en.Wedoany.com Reported - The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has announced the establishment of the Technical Committee TC NET, dedicated to unifying the federated technical architecture of networks, edge, cloud, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This initiative aims to advance the development of digital infrastructure standards supporting next-generation connectivity and computing services in Europe and globally.
The core mission of the new committee is to develop global application specifications that support the logical integration of computing and AI resources with connectivity technologies. Its work priorities include driving the transition to autonomous operations, intent-based control, and optimization across the continuum—capabilities increasingly critical in distributed, data-intensive, and AI-oriented network environments.
TC NET's primary responsibilities include: defining a federated architecture framework with open APIs and interoperability mechanisms across cloud, network, and device domains; developing frameworks for integrating and managing AI resources (including inter-agent interactions); and standardizing interfaces for trusted execution environments in heterogeneous settings. The committee will also produce developer-oriented resources, compliance guidelines, and support interoperability testing and pre-standard trials.
In terms of international coordination, TC NET will collaborate with global standards organizations and open-source communities such as 3GPP, oneM2M, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) to avoid duplication of efforts. Within ETSI, the committee will also work with other technical groups in areas such as cybersecurity, emergency communications, AI security, software-defined networking, and quantum key distribution.
Ricard Vilalta, convener of the Network Technical Committee, stated that the next wave of digital innovation relies on seamless integration. TC NET is laying the foundation for a federated digital continuum, aiming to overcome current fragmentation issues so that AI, computing, and connectivity resources operate as a unified intelligent system. This framework is essential for dynamically allocating AI capabilities across cloud, network, edge, and devices, thereby unlocking higher levels of efficiency and automation.
The inaugural meeting of TC NET is scheduled for October 7–9, 2026, at ETSI headquarters in Sophia Antipolis, France. During the meeting, members will elect leaders, agree on an initial work plan, and begin developing the fundamental specifications guiding future activities.
