Specifications by Series

All 3GPP specifications have a specification number consisting of 5 digits, in a seriesinspired by the pre-1998 GSM series of specification numbering – with its4 digits. In both cases, the first two digits define the series number.

These series are commonly used to describe the work. An example would be the ’38 series’ can be used in the project to describe radio studies and specifications for 5G NR.

The links in the table below will take you to listings of the specifications and reports in each series.

Subject of specification series	3G and beyond / GSM (R99 and later)	GSM only (Rel-4 and later)	GSM only (before Rel-4)
Requirements	21 series	41 series	01 series
Service aspects ("stage 1")	22 series	42 series	02 series
Technical realization ("stage 2")	23 series	43 series	03 series
Signalling protocols ("stage 3") - user equipment to network	24 series	44 series	04 series
Radio aspects	25 series	45 series	05 series
CODECs	26 series	46 series	06 series
Data	27 series	47 series (none exists)	07 series
Signalling protocols ("stage 3") -(RSS-CN) and OAM&P and Charging (overflow from 32.- range)	28 series	48 series	08 series
Signalling protocols ("stage 3") - intra-fixed-network	29 series	49 series	09 series
Programme management	30 series	50 series	10 series
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM / USIM), IC Cards. Test specs.	31 series	51 series	11 series
OAM&P and Charging	32 series	52 series	12 series
Access requirements and test specifications		13 series ⁽¹⁾	13 series ⁽¹⁾
Security aspects	33 series	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
UE and (U)SIM test specifications	34 series	⁽²⁾	11 series
Security algorithms ⁽³⁾	35 series	55 series	⁽⁴⁾
LTE (Evolved UTRA), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro radio technology	36 series
Multiple radio access technology aspects	37 series
Radio technology beyond LTE	38 series

Note (1): The 13 series GSM specifications relate to European-Union-specific regulatory standards. On the closure of ETSI TC SMG, responsibility for these specifications was transferred to ETSI TC MSG, (Mobile Specification Group) and they do not appear on the 3GPP file server.

Note (2): The specifications of these aspects are spread throughout several series.

Note (3): Algorithms may be subject to export licensing conditions. See the relevant 3GPP page. See also the relevant ETSI pages.

Note (4): The original GSM algorithms are not published and are controlled by the GSM Association.

The links in the table above take you to the 3GPP Portal 'Specifications' section. From there you can download the specification and see full details of the history and ownership of the spec.(via the binocular icon…).

Numbering Technical Reports (two classes):

SDO Transposition	Not intended for publication
TRs Intended to be transposed and issued by the Organizational Partners as their own publications:	3GPP internal, documenting, planning and scheduling of work, interim results of feasibility studies:
Numbers of the form: xx.9xx	Numbers of the form: xx.8xx (feasibility study reports, etc) or, more rarely, 30.xxx / 50.xxx (planning and scheduling) For some specification series, the stock of xx.8xx TRs has been exhausted. In these cases, further internal TRs are allocated xx.7xx numbers.

Latest versions

The latest versions of the approved specifications areplaced in the "latest" directory of the ftp area: https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/latest.
The latest version of draft specifications (i.e. those not yet under change control) are in the "latest-drafts" directory (https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/latest-drafts)

Old (archived) specifications

All older versions of specifications (where available) are stored in the archive subdirectory. All versions of all releases of a given specification are placed directly under the name of the specification.

Specs related to a particular working group

Each 3GPP TSG Working Group has a home page, with a link to the list of specifications under its responsibility. See the 3GPP Group section of our website and navigate the WG or TSG of interest.

Official SDO Publications

The 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS) and Technical Reports (TR) become "official" when transposed into corresponding publications of the 3GPP Organizational Partner or the body acting as publisher for the Partner.

Once a Release is frozen (see definition in TR 21.900), 3GPP specifications are officially transposed and published by the Organizational Partners, as a part of their standards series.

More information about specifications:

SDO Transposition	Not intended for publication
3GPP Specification Status Report	https://www.3gpp.org/DynaReport/status-report.htm
‘Missing Specs’ following the most recent round of TSG meetings.	https://www.3gpp.org/DynaReport/MissingSpecs.htm
Specifications Per TSG (Plenary) Round	https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/specifications-by-series/specifications-per-tsg-round
Issuing new TS/TR numbers.	https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/specifications-by-series/issuing-new-ts-and-tr-numbers
Search for references to a given specificationor references in a specification.	https://portal.3gpp.org/3gppreferences/SearchReferences.aspx
TS or TR Proposed for withdrawal.	https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/specifications-by-series/ts-or-tr-proposed-for-withdrawal
Version numbering scheme	https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/specifications-by-series/version-numbering-scheme
Specification and TR file name conventions	https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/specifications-by-series/file-name-conventions
GSM Specifications – a short history	https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/specifications-by-series/gsm-specifications
ASN.1 Object Identifiers	https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/specifications-by-series/asn-1-object-identifiers
Confidentiality Algorithms	https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/specifications-by-series/confidentiality-algorithms
ETSI publications relating to core functions of the fixed IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)	https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/webExtensions/TISPAN_transfers/TISPAN_doc.pdf