Centralized network policy controller and method for operating

A wireless network comprising:

• a core network having core components;
• an O-RAN access network having multiple O-RAN components;
• and
• a centralized network policy controller for controlling implementation of wireless network polices, the centralized network policy controller performing steps including:
• sending a registration request from the centralized network policy controller to a network repository function (NRF) in the core network and receiving, at the centralized network policy controller, a registration acceptance from the NRF;
• subscribing, at the centralized network policy controller, core applications and O-RAN applications registered with the NRF;
• receiving a request from an application, the request for accessing one of multiple network components;
• evaluating the request to determine if the application is core related or RAN related;
• and
• assigning the application to a selected one of the core components including at least one of the core applications subscribed to the centralized network policy controller and the RAN components including at least one of the subscribed O-RAN applications based on the evaluation, wherein the selected one is a core component in response to the determination that the application is core-related and the selected one is a RAN component in response to determining that the application is RAN-related.

A centralized network policy controller for controlling implementation of network policies in a network including a core network and an open radio access network (O-RAN), the centralized network policy controller comprising:

• a processor programmed to perform operations including,
• sending a registration request from the centralized network policy controller to a network repository function (NRF) in the core network and receiving, at the centralized network policy controller, a registration acceptance from the NRF;
• subscribing, at the centralized network policy controller, core applications and O-RAN applications registered with the NRF;
• receiving a request from an application, the request for accessing one of multiple network components;
• evaluating the request;
• and
• assigning the application to a selected one of the multiple network components based on the evaluation, wherein the multiple network components comprise at least core components including the core applications subscribed to the centralized network policy controller and O-RAN components including the subscribed O-RAN applications, wherein the selected one is a core component in response to the determination that the application is core-related and selected one is an O-RAN component in response to determining that the application is RAN-related.