ETSI’s industry specification group for Network Function Virtualisation (ETSI NFV) has enhanced the system as well as designed new features to support 5G networks. ETSI NFV has added 5G resource management and orchestration aspects on top of the NFV Release 2 architecture framework.

New NFV Release 3 features that closely relate to 5G include Support for network slicing in NFV, Management over multi-administrative domains, and Multi-site network connectivity. These features are essential to address the variety of applications expected to run on top of a 5G system, whether using distributed resources over multiple sites, centralized or a combination of both.

ETSI and 3GPP have collaborated on specification work for ETSI NFV Release 2 and 3, to ensure interoperability between management systems, covering upper orchestration and management layers, such as network management or application management.

The ETSI Industry Specification Group working on IPv6 (ISG IP6) has been extended until December 2020 in order to complete an IPv6-based vehicular networking report and a report on IPv6 security, cybersecurity and privacy.

The ETSI ISG IP6 has already released 7 Group Reports that cover very sensitive areas for the deployment of IPv6. They address 6TiSCH interoperability test specifications, IPv6-based 5G mobile wireless internet deployment, the deployment of IPv6-based SDN and NFV, IPv6-based industrial internet leveraging 6TiSCH technology, the deployment of IPv6-based Internet of Things, the generic migration steps from IPv4 to IPv6 and the IPv6 deployment in the enterprise.

IPv6 was developed to address IPv4 address exhaustion in some parts of the world and enable new internet services with improved end to end security. With the Internet of Things and the growing number of connected devices round the world, IPv6 becomes a necessity.

The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through sustainable open source, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ETSI, the independent organization providing global standards for ICT services across all sectors of industry, to bring open source and standards closer and foster synergies between them.

Building on the existing working relationship between the two organizations, the formal collaboration agreement will enable faster information-sharing and deployment of open networking technologies across the industry. The formal link between communities of experts will encourage and enable collaborative activities, joint communication, promotion and events, as well as potential common initiatives related to interoperability and conformance testing.

Areas of mutual interest between ETSI and the Linux Foundation span across a range of technologies, including those focused on NFV, MANO, AI and edge computing.