6G Cloud-Native System: Vision, Challenges, Architecture Framework and Enabling Technologies (original) (raw)

Every generation of wireless technologies needs to bring a set of new system capabilities to enable future applications and services, the sixth generation mobile system (6G) is no exception. This paper provides an overview of the technology transformation from the communication-centric the forth generation mobile system (4G) and the fifth generation mobile system (5G) to the compute-centric 6G with the cloud-native system framework as the foundation of the next generation technologies. We explain what 6G plans to achieve, the fundamental reasons for this technology transformation, the architecture framework and enabling technologies to achieve 6G cloud-native technology objectives. This paper intends to provide a technical deep dive on the 6G cloud-native system to trigger more discussions, innovations and bring the technology transformation from concept to reality. 10 11 INDEX TERMS 6G, cloud-native, cloud computing, communication-computing convergence, system architecture, ubiquitous computing. I. INTRODUCTION 12 Technology advancement in the fortth generation mobile sys-13 tem (4G) and the fifth generation mobile system (5G) have 14 enabled the trillion-dollar mobile internet and smart phone 15 industry. While the 4G system provided support for legacy 16 circuit-switched communications (such as voice), it also pro-17 vided enablers for moving all types of user communication 18 over the Internet protocol (IP), including voice. The 5G 19 system provided further enhancements in terms of increased 20 data rates, reduced latency, and support for various niche 21 markets (e.g. factory automation, satellite communication, 22 private networks, etc.). 23 One of the salient features of the 5G system is the definition 24 of the 5G core network (CN) as a service-based architecture 25 (SBA). The SBA allows for 5G CN functions (e.g. access 26 and mobility function (AMF), session management function 27 (SMF), policy control function (PCF), etc.) to be imple-28 mented as a set of software-defined services reachable over a 29 96602