandwidth utilization, more efficient resource allocation, and lower energy consumption compared with benchmark solutions. Finally, we discuss several promising research directions for next-generation OpenCNs.