3GPP Specification

I believe lots of people come across this word “3GPP” when searching some telecomms specification or some protocol standard, but seldom of us really look into how the 3GPP specification versioning and numbering. When we see the 1st page of some specification (either for ETSI or etc.), oftenly wording like “3GPP TS 09.02 version 6.15.0 Release 1998″ will be shown.

What is 09.02 ? and what’s the different of Release 1998 and how often 3GPP release the lastest specification?

‘09′ will be the series of 3GPP specifications, while ‘02′ will be the document number under this specification

Series 21- Requirements (Entry level of any new specification)

Series 22 - Service aspects (Stage 1 Specification that define service feature)

Series 23 - Technical realization (Stage 2 specification that define functional blocks)

Series 24 - Signalling Protocol (UE to Network) protocol specification btw. User Equipment and Core Network

Series 25 - Radio aspects (specifications for the radio aspects.)

Series 26 - CODECs (specifications for codecs for speech and video)

Series 27 - Data (specifications for defining functions necessary to support data applications0

Series 28 - Signalling Protocol (stage 3 protocols btw radio subsystem BSS to Edge of Core Network MSC)

Series 29 - Signalling Protocol (stage 3 specification for network elements btw. Core Network, VLR,HLR, MSC etc in UMTS network)

Series 09 - Signalling Protocol (stage 3 specification for network elements btw. Core Network, VLR,HLR, MSC etc in GSM 2G network)

Series 31 - SIM/USIM (Subscriber Identity Module - GSM and Universal Subscvriber Ideniity Module (UMTS)

click here for more series listing in 3GPP official website.

Up till now there are 7 phases which will stated below:-

Released 98 - earlier releases specify pre-3G GSM networks

Released 99 - forezen in March 2000. Introducing WCDMA-based Universal Terrestrial radio Access, LCS (Location Service), CAMEL phase 3

Released 4 - [2001 Q2] Seperation MSC into media gateway and MSC Server to provide bearer indepentent circuit-switched network, Introduction of SIGTRAN in core network, GERAN EDGE and GPRS establish

Released 5 - [2002 Q1] Introduction of IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), SIP, HSDPA(High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) to enhance UMTS, CAMEL phase 4

Release 6 - [2004 Q4] Wireless LAN interworking, HSUPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access), Multimedia Broadcast, Push services, Digital Right Management, Enhance to LCS,

Release 7 - [2007 Q4] improvements to and real-time applications such as VoIP and focusing on HSPA+

Release 8 - [Progressing] LTE (Long Term Evolution) All-IP Core Network; another new technology to be compete with WiMAX towards 4G networks.

There are 5 Technical Specification Group (TSG) to cover different areas of standardization ofMobile Network Technology (GSM, UMTS etc) ; Core Network(CN), GSM/EDGE Radio Acess Network(GERAN), Radio Access Network (RAN), service and System Aspects (SA) and Terminal.

Core Netowrk (CN) - Responsible for Call Control, Session Management (Packet Data Protocol, PDP), Mobility Management (Roaming) btw. User Equipment and Core Network.

GSM/EDGE Radio Acess Network(GERAN) - 2.5G(GPRS) and 2.75G(EDGE) layer 1, 2 and 3 radio interface

Radio Access Network (RAN) - Defining the functions, requirement and interface of the UTRA(UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access) network

Service and System Aspect (SA) - responsible for overall architecutre and service capabiliities of systems based on 3GPP, coordinates with other TSG.

Terminal TSG - deail with Termianl Equipment (TE) interfaces. UTRAN-based TE, USIM interface with Mobile Terminal.

Hope, by this it will be clearer on how 3GPP govern the exsiting 3G and the legacy technology GSM(2G) and how it help to growth the telecomms industry into a challenging world…… 4G