REFEC Feature/Study Item: 3GPP SA1 for Release 17

The goal of this SA1 work item is to develop Stage 1 normative service requirements for multi-hop relay by enhancing the work done for “Indirect 3GPP Communication” in TS 22.278. 

This work will consider the potential requirements and KPIs in different domains (e.g. inHome, Smart Cities, Smart Farming, Smart Factories, Smart Energy, Public Safety, Logistics) identified and concluded in TR 22.866 and use them as the basis for developing stage 1 normative requirements. 

This work item aims to update TS 22.261 to include multi-hop support for UE-to-Network Relay UEs regarding the following aspects:

• General aspects.
• Permissions and authorization.
• Relay selection.
• Relays for IoT.
• Service continuity.
• Functionality Exposure to 3rd parties.
• Traffic scenarios.

Scenarios where the remote UEs and those UE-to-Network relay UEs in proximity to the remote UE are out-of-coverage are also in scope of this WI. Special attention to national regional regulatory requirements (e.g. emergency calls) shall be paid.

• Gap filling and evolutions:

While some verticals are already covered in earlier generations of mobile networks, others are new, each bringing their own set of requirements. However, one common requirement is better energy efficiency and more extensive coverage compared with what 3G and 4G can provide. Release 16 service requirements already include the possibility of having direct 3GPP communication or indirect 3GPP communication with the use of relays. Nevertheless, this may not be enough for the needs of the possible use cases from the area listed. Incorporating multihop relays into 5G will help to improve the energy efficiency and the coverage of the 5G system.

• Rapporteur and supporting members:

The rapporteur of this WI is KPN. Supporting individual members (SIMs) include TNO, Police of the Netherlands, French Ministry of the Interior and Philips alongside global supply-side companies.

• Latest update:

June 2019 (SP-190307; Unique Identifier: 840034). All active (not completed) items under the sole responsibility of SA1 are available here.