Generations of Mobile Standards

New Opportunities for 3GPP in Rel-12

Dec 14, 2012
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