OAI Foundation Hands-on Workshop at North Carolina State University
The OpenAirInterface (OAI) Foundation will host the OAI Foundation Hands-on Workshop at North Carolina State University from 13 to 14 October 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
This second edition advances the OAI Foundation’s workforce development mission with a stronger focus on AI-native wireless systems and Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC). In collaboration with universities and U.S. Government agencies, OAI is preparing the next generation of engineers to design, build, and experiment with open, intelligent communication platforms spanning RAN, UE, Core Network, and RIC. Through hands-on training in open-source software development, AI-assisted engineering, network automation, and sensing-aware control loops, participants will gain practical experience with the technologies shaping 5G-Advanced and future 6G systems.
Over two days of hands-on sessions, participants will work directly with OAI instructors to develop and experiment with the OAI software stack across RAN, UE, Core Network, and RIC. The workshop will combine guided exercises with realistic deployment and automation scenarios, showing how AI-native methods can support software development, network optimization, telemetry analysis, and sensing-aware control. Participants will gain practical experience across the full OAI platform while exploring how open-source 5G systems can evolve toward ISAC-ready and future 6G architectures. They will also get the opportunity to exchange ideas with the engineers behind OpenAirInterface, discuss implementation challenges, and learn about the latest OAI developments in open RAN, Core Network, RIC integration, and AI-assisted engineering.
- 📅 Dates
13–14 October 2026- 📍 Location
NC State University, Raleigh, NC- 👥 Format
Two-day hands-on workshop
Call for demos and lightning talks
Timeline: Proposal deadline = 14 September 2026
We invite you to showcase your work through a live demonstration and/or a 10-minute lightning talk during the workshop. Selected proposals will be included in the workshop program.
To propose a demo, a lightning talk, or both, please download and complete the Proposal Form (PDF) and return it to workshop@openairinterface.org before the submission deadline.
Hackathon
Participants will build extensions across OAI RAN, UE, Core Network, and RIC which can be useful for ISAC use cases. Teams will collect RAN/UE/Core telemetry, train or integrate lightweight AI models, and close the loop through RAN scheduling, power control, RIC xApps, or NWDAF/NEF-driven QoS adaptation. The goal is to understand how communication and sensing objectives interact across the full mobile network stack.
Hackathon topics are:
Topic 1: RAN/GPU Offload
Challenge: Pick one of the following possible offloading tasks and implement it while running in RFsim:
- PBCH detection
- Symbol rotation and FFT
Relation with ISAC: ISAC depends on fast PHY processing of waveforms/channel features. Participants learn where sensing
Topic 2: RAN MAC/RRM
Challenge: Write a simple scheduler PRB policy that ensures a given percentage of resources is reserved for a given UE.
Relation with ISAC: ISAC is a resource tradeoff problem: spectrum/time/power must serve both data and sensing.
Topic 3: RAN/UL Power Control
Challenge: Improve UL power control to maximize throughput and minimize UL power.
Relation with ISAC: Power affects both communication reliability and sensing range/fidelity.
Topic 4: FlexRIC load-balancing handover app
Challenge: Write a simple load-balancing handover app. With 2 UEs and 2 cells, one UE generates load, triggering the other UE to connect to the other cell.
Relation with ISAC: A sensing-aware xApp that can predict load/mobility and trigger HO
Topic 5: Application Function (AF) managing QoS via NEF based on NWDAF
Challenge: Write an application function that can dynamically change QoS via the NEF based on metrics from the NWDAF.
Relation with ISAC: NWDAF, analytics and intelligence layer can be used for making predictions, and based on that, AF can take necessary actions.
Agenda:
Day 1 (2026/10/13):
| Time Slot | Speaker(s) | Affiliation | Title |
| 08:00 – 08:30 | REGISTRATION & COFFEE | ||
| 08:30 – 08:40 | Dr. Veena Misra Raymond Knopp | NC State University OAI Foundation | Welcome to the Workshop |
| 08:40 – 09:00 | Sagar Arora Robert Schmidt | OAI Foundation OAI Foundation | Introduction to Duranta Project and OAI Foundation |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Dr. Sudharman K. Jayaweera | U.S. National Science Foundation | Road to NextG Leadership: Technology Innovation & Workforce Development |
| 09:30 – 10:00 | Vijay Shah | NC State University | From Open RAN to Open AI-RAN: The Future Connectivity Fabric That Learns and Senses |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | COFFEE BREAK & DEMO VISITS | ||
| 10:30 – 12:00 | OAI Foundation Team | OAI Foundation | Hackathon Introduction |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | LUNCH BREAK | ||
| 13:00 – 15:00 | OAI Foundation Team | OAI Foundation | Hackathon Time |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | COFFEE BREAK & DEMO VISITS | ||
| 15:30 – 18:00 | OAI Foundation Team | OAI Foundation | Hackathon Time |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | AERPAW SITE VISIT |
Day 2 (2026/10/14):
| Time Slot | Speaker(s) | Affiliation | Title |
| 08:30 – 09:00 | WELCOME COFFEE | ||
| 09:00 – 10:00 | Lightning talks | ||
| 10:00 – 10:30 | COFFEE BREAK & DEMO VISITS | ||
| 10:30 – 12:00 | OAI Foundation Team | OAI Foundation | Hackathon Time |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | LUNCH BREAK | ||
| 13:00 – 15:00 | OAI Foundation Team | OAI Foundation | Hackathon Time |
| 15:00 – 16:30 | OAI Foundation Team | OAI Foundation | Hackathon Results |
| 16:30 – 18:00 | COFFEE BREAK, DEMO VISITS & AERPAW SITE VISIT |
Accommodation & access:
Accommodation: Here are different hotel recommendations near North Carolina State University:
Access: The workshop will take place in Duke Energy Hall, located on the second floor of the James B. Hunt Jr. Library on NC State University’s Centennial Campus. If you enter the library from the street, follow the large yellow staircase to the second floor, where Duke Energy Hall and the surrounding commons are located.
Address:
Duke Energy Hall – James B. Hunt Jr. Library
1070 Partners Way
Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
Getting to NC State Centennial Campus
- By air: Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is approximately 15–20 minutes by car from the venue.
- By car: Parking is available on and around Centennial Campus.
- By taxi or rideshare: Uber and Lyft operate throughout the Raleigh area, providing convenient access to the venue.
- By public transportation: The NC State Centennial Campus is served by local GoRaleigh bus routes and the university’s Wolfline shuttle system, making it easily accessible from downtown Raleigh and other parts of the city.