Cloud Native Based Intelligent RAN Architecture Towards 6G Programmable Networking

With the rapid development of new technologies, research on 6G is expected to take advantages of emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing. The thought of AI native and cloud native drives the evolution of programmable networks towards more intelligence and automation. For Radio Access Network (RAN), the anticipated use of cloud-based AI technologies has also attracted a lot of attention to improve the efficiency of resource allocation and reduce the cost of network maintenance. This article firstly summarizes the latest progress in network cloudification and intelligence. Then based on the high flexibility and reconfigurability of cloud native, we present an intelligent RAN architecture for 6G. Finally, an indoor positioning case is offered to demonstrate the workflow of the proposed open-source based platform framework, which enriches the researches for future development of providing programmable networks.