Latency-Aware NFV Slicing Orchestration for Time-Sensitive 6G Applications

Ensuring ultra-low latency and high reliability in 6G network slices remains a significant challenge, as current NFV orchestration approaches are largely reactive and not designed to anticipate performance degradation. The advent of 6G networks brings forth stringent requirements for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), necessitating advanced orchestration mechanisms that go beyond reactive policies in traditional NFV environments. In this paper, we propose a latency-aware, AI-driven NFV slice orchestration framework aligned with ETSI MANO architecture to address the needs of time-sensitive 6G applications. Our framework integrates a predictive AI engine into the NFV Orchestrator (NFVO) to forecast latency violations based on real-time telemetry and historical trends. It enables dynamic scaling, intelligent VNF migration, and infrastructure-level isolation to maintain stringent end-to-end (E2E) latency targets. Experimental results indicate up to 30% reduction in average latency, a 42% improvement in SLA compliance, and 25% lower migration overhead compared to traditional reactive orchestration. The framework provides a scalable and intelligent orchestration solution adaptable to future 6G deployments.