Marius Iordache

In the upcoming 6G era, mobile networks must deal with more challenging applications (e.g., holographic telepresence and immersive communication) and meet far more stringent application requirements stemming along the edge-cloud continuum. These new applications will create an elevated level of expectations on performance, reliability, ubiquity, trust-worthiness, security, openness, and sustainability, pushing the boundaries of innovation and driving transformational change across the architecture of future mobile networks. Towards this end, ADROIT6G proposes a set of disruptive innovations with a clear vision on setting a 6G network architecture that can be tailored to the requirements of innovative applications and match the ambitious KPls set for 6G networks. More specifically, the key transformations that ADROIT6G considers essential to 6G network evolution are: i) AIIML-powered optimisations across the network, exploring solutions in the “Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI)” domain for high performance and automation; ii) Transforming to fully cloud-native network software, which can be implemented across various edge-cloud platforms, with security built integrally into the network user plan; and iii) Soft-ware driven, zero-touch operations and ultimately automation of every aspect of the network and the services it delivers.

Presently, one of the critical challenges for mobile operators is how to implement in the near future a 5G network. This network must support a variety of use cases each of them with different requirements. 5G use cases are so diverse and challenging that the 5G networks must be customizable for the broad range of individual scenarios. We analyze in this paper the steps, objectives, architecture and specific requirements necessary for development and implementation of a Smart City Use Case in a 5G mobile network's operator. We consider that this use case will be the first that will use the 5G network, deployed by Orange Romania, in the near future.