The ETSI Industry Specification Group for Network Functions Virtualization (ISG NFV) held its 49th plenary meeting (NFV#49) from March 10th to 14th, 2025, in Sophia-Antipolis, France. This meeting was significant for bringing together key players in the NFV ecosystem to discuss progress, address challenges, and chart the future of network virtualization. The event adopted a hybrid format, allowing for both physical attendance and remote participation, maximizing accessibility for global contributors.

Vision and Strategic Direction

Yoshihiro Nakajima's "Chair's perspectives" session provided valuable insights into the current state and future direction of NFV. Key takeaways included the imminent publication of two NFV white papers. One focusing on the NFV Evolution and one on the added value of MANO (Management and Orchestration), clarifying NFV's role in modern networks. Regarding 6G Standardization, the intersection of NFV and 6G was a hot topic. The Chair noted that some members participating in other SDOs advocate for cloud-native principles to be integral to 6G, highlighting the growing convergence of these domains. Recognizing the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence, the Chair emphasized the need for NFV to showcase its contributions to AI‑related advancements in networking. Furthermore, the meeting agenda included open sessions with influential organizations like IOWN GF and ETSI SDG OpenSlice, underscoring NFV's commitment to collaboration and alignment with broader industry initiatives.

These points sparked engaging discussions. For instance, the role of AI in NFV and closer collaboration with 3GPP were actively debated, with participants exploring how NFV can effectively support and integrate with next-generation mobile technologies.

Beyond technical discussions, the plenary addressed essential organizational matters. The meeting featured calls for candidates for key leadership positions, specifically the ISG NFV Vice-Chair and the TSC (Technical Steering Committee) Vice-Chair. The election process was extended, with decisions to be finalized through correspondence. Additionally, the re-appointment of Leslie Willis (BT) as the WG SEC (Security Working Group) Chair was formally acknowledged.

A significant portion of the plenary was dedicated to updates from the various Working Groups (WGs), the engines of NFV's technical development.

• WG EVE reported steady progress on its work items, focusing on evolving the NFV ecosystem and addressing key challenges.
• WG IFA highlighted the recent publication of IFA054 and its focus on normative work related to new architecture for inclusion in NFV006. The group also completed a series of features development (including NFV for 5G, VNF OAM, NFV for vRAN, Green NFV and PIM) in Release 5, as well as emphasized its commitment to cross-WG collaboration.
• WG SEC demonstrated its ongoing efforts to enhance NFV security, with progress reported on multiple security-related work items.
• WG SOL announced the completion of work on ed521 and the progression of TST010ed511 towards publication. Looking ahead, the group outlined its plans to initiate work on ed531 and explore new governance models.

Release 5 and Beyond: Charting the Course for NFV

A key theme throughout the meeting was the status and future direction of NFV releases. Regarding release 5 Brendan Hassett (Technical Manager) provided an update on Release 5, noting the near completion of Ed521 and the subsequent update required for NFV007. Discussions also turned to Release 6, with WG EVE making strides and WG IFA initiating work on new architectural frameworks. These discussions indicate that the NFV community is actively looking ahead and defining the next wave of innovation.

New Work Items and Liaison Activities

The plenary saw the presentation and approval of new work item proposals, demonstrating the ongoing evolution of NFV specifications. These included a New Work Item (NWI) for Release Description Release 5 Edition 5.2.1, aimed at revising NFV007. A Super-WID with NWIs for Release 5 NFV003 and SOL edition 531, encompassing multiple new work items for SOL.

The meeting also facilitated crucial liaison activities with external organizations, fostering collaboration and information sharing. Key highlights included:

• Incoming liaison statements from TC EE, GSMA PQTN TF, ISG RIS, NGMN Alliance, 3GPP SA5, TC CYBER, and ITU-T JCA‑IMT2020.
• Outgoing liaison statements to 3GPP SA2/SA5, TC EE, ITU-T SG13/15/5, GSMA, NGMN, TMF, MTF, IETF, Linux Foundation, OpenInfra, IOWN, Sylva, O-RAN, ETSI OSM/MEC/ENI/ZSM/RIS, and DMTF.

These liaisons underscore the importance of NFV in the broader telecommunications landscape and the group's commitment to working with other industry bodies.

Looking to the Future

The closing plenary session focused on future directions and planning. Discussions included presentations and discussions explored topics like PIM in NFV and its relationship with DMTF Redfish standards, as well as proposals for evolving WG ways of working in Release 6. The possibility of organizing joint Plugtests with external organizations (e.g., Linux Foundation Europe, Linux Foundation Networking, ZSM, MEC, O‑RAN) was explored, with a target timeline of 2026/2027 was also discussed. In addition, operator feedback on vRAN development was presented, highlighting potential improvements for SOL specifications.

Future Meetings

The meeting concluded with announcements about upcoming NFV events:

• NFV#50: June 16-20, 2025, Shanghai, China
• NFV#51: September 15-19, 2025, Sophia Antipolis, France (tbc)
• NFV#52: December 8-12, 2025, Tokyo, Japan (tbc)

The NFV#49 plenary meeting served as a crucial platform for advancing the state of network virtualization. Through focused discussions, collaborative efforts, and a clear vision for the future, the NFV community continues to drive innovation and shape the evolution of telecommunications networks.