Delineate responsibilities between nRT RIC and gNB to prevent policy conflicts

Determine a formal division of responsibilities between the Near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (nRT RIC) and the gNB components (including gNB-DU and gNB-CU), and develop conflict resolution and arbitration policies to prevent inconsistent radio resource management actions when multiple xApps and gNB functions operate concurrently.

Background

The paper highlights that the boundary between RIC-driven control and gNB-native functions is currently ambiguous and varies depending on the deployed xApps and gNB capabilities.

This ambiguity can lead to conflicting actions and network instability, which adversaries could exploit. Establishing a clear division of responsibilities and robust conflict mitigation mechanisms is necessary to ensure reliable and secure operation.