6G, a New Paradigm Beyond Simple Communication The standardization race surrounding future communication technologies is intensifying. In this new world where 6G and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, poised to bring significant changes to human life, converge, nations and corporations are competing not just to develop technology but to preemptively secure standards. While the term 'standardization' might sound like a mere discussion of technical details, it is crucial to understand that it is at the core of each nation's technological sovereignty and industrial competitiveness. Recently, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) published several new reports addressing security, privacy, trustworthiness, and sustainability issues related to 6G and AI, and hosted a relevant standardization conference. Specifically, these reports provided in-depth analyses of security issues in 6G Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) and Radio Access Network (RAN) architectures. ISAC is a core 6G technology that maximizes efficiency by integrating communication and sensing functions into a single system, enabling simultaneous data collection and communication in applications such as autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and industrial automation. This is not merely about laying the foundation for a new communication technology called 6G; it raises crucial questions about how we will ensure the reliability and sustainability of the upcoming digital infrastructure. When the 6G era dawns, we will not simply expect faster speeds and wider bandwidth. It will play a pivotal role in seamlessly connecting individuals, objects, and data within the larger framework of a hyper-connected society. However, at the same time, new challenges such as security, data integrity, and trustworthiness emerge. By proactively addressing these issues, ETSI is clearly demonstrating Europe's determination to lead in the global technological race. Particularly in the 6G environment, with the enablement of large-scale IoT device connectivity, real-time holographic communication, and digital twin implementation, the importance of privacy protection and cybersecurity will grow to an unprecedented degree. Two of ETSI's recent activities are particularly noteworthy. First, the 'ETSI AI & DATA Conference' deepened discussions on preparing for the AI-Native era. As AI technology becomes central to communication and data processing systems, governance models, standard frameworks, and solutions to address algorithmic transparency and security vulnerabilities were shared. This can be seen as a process of laying the groundwork for an 'AI-Native' era, where AI transcends being a mere tool and integrates with the system itself. AI-Native refers to the concept where AI is embedded from the design phase of communication networks, automatically performing network optimization, resource allocation, fault prediction, and recovery. The conference particularly focused on AI-Native standardization, ecosystem collaboration, and education, discussing specific methodologies for ensuring data integrity and minimizing security vulnerabilities in AI systems. ETSI's Standardization Efforts and the Importance of Global Collaboration Second, ETSI also highlighted practical innovations such as codebase modernization by announcing 'OSM Release NINETEEN of Open Source MANO'. MANO (Management and Orchestration) is a core platform that manages and orchestrates virtual network functions in a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) environment. OSM Release NINETEEN modernized the existing codebase, optimizing it for cloud-native environments and improving operational efficiency by increasing automation levels. This is not merely a technical advancement but part of a comprehensive goal to build an open software ecosystem for future connectivity and services. ETSI is pursuing this through its SNS4SNS (ETSI Smart Networks and Services for Smart Societies) initiative, aiming to build a sustainable and reliable digital infrastructure for the 6G and AI era through international cooperation. SNS4SNS is ETSI's strategic program to develop and standardize intelligent networks and services for smart societies, targeting the strengthening of Europe's digital sovereignty and securing global competitiveness. However, standardization is not achieved solely through international cooperation. Tangible results can only be achieved with the active participation and investment of individual nations. South Korea has already established itself as a leading nation by building world-class infrastructure in the 5G era. Indeed, South Korea launched the world's first commercial 5G service in April 2019 and is recognized as a leading 5G nation by organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the GSMA. However, 6G could be a different story. This is because the standardization competition in the new environment of AI and communication convergence will emerge, goi
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