An objective look at the next 18 months work for 3GPP TSG SA has identified priorities for Release 12 and started the decision making process for what can be achieved by its completion - scheduled for June 2014.

The amount of time available to 3GPP to get features specified is always limited, so it is inevitable that member companies need to make difficult decisions on whether to put their resources in to one work item or another.

A workshop was held during the 3GPP Service and System Aspects (SA) 58th plenary meeting, covering the non-radio aspects for prioritization. However, many of the delegates stressed that it was important to keep both the 3GPP RAN and the 3GPP SA priorities in mind.


Following the workshop, SA has agreed on three broad strategic areas (below) for Release 12 prioritization and allowed for further consideration - on some other features – for decision at the next plenary, in March 2013.

Exploiting new business opportunities

• Public Safety and Critical Communications
• Group Communications (GCSE_LTE)
• Proximity Services, including both Public Safety and Commercial aspects (ProSe)
• Machine Type Communications
• UE Power Consumption, Small Data and Device Triggering (MTCe_UEPCOP, MTCe_SDDTE )

WiFi integration

• Network Selection aspects (WLAN_NS)
• S2a Mobility with GTP for WLAN (FS_SaMOG)
• Optimized Offloading to WLAN in 3GPP-RAT mobility (FS_WORM)

System capacity and stability

• User plane congestion (UPCON)
• Core Network Overload (FS_CNO)

In addition to those three areas, other features can still be considered for completion in the Release 12 timeframe. The SA2 Working Group - responsible for Architecture - will produce time budgets to see whether further priority could be put on;

• Pure IMS features that can run in parallel with key items
• Policy and Charging Control for supporting fixed broadband access networks, PCC for fixed terminals (P4C BB1 and BB2)
• Application Based Charging (FS_ABC)
• User Monitoring Control Enhancements (FS_UMONC)
• LIPA Mobility and SIPTO at the Local Network (LIMONET)
• Operator Policies for IP Interface Selection (OPIIS)

Working Group SA2 will provide time budgeting information, for the selected features, at the next Plenary meeting - TSG#59 , in March 2013.

Get the Workshop presentations:

NB: The outcome of the RAN workshop held in June 2012 is available on line and are covered in the news article 'Future Radio in 3GPP'.

Meeting document	Title	Source
SP-120932	Summary and conclusions on strategic areas for Rel-12	TSG SA Chairman
SP-120661	The 3GPP system area in Rel-12	Qualcomm
SP-120663	Public safety requirements for Release 12	US Department of Commerce
SP-120665	Rel-12 Priorities	Deutsche Telekom
SP-120666	Areas of Focus for Release 12	AT&T
SP-120667	Samsung's View on Release 12 Items	Samsung Electronics
SP-120668	Enhanced Policy Control and Charging for Rel-12	Allot Communications, China Telecom, NTT DOCOMO, Tekelec, Openet, Movik Networks, Comverse, Sandvine, IAESI
SP-120669	Shaping LTE to address the needs of the Public Safety community	General Dynamics Broadband
SP-120671	LGE's view on the focusing areas in Release 12	LG Electronics
SP-120672	Verizon View on Priorities for Release 12 (SA and CT)	Verizon
SP-120673	Focus Areas for Release 12	Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia
SP-120674	Requirements, potential solution approaches and technologies for Rel-12	Cygnus Broadband
SP-120675	Focus areas for 3GPP Rel-12	SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp.
SP-120676	Release 12 content prioritization	TeliaSonera
SP-120677	Rel-12 prioritization	Telecom Italia
SP-120679	3GPP Release 12 Prioritisation	Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Deutsche Telekom, Orange
SP-120680	Key Work and Study Items for 3GPP Release 12	Vodafone, China Mobile, Ericsson, Huawei, Qualcomm
SP-120682	NEC's View on challenges and Technologies for Rel-12	NEC
SP-120683	3GPP Rel-12 Prioritization: Public Safety & Mission Critical communications	Telefonica, Telecom Italia, Orange
SP-120684	Release 12 Priorities	Huawei
SP-120686	Key objectives in TSG SA for Rel-12	Research In Motion, UK Ltd.
SP-120687	Rel-12 Focus areas	Intel
SP-120688	TSG SA Release 12 content prioritization	Ericsson
SP-120690	High Priority Work and Study Items for 3GPP Release 12	Juniper Networks
SP-120882	The Cost-Efficient Traffic Adaptable System	NTT DOCOMO
SP-120896	Rel-12: Areas of focus	Alcatel-lucent
SP-120900	Network Enhancements for Better Customer Experience	KDDI, Sprint

Some acronyms;

	UEPCOP:	UE Power Consumptions Optimizations
	S2a:	Interface for traffic from Wi-Fi to the EPC
	GTP:	GPRS Tunnelling Protocol
	LIPA:	Local IP Access
	SIPTO:	Selected IP Traffic Offload

Contact for this story:
Kevin FLYNN