Page 5 - 3GPP_Highlights_I4

Focus on Iteration and Flexibility

Whilst 3GPP is technically working now on Release 18, in Subjects like Artificial Intelligence, the Metaverse and ambient
parallel we already see new topics coming in for Release 19. sensing are currently studied on a requirements level.

2021 2022 2023 2024
Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2
TSG#94-e TSG#95-e TSG#96 TSG#97 TSG#98 TSG#99 TSG#100 TSG#101 TSG#102 TSG#103
Dec. Mar. Jun. Sep. Dec. Mar. Jun. Sep. Dec. Mar.

Rel-17 Rel-17
Protocol
Stage 3 Coding
Freeze Freeze
(ASN.1, OPENAPI)
Rel-18 Rel-18 Rel-18 Rel-18
Package Stage 2 Stage 3 Protocol
(content) Functional Coding
Freeze
Approval Freeze Freeze (ASN.1, OPENAPI)
Rel-19
Package
(content)
TM
Approval

At this point the initial ideas put forward are often too big to be The whole process of agreeing on the release content is often
technically realized within a single release. The discussions over painful and sometimes it seems as if there are too many
the next months on Release 19 topics will force the contributing obstacles. That is where 3GPP’s most valuable resource, its
companies to focus on their main goals they pursue with their delegates, have shown again and again that they are capable of
proposed items, in order for them to have a realistic chance to be finding satisfying compromises to create working solutions for
approved into the new Release. all.
“There is always a next Release” is a common saying in 3GPP
and it not only means that if a company cannot get their favored
item into a specific release that they can always bring it back Cooperation is Key
for the next. The next release is also the chance to broaden
the scope of an item that starts in this release – to build on
the technical solutions which are created today. As 3GPP The pandemic forced all meetings to be held in electronic mode,
specifications resolve so many different issues it is beneficial often causing floods of e-mails and asking a lot of patience and
for all players to take a step-by-step approach when enabling commitment from the delegates. Also, some global political
complex features, this avoids monolithic approaches and developments have made the cooperation between the
enables flexibility. members more complicated.

Broad Enablers Instead of Functional Silos Nevertheless, in March 2022 - 3GPP declared the
functional freeze of Release 17, whilst work on
Looking in detail at the recently approved Release 18 Study Release 18 was already at full speed. We are now
and Work Items it becomes visible that many of them have also seeing the early shape of Release 19 through
support from stakeholders from very different industries. This its initial studies. All this is testament to the saying
shows that most of the technologies that 3GPP develops today
are not created as functional silos, which could only be used by ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’!
specialized industries, but rather enable services for multiple
purposes.
Since the beginning of 3GPP, delegates from countries all over
The limited time available within a release forces companies the world, different companies and multiple industries have
to look for common ground, in order to achieve their most worked together to create the specifications which make the
important goals. This means that delegates from very different global mobile network, which we all take for granted, possible.
areas need to put their heads together and work out solutions
that not only fit their individual requirements but can be used Cooperation is not always easy, it asks for patience, it includes
for other industries and purposes. This leads to more and more criticism and often quarrels, but in the end it is the only
improvements to generic enablers such as Network Slicing, possibility we have to create something that empowers people,
Edge Computing or Proximity Services, which all are essential for businesses and science all over the world.
services of a very diverse nature.
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