TSG#65, Edinburgh, September 2014

3GPP has created a new Working Group to undertake specification work for applications in the mission critical communications space.

The 3GPP SA Plenary meeting (TSG SA#65), in Edinburgh this week, approved the creation of WG SA6, to initially focus on the Mission Critical Push to Talk (MCPTT) application in Release 13 while developing in to the generic home for all future 3GPP mission critical application work - as defined by stage 1 service requirements, on top of a common architecture.

The goal at SA#65 was to create an organizational setup that is equally attractive for all relevant stakeholders of this industry. To emphasise this, a liaison statement has been sent out by TSG SA, outlining the main tasks that have been identified for SA6 and noting the relationships between ongoing work in existing groups.

TSG SA#65 appointed Andrew Howell (U.K. Home Office) as Convenor for the new Group until formal elections are held. The December SA Plenary - TSG-SA#66 - is expected to formally approve the Terms of Reference of SA6, at which time the group will become operational.

Further reading:

• The complete Liaison Statement is in TD SP-140640, from 3GPP TSG SA Meeting #65, Edinburgh, 15 - 17 September 2014
• The next Service and System Aspects (SA) Plenary will be 3GPP TSG SA#66, 10 –12 December 2014, Maui, USA
• The new WG will have its own web page... http://www.3gpp.org/specifications-groups/sa-plenary/sa6-mission-critical-applications 

• stage 1 specifications define the service requirements from the user point of view.
• stage 2 specifications define an architecture to support the service requirements.
• stage 3 specifications define an implementation of the architecture by specifying protocols in details.