About
The 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 specifications and studies are contribution-driven, by member companies, in Working Groups and at the Technical Specification Group level.
The three Technical Specification Groups (TSG) in 3GPP are;
• Radio Access Networks (RAN),
• Services & Systems Aspects (SA),
• Core Network & Terminals (CT)
The Working Groups, within the TSGs, meet regularly and come together for their quarterly TSG Plenary meeting, where their work is presented for information, discussion and approval.
Each TSG has a particular area of responsibility for the Reports and Specifications within its own Terms of Reference (Details available in the Specification Groups pages).
The last meeting of the cycle of Plenary meetings is TSG SA, which also has responsibility for the overall coordination of work and for the monitoring of its progress
The 3GPP technologies from these groups are constantly evolving through Generations of commercial cellular / mobile systems (see table below). Since the completion of the first LTE and the Evolved Packet Core specifications, 3GPP has become the focal point for mobile systems beyond 3G.
Although these Generations have become an adequate descriptor for the type of network under discussion, real progress on 3GPP standards is measured by the milestones achieved in particular Releases. New features are "functionality frozen" and are ready for implementation when a Release is completed. 3GPP works on a number of Releases in parallel, starting future work well in advance of the completion of the current Release. Although this adds some complexity to the work of the groups, such a way of working ensures that progress is continuous & stable.
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3GPP is also listed in these categories: