In April 2025, 3GPP and the O-RAN ALLIANCE convened a joint workshop (3ORW) at the ETSI headquarters in Sophia Antipolis, France, to explore coordination for the development of 6G. The meeting marked an important step in aligning the activities of two key organisations that will shape the architecture, specifications and implementation strategies for next-generation mobile networks.
The workshop was not intended to make binding decisions. Instead, it provided an open forum for dialogue, allowing stakeholders to share views on work division, specification planning and potential technical overlaps. Over 400 participants registered for the event, with around 110 attending in person.
There was broad agreement that the industry must avoid fragmentation and duplication. The roles of the two organisations were clarified. 3GPP will define the core specifications and architecture of 6G, including the air interface, network management and service functionality. The O-RAN ALLIANCE will complement this work by developing its own specifications that are consistent with the 3GPP framework. This includes areas such as fronthaul, SMO, AI and cloud infrastructure management.
One of the more delicate topics was the treatment of the Radio Unit and its interface in the 6G architecture. Some contributors proposed referencing O-RAN specifications directly within 3GPP documents, while others objected. A compromise was discussed in which 3GPP may acknowledge the existence of a Radio Unit and its interface in a normative annex, without specifying its functions or referencing external standards. This discussion will continue within the 3GPP TSG RAN group.
AI and machine learning are expected to be fundamental to the operation of 6G networks. 3GPP is working on an architecture that supports AI use cases across the core, radio access and device layers. The O-RAN ALLIANCE will build on this with additional services and capabilities. Both organisations will strive to ensure their models, data structures and lifecycle management approaches remain aligned.
In terms of automation, 3GPP retains responsibility for the management architecture and services of the radio access and core networks. O-RAN will continue to evolve its SMO framework, including key interfaces such as O1 and O2. There is consensus that both organisations must work towards a unified management model and avoid conflicting assumptions.
Cloud infrastructure also featured in the discussions. 3GPP confirmed that its specifications will remain agnostic regarding whether functions are deployed on cloud-native or dedicated hardware platforms. The O-RAN ALLIANCE will take the lead in defining how cloud resources and network functions are managed in open RAN environments. Security coordination was also highlighted, with the shared goal of defining a consistent and robust 6G security framework.
The workshop highlighted the complexity of maintaining coordination between independently governed technical bodies. It also underscored the industry's shared recognition that collaboration is essential to deliver a coherent and efficient 6G ecosystem. While the discussions were non-binding, they laid the foundation for future alignment and introduced the possibility of further joint workshops to manage ongoing coordination.
The road to 6G will require consensus, cooperation and continuous dialogue. This workshop demonstrated that the key players are willing to engage and align early in the process to support a globally harmonised standard.
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