The UNITY-6G architecture is a highly modular and intelligent 6G network system designed to support sustainable, scalable, and AI-native operations across heterogeneous domains. At its core, the architecture incorporates distributed Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) through components such as the RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) and O-CU-integrated entities, enabling dynamic control and optimization of services. These are deployed across both regional and edge clouds to ensure proximity to end-users and latency-sensitive applications.

A notable feature of the UNITY-6G architecture is the tight integration of distributed AI enabling cloud-native tuples, namely Monitoring System (MS), Analytics Engine (AE), Decision Engine (DE), and Actuators (ACT), into various network elements. This enables closed-loop AI management across domains such as the core, RAN, and edge. The UNITY-6G network can also support a flexible xHaul (midhaul, backhaul, and fronthaul) infrastructure interconnecting DU/RU elements, enhanced by TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) switches to support deterministic low-latency communication, especially in industrial and real-time applications. The inclusion of VPPs (Virtual Power Plants) in the UNITY-6G architecture underscores the sustainability vision of UNITY-6G, with renewable energy sources such as wind and solar integrated directly into the communication infrastructure. Wi-Fi RUs, O-RAN-enabled Wi-Fi APs, and openwifi contribute to multi-RAT (Radio Access Technology) support for non-public network (NPN) deployments, allowing seamless coordination between Wi-Fi and cellular access. UNITY-6G architecture will explore different options for multi-RAT integration at both the control plane (direct integration of Wi-Fi APs with O-RAN SMO or O-RAN integration with wireless TSN controller) and the data plane (cellular TSN bridge for wireless TSN islands, tight integration at O-RAN level, breakout between W-TSN and cellular network utilizing I-UPF). UEs and IoT devices connect to the network via intelligent O-RUs and O-DUs, which are orchestrated in real-time by AI-powered SMO subsystems. On-premise cores and IT services are supported for non-public networks (NPNs), which demonstrates the UNITY-6G architecture’s support for private 6G deployments.

The overall UNITY-6G design enables robust, low-latency, and context-aware services that can adapt to critical scenarios such as disaster recovery, industrial automation, and immersive applications.