Pleased to announce that the peer-reviewed version of our flagship 6G-TWIN publication has now been released in the IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society (Early Access).

The paper, entitled “A Reference Functional Architecture for Network Digital Twins in 6G Systems”, presents a comprehensive and structured framework for Network Digital Twins (NDTs) in future 6G environments. Developed within the 6G-TWIN consortium, the work addresses a key challenge currently facing the research and industrial communities: the absence of widely accepted definitions, reference models, and architectural guidelines for NDTs.

As 6G systems evolve towards AI-native, programmable, and highly disaggregated architectures, networks will become increasingly dynamic and distributed across the edge–cloud continuum. In this context, Network Digital Twins are expected to play a central role in enabling explainable intelligence, predictive analytics, automated optimization, and safe experimentation. However, ongoing initiatives remain fragmented, limiting interoperability and large-scale adoption.

This publication contributes by:

• Clarifying the conceptual foundations of Network Digital Twins;
• Proposing a reference functional architecture derived from the 6G-TWIN consortium vision;
• Detailing key architectural domains, including AI-driven workflows, data management, orchestration, and the role of simulation;
• Specifying functional and non-functional requirements;
• Describing lifecycle management across cloud and edge environments;
• Reporting early implementation insights and evaluation results;
• Addressing security, privacy, and governance considerations;
• Outlining directions for validation, standardisation, and uptake.

By providing a cohesive reference model, the paper aims to support interoperability, scalability, adaptability, and seamless integration of NDTs into AI-native 6G systems. The article is published by IEEE and is available in open access under a Creative Commons licence.

Full reference:
A Reference Functional Architecture for Network Digital Twins in 6G Systems
DOI: 10.1109/OJCOMS.2026.3668035
Published: 26 February 2026

We invite researchers, standardisation bodies, and industry stakeholders to consult the paper and engage with the 6G-TWIN vision for advancing trustworthy, intelligent, and future-ready network architectures.