The global cellular industry has formally entered the next phase of its evolution. Standardization on 6G is now underway at the 3GPP. What was previously a future-looking vision is transitioning into structured requirements, architectural studies and the foundation of the first normative specifications. 

For cable operators, particularly those expanding wireless footprints through mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) models, citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) deployments and Wi-Fi-first strategies, this moment is strategically important. Unlike mobile network operators (MNOs) who have ubiquitous licensed coverage, cable operators function in a different reality: heterogeneous accesses, limited macro footprint and a strong reliance on their Wi-Fi and wireline infrastructure. 

The 6G networking standard doesn’t have to simply be “5G, but faster.” However, 6G has the potential to become the first generation where true multi-access convergence — through non-3GPP access integration and service continuity across various radio access technologies — is foundational rather than merely a collection of optional enhancements. Recent reports have suggested between 80–90 percent of mobile users’ data is carried over Wi-Fi, underscoring the importance of ubiquitous coverage, particularly in indoor scenarios, and uninterrupted connectivity during network transitions. 

6G Timeline: From Vision to Standards Commitments 

The ongoing 3GPP Release 20 is the first release studying 6G requirements, use cases and architecture, whereas Release 21 is expected to be the first normative 6G release, in which 6G moves from study into specifications. This is the transition from “studies and alignment” to “schedule and execution.” A set of foundational 6G Study Item Descriptions (SIDs) have been approved by 3GPP across its Service and System Aspects (SA) working groups (WGs). These studies establish the formal starting point for 6G definition work. 

Some of the foundational 6G SIDs approved in WGs are as follows: 

• SA1 WG — Study on 6G Requirements (FS_6G_REQ)
  Defines the “why and what” of 6G: the service requirements, use cases, key performance indicators (KPIs) and high-level capabilities that will drive every downstream architecture and protocol decision. This is the foundation that aligns industry expectations and prevents architecture work from drifting. 

• SA2 WG — Study on 6G System Architecture (FS_6G_ARC)
  Translates requirements into the system blueprint: core architectural principles, functional decomposition, interface model and cross-domain integration approach (e.g., multi-access, identity, exposure, AI-native hooks). With a target completion date of March 2027, this is a multi-year effort that will shape the first normative 6G release. 

• SA3 WG — Study on Security of the 6G System (FS_6G_SEC)
  Establishes the security model from Day 1 (identity, authentication, key hierarchy, privacy, resilience, trust domains), which is critical because 6G is expected to expand into more heterogeneous access and more software-driven/AI-driven operations. 

6G Study Areas Across Working Groups — Through a Cable Operator Lens 

The newly approved studies span requirements, architecture, security, charging, operations and application enablement. Although the studies are broad in scope, several themes are especially relevant for cable operators pursuing converged service strategies. 

• In 5G, Wi-Fi integration exists through several mechanisms, including untrusted non-3GPP access procedures and Access Traffic Steering, Switching and Splitting (ATSSS) using the Non-3GPP Interworking Function (N3IWF). However, these mechanisms remain complex, minimally deployed and often secondary to cellular-first assumptions. The 6G technology can finally standardize seamless service continuity across broadband, Wi-Fi, cellular and satellite as a unified system, eliminating silos. Non-3GPP access integration is now explicit in the 6G architecture study scope (SA2 FS_6G_ARC). 

• Correspondingly, non-3GPP security is being investigated early (SA3 FS_6G_SEC) to avoid retrofits. The SA3 WG’s 6G security study is explicitly scoped to define security and privacy architecture and procedures for 6G aligned with SA1 requirements and the SA2 architecture, reflecting a deliberate “security-by-design” posture as heterogeneous access expands. Given SA2’s stated need to coordinate with SA3 on authentication aspects for non-3GPP access, this is directly relevant for how Wi-Fi access will be secured in 6G. 

• Non-3GPP sensing integration, which includes Wi-Fi-based sensing and sensing data fusion from multiple sources, has emerged as a critical use case within the broader 6G Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) requirements. Consequently, non-3GPP sensing has been included as an aspect for architecture study within the SA2 study (FS_6G_ARC). 

Call to Action: Why Early Engagement Matters 

Early engagement in the 6G study phase is critical because it’s where the “rules of the game” are written. Here, the foundational assumptions of the next generation of cellular networks are established, before architectures, interfaces and requirements become locked into normative specifications.  

The decisions made now will shape how future networks integrate heterogeneous access technologies, support mobility, enforce policy and deliver a consistent user experience across cellular and non-cellular domains. If stakeholders wait until the first normative 6G release work is already underway, many of the core design choices may default to legacy deployment models, limiting flexibility in how multi-access connectivity is realized.  

The 6G evolution represents more than a technology upgrade; it’s a strategic opportunity to shape the architecture of future networks around real-world deployment needs. The time to influence that direction is now, while the blueprint is still being written. 

CableLabs’ Unique Position to Drive Member Interests 

CableLabs has a unique role to play in this early phase by serving as a bridge between the standards ecosystem and the practical realities of broadband-centric operators. Through technical leadership, industry collaboration and active participation in standards bodies, CableLabs is helping to ensure that the emerging 6G framework reflects convergence, multi-access integration and cable operators’ priorities. By conducting research, proof-of-concept validation and coordinated contributions, CableLabs is shaping a future wireless architecture that supports seamless connectivity across technology domains, delivering meaningful value for the broader industry. 

To stay informed and engage in this work, join the CableLabs Wireless Working Group (member log-in required) and help ensure that broadband-centric deployment models are reflected in the 6G standard.   

Traditionally, telecommunications networks operate in siloes running specialized physical hardware functions for each domain (radio, access, transport, core, and data center), and they’re managed by proprietary element management systems. Operators who have both wireline and wireless networks, for example, run the networks on separate infrastructures and manage them independently. For that reason, designing, deploying, and operating end-to-end services can involve lengthy and manual processes resulting in longer lead times (weeks to months) until effective service delivery.

But the networks of tomorrow are envisioned to operate multiple different physical and cloud- native functions over a single flexible, programmable convergence platform whose hardware, software and data storage resources are shared across multiple access technologies. And a key building block of convergence is operations convergence, implying a common operations framework for deploying, configuring, and managing network functions constituting a service.

The Converged Service Management Layer (CSML) Project

When it comes to solving these challenges, technologies like software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) have already addressed certain pieces of the puzzle. SDN separates the data plane (network traffic) from the control plane (signaling/routing traffic) to enable flexible, coordinated control, and NFV decouples network and service functions from the underlying hardware. In addition, cloud computing provides an efficient means to utilize the infrastructure and make all these goals achievable. But a converged service operator needs to have the ability to model end-to-end services and to abstract and automate the control of physical and virtual resources.

CableLabs’ CSML project —the final puzzle piece in the operations convergence puzzle—began in response to the rising need for a common automation platform for different network lifecycle processes. The CSML implementation consists of an open-source orchestration platform —Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) —and additional utilities developed by CableLabs to onboard service use cases. The project activities are broadly divided into three categories:

• Service design involves specifying end-to-end services composed of multiple network functions (NFs) called xNFs. The model-driven approach helps with extending and reusing software artifacts for various use cases.
• Service deployment involves automated instantiation, modification and removal of network services over both physical and virtual infrastructures.
• Service assurance involves a vendor-agnostic monitoring and analytics framework for closed-loop management.

The use cases that are currently being designed and developed aim to either improve existing operational processes or demonstrate advanced orchestration and automation capabilities through new service concepts. For example, by converging both service and the underlying network data, operators are able to better extract and exploit the correlations between the two. Advances in machine learning can be applied to this converged data source to drive service automation and assurance features such as proactive network maintenance (PNM), auto-healing, or service resiliency and optimization.

CSML’s Long-Term Goals

The broader goals of the CSML project are to drive the adoption of network automation, virtualization and operations convergence at scale. Also, as the transition to NFV is progressing, the project aims to demonstrate how physical network elements can be harmonized with virtual elements to preserve exiting network investments. The use cases demonstrated by the project will provide a blueprint for a flexible, agile service platform, powering both existing and new innovative services while reducing cost and operational complexities.

If you need more information or have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to Rahil Gandotra, Senior SW Architect and Converged Service Management Layer Project Lead (r.gandotra@cablelabs.com).