Overview#
3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) unites Seven telecommunications standard development organizations (ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSDSI, TTA, TTC), known as "Organizational Partners" and provides their members with a stable environment to produce the Reports and Specifications that define 3rd Generation Partnership Project technologies.The 3rd Generation Partnership Project covers cellular telecommunications network technologies, including radio access, the core transport network, and service capabilities - including work on codecs, security, quality of service - and thus provides complete system specifications. The specifications also provide hooks for non-radio access to the core network, and for interworking with Wi-Fi networks.
3GPP standards are structured as Releases. Discussion of 3GPP thus frequently refers to the functionality in one release or another.
| Version | AKA | Released | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 1992 | GSM Features | |
| Phase 2 | [1995] | GSM Features, EFR Codec, | |
| Release 96 | 1997 Q1 | GSM Features, 14.4 kbit/s User Data Rate, | |
| Release 97 | 1998 Q1 | GSM Features, GPRS | |
| Release 98 | 1999 Q1 | GSM Features, AMR, EDGE, GPRS for PCS1900 | |
| Release 99 | 3G | 2000 Q1 | Specified the first UMTS 3G networks, incorporating a CDMA air interface[9] |
| Release 4 | 3G | 2001 Q2 | Originally called the Release 2000 – added features including an all-IP Core Network[10] |
| Release 5 | 3G | 2002 Q1 | Introduced IMS and HSDPA[11] |
| Release 6 | 3G | 2004 Q4 | Integrated operation with Wireless LAN networks and adds HSUPA, MBMS, enhancements to IMS such as Push to Talk over Cellular (PoC), GAN[12] |
| Release 7 | 3G | 2007 Q4 | Focuses on decreasing latency, improvements to QoS and real-time applications such as VoIP.[13] This specification also focus on HSPA+ (High Speed Packet Access Evolution), SIM high-speed protocol and contactless front-end interface (Near Field Communication enabling operators to deliver contactless services like Mobile Payments), EDGE Evolution. |
| Release 8 | LTE | 2008 Q4 | First LTE release. All-IP Network (SAE). New OFDMA, FDE and MIMO based radio interface, not backwards compatible with previous CDMA interfaces. Dual-Cell HSDPA. UMTS HNB. |
| Release 9 | LTE | 2009 Q4 | SAES Enhancements, WiMAX and LTE/UMTS Interoperability. Dual-Cell HSDPA with MIMO, Dual-Cell HSUPA. LTE HeNB. |
| Release 10 | 4G LTE Advanced | 2011 Q1 | LTE Advanced fulfilling IMT Advanced 4G requirements. Backwards compatible with release 8 (LTE). Multi-Cell HSDPA (4 carriers). |
| Release 11 | 4G LTE Advanced | 2012 Q3 | Advanced IP Interconnection of Services. Service layer interconnection between national operators/carriers as well as Third-party application providers. Heterogeneous networks (HetNet) improvements, Coordinated Multi-Point operation (CoMP). In-device Co-existence (IDC). |
| Release 12 | 4G LTE Advanced | [2015] Q1 | Enhanced Small Cells (higher order modulation, dual connectivity, cell discovery, self configuration), Carrier Aggregation (2 uplink carriers, 3 downlink carriers, FDD/TDD carrier aggregation), MIMO (3D channel modeling, elevation beamforming, massive MIMO), New and Enhanced Services (cost and range of MTC, D2D communication, eMBMS enhancements)[14] |
| Release 13 | 4G LTE-Advanced Pro | 2016 Q1 | LTE in unlicensed, LTE enhancements for Machine-Type Communication. Elevation Beamforming / Full-Dimension MIMO, Indoor positioning.[15] LTE-Advanced Pro. |
| Release 14 | 4G LTE-Advanced Pro | 2017 Q2 | Energy Efficiency, Location Services (LCS), Mission Critical Data over LTE, Mission Critical Video over LTE, Flexible Mobile Service Steering (FMSS), Multimedia Broadcast Supplement for Public Warning System (MBSP), enhancement for TV service, massive Internet of Things, Cell Broadcast Service (CBS)[16] |
| Release 15 | 5G | 2018 Q2 | First NR ("New Radio") release. Support for 5G Vehicle-to-x service, IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS), Future Railway Mobile Communication System[17] |
