3GPP

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the primary body for developing technology specifications for cellular networks. It self-organises through its Working Groups coordinated by the Chairs of the Technical Specifications Groups (TSGs).

RAN WG6 (GERAN and UTRAN radio and protocol is responsible for the development of specifications dealing with GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN) and UMTS Radio Access (UTRA) aspects, and interfaces.

Specifically RAN WG6 is responsible for:

• RF aspects of GERAN.
• GERAN Radio Layer 1 specification.
• GERAN Radio Layer 2 specification.
• GERAN Radio Layer 3 RR specification.
• A interface specification, Gb interface specification.
• Internal GERAN interface specifications such as Abis, and Ater (Channel Codec Unit-Transcoder and Rate Adapter Unit).
• GERAN functionality related to the support of location services.
• Conformance test specifications for testing of all aspects of GERAN base stations.
• Specifications for GERAN radio performance and RF system aspects.
• GERAN specific operation and maintenance specifications for the nodes in the GERAN.

RAN WG6 is also responsible for the specification of the physical layer of the Uu radio Interface for UE, UTRAN, covering both FDD and TDD modes. It carries out work related to handling of the physical layer related UE capabilities and to physical layer related parameters used in UE tests developed in TSG RAN. RAN WG6 is also responsible for UTRA aspects.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the primary body for developing technology specifications for cellular networks. It self-organises through its Working Groups coordinated by the Chairs of the Technical Specifications Groups (TSGs).  Core Network and Terminals (CT) has four active working groups.

TSG CT1 (MM/CC/SM [lu]) is responsible for the 3GPP specifications that define the User Equipment - Core network L3 radio protocols and Core network side of the Iu reference point.

Specifically, CT1 is responsibility for:

CT1 also has maintenance responsibility of older versions of the specifications under its responsibility.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the primary body for developing technology specifications for cellular networks. It self-organises through its Working Groups coordinated by the Chairs of the Technical Specifications Groups (TSGs).

Core Network and Terminals WG3 - CT WG3 (Interworking with External Networks) specifies the bearer capabilities for circuit and packet switched data services, and the necessary interworking functions towards both, the user equipment in the UMTS PLMN and the terminal equipment in the external network. In addition:

• CT3 Is responsible of end to end QoS for the UMTS core network in Release 5 and beyond.
• CT3 has important dependencies with the following work performed in other 3GPP groups, e.g. SA1-2-3-4-5-6; RAN3 and CT1 and 4.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the primary body for developing technology specifications for cellular networks. It self-organises through its Working Groups coordinated by the Chairs of the Technical Specifications Groups (TSGs)

CT WG4 - MAP/CAMEL/GTP/BCH/SS (TSG Core Network and Terminals WG4) standardises stage 2 and stage 3 aspects within the Core Network focusing on:

• Supplementary Services.
• Basic Call Processing.
• Mobility Management within the Core Network.
• Bearer Independent Architecture.
• GPRS between network entities.
• Transcoder Free Operation.
• CAMEL.
• Generic User Profile.
• Wireless LAN - UMTS interworking and descriptions of IP Multimedia Subsystem.

CT WG4 is also responsible as a "protocol steward" for the some IP related protocols (this involves analysing, validating, extending if necessary, clarifying how they are used, specifying packages and parameter values).

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the primary body for developing technology specifications for cellular networks. It self-organises through its Working Groups coordinated by the Chairs of the Technical Specifications Groups (TSGs).

CT WG6 (smart card application aspects) is responsible for Development and maintenance of specifications and associated test specifications for the 3GPP smart card applications, and the interface with the Mobile Terminal. 

Including: 

• Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) which is used by 2G systems.
• USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) which is used by 3GPP systems.
• ISIM (IM Services Identity Module) with the exception of the security algorithms (developed by SA WG3). 

Multicast over 5G (and over NR in particular) offer the opportunity to address limitations of the current Mission Critical systems that use eMBMS over LTE and provide some significant optimisation of the Mission Critical systems, in terms of functionality, availability and performance.

The overall obectives of Mission Critical services over 5G multicast-broadcast system (FS-MC5MBS; UID: 850035) include:

• Study/propose new/enhanced capabilities in the mission critical services that would leverage multicast delivery.
• Identify the impacts of existing and potentially new Mission Critical Services on the 5G architecture, functionality and interfaces as related to 5G multicast-broadcast with the goal of prioritising MC requirements to RAN and SA2 for defining and/or enabling the services and interfaces provided by 5G for Mission Critical services.

FS-MC5MBS is a work item for 3GPP Release 17 under SA6 (mission-critical applications):

• Rapporteur: AT&T
• Supporting Individual Members: Ericsson, FirstNet, Motorola Solutions, One2Many, Police of the Netherlands, Sepura, UK Home Office.

Specifications resulting from this work item:

TR 23.774 Study on enhanced Mission Critical (MC) services over 5G multicast-broadcast system

The objectives of 3GPP SA2 Study item on architecture enhancements for 3GPP support of advanced V2X services - Phase 2 (FS_eV2XARC_Ph2; UID: 850013) are:

• Further investigating 5G System enhancements for 3GPP support of advanced V2X services, based on what has been specified Rel-16, based on vehicular services requirements defined in SA WG1 V2X (TS 22.185) and eV2X (TS 22.186).
• Investigating potential 5GS enhancements in to support the followings: Enhanced support of V2X operation for pedestrian UEs (i.e. UEs for Vulnerable Road Users), e.g. V2X communication with power efficiency. The impact on RAN is to be analysed by and coordinated with the relevant RAN WGs.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the primary body for developing technology specifications for cellular networks. It self-organises through its Working Groups coordinated by the Chairs of the Technical Specifications Groups (TSGs).

RAN WG3 (Iu, Iub, Iur, S1, X2 and UTRAN/E-UTRAN) is responsible for the development of specifications dealing with UTRA, Evolved UTRA, and beyond, and in particular for:

• Overall UTRAN and E-UTRAN architecture.
• Synchronisation in UTRAN and E-UTRAN.
• Stage 2 work of Work Items allocated by TSG RAN to RAN WG3.
• UTRAN and E-UTRAN O&M requirements.
• Iu interface protocol specifications, i.e. access stratum protocols over the Iu reference point.
• Iur and Iub interface protocol specifications.
• Iupc interface protocol specifications.
• Iubc interface protocol specifications.
• Transport of implementation specific O&M between the Management System and Node B.
• Application of the RANAP on the E-interface.
• Iu-ant interface protocol specifications (RF-parts of the layer 1 specification are under the responsibility of RAN4).
• Parts of Iu and Iur protocols common to GERAN and UTRAN (Iu-g and Iur-g).
• S1 and X2 interface protocol specifications.
• M1, M2 and M3 interface protocol specifications.
• Iuh, and Iurh interface protocols specification.
• LTE Positioning Protocol A (LPPa).
• Xw interface protocol specifications.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the primary body for developing technology specifications for cellular networks. It self-organises through its Working Groups coordinated by the Chairs of the Technical Specifications Groups (TSGs).

Within the scope of TSG-RAN, RAN WG2 (Radio Layer 2 and Radio Layer 3 RR)  is responsible for the development of specifications dealing with Evolved UTRA, and beyond. 

RAN WG2 is responsible for:

• Specification of the radio interface architecture and protocol termination.
• Specification of radio interface protocols between UE and RAN as well as between relay node and eNodeB.
• Specification of radio interface protocols common to RAN and GERAN.
• For EUTRAN, specification of the radio interface parameters to be exchanged between eNodeBs in case of inter eNodeB handover, and between eNodeB and RNC/BSC in case of inter-RAT handovers.
• Stage 2 Specifications of the services offered by the physical layer to upper layers.
• Specification of Cell selection and re-selection procedures.
• Specification of UE capabilities for UE - RAN interface (in collaboration with RAN WG1 for Layer 1 capabilities).
• Definition of RRM strategies to be supported by RAN.
• Definition of protocol methodology in RAN specifications.
• Identification of the requirements for UE protocol tests to be defined by TSG RAN WG5, for new functions under RAN WG2 responsibility.
• For EUTRAN, specification of radio interface protocols between UE and positioning server.
• Specification of radio measurements reported to the OAM domain and the radio interface protocols used to collect them.

5G Security enhancement against false base stations (FS_5GFBS) focuses on the potential threats and privacy issues associated with false base station scenarios.

Its main objective is to identify potential solutions for mitigating risks caused by a false base station.

SP-180690 fills several gaps in Release 15, such as solutions for RCC idle mode from AS security perspective with regard to UE detection of rogue gNBs. Rel-15 which studied such solutions but did not include them in normative work.

FS_5GFBS is a 3GPP SA3 (Security) item for Release 16 (Q1-2 2020).

Rapporteur: Apple. Supporting individual members: Vodafone; T-Mobile; InterDigital; CAICT; Lenovo; Motorola Mobility; vivo; OPPO; AT&T; China Mobile; BT; Samsung; NIST; Deutsche Telekom; Qihoo 360; Huawei; Hisilicon; Ericsson; Intel; ZTE and Orange.

5G capabilities, e.g. high performance, long distance access, mobility and security are needed for 5G services in multiple market segments spanning residential, office, enterprise and factory that require functionalities similar to Local Area Networks (LANs).

3GPP TR 22.821 (feasibility study) is the basis for standardisation work on LAN Support for 5G. This Technical Report focuses on 5GLAN management, support of IEEE 802.1 functionalities for general Ethernet, support of TSN related functionalities for deterministic Ethernet, support of direct and indirect access to 5GLAN type service, support of UE mobility.

The objective of 5GLAN is to develop normative service requirements for 5G system to support 5G-LAN type services. Specifically, it focuses on:

• General service requirements to enable 5G LAN-type services (connections, support for IP and Ethernet, service continuity, discovery).
• 5GLAN connection and management.
• 5G private virtual network.
• 5GLAN service authorisation.
• Mobility and service continuity for 5G LAN-type service.
• Ethernet enhancements.
• Indirect communication for 5G LAN type service.
• Service exposure for 5G LAN-type service.
• Security, isolation and privacy.

This normative work fills gaps in 3GPP TR 22.261.

5GLAN is under 3GPP SA1 (Services) as features and related studies for Release 16 (Q1-2 2020).

Rapporteur: KPN. Supporting individual members: InterDigital; Huawei; Siemens; Nokia; ETRI; Vodafone; Qualcomm; LG Electronics; Intel; Verizon; China Mobile.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the primary body for developing technology specifications for cellular networks. It self-organises through its Working Groups coordinated by the Chairs of the Technical Specifications Groups (TSGs). 

TSG SA (Service and System Aspects) has 6 active WGs.

The scope of SA1 - Services is on feature requirements applicable to mobile and fixed communications technology from 2G.

Outputs of this WG are Technical Specifications and Reports or changes to them. These are all submitted to TSG SA Approval. Once approved, they form the basis for work for the whole of 3GPP and industry segments interested in deploying networks based on IMS.