TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Security
  • More Topics
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • |
  • About
  • Contact
  • |
  • Connect with us
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research & Innovation
  • Security
  • Connect with TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

5G Evolution

5G Evolution

Release 17 timeline agreed by 3GPP

Via 3GPP

Dec 14, 2020

Last week’s Plenary meetings of the 3GPP Technical Specification Groups (TSG) have resulted in joint approval of a firm Release 17 timeline. In reaching this scheduling decision, TSGs#90-e considered the effects that e-meetings in 2020 had on the work’s progress and the pressure that cancellation of all face-to-face meetings has created.

With remote working now confirmed as the norm until June 2021, the delegates took guidance from the Chairs of the Working Groups and the three TSG Chairs, that delegates participating in both the actual e-meetings and discussions in-between meetings need more time to be able to comfortably and accurately consolidate the results of their work. This guidance takes into account the fact that in the busiest groups the stream of contributions can peak at over 1000 emails a day.

At last week’s Plenary, the TSG RAN, TSG SA and TSG CT Chairs have co-proposed a new schedule for the completion of Release 17 work, based on the assumption that 3GPP will return to physical meetings for the second half of 2021.

New Release 17 Schedule:

  • Rel-17 Stage 2 Functional Freeze, June 2021 (TSGs#92-e)
  • Rel-17 Stage 3 Protocol Freeze, March 2022 (TSGs#95)
  • Rel-17 Protocol coding Freeze (ASN.1, OpenAPI), June 2022 (TSGs#96)

Only the timeline for the work has changed; the content of Release 17 remains as approved during the December 2019 TSG#86 meetings. With this revised timeline, the broader 5G industry can rely on an informed and well-considered schedule that takes into account the peculiar situation created by life during a pandemic.

Release timeline R16 R17

The new commitment will greatly help companies advance their plans for network roll-out and new product development. The Release 17 schedule will now allow 3GPP the time it needs to complete the maintenance of Release 16 specifications as they become very stable. At the same time, it allows the groups to switch priority to some exciting Release 17 features.

Studies in several key areas are already in the pipeline. These include: coverage and positioning enhancements, NR and slicing QoE work, adding new frequency ranges, NR reduced capacity devices, enhanced support of non-public networks, supporting unmanned aerial systems, support for edge computing in 5GC, proximity-based services in 5GS, network automation for 5G (Phase 2) and for access traffic steering, switch and splitting (ATSSS), among others.

Release 17 features to look out for include new work and enhancements for: URLLC for industrial IoT over NR, NR support over non-terrestrial networks, MIMO, integrated access and backhaul (IAB), MBS positioning, NR multicast and broadcast services, RAN slicing for NR, NR sidelink, multi-RAT dual-connectivity, support for multi-SIM devices for LTE/NR, NR small data transmissions in inactive state and multimedia priority service, to name a few.

At the March 2021 (TSG#91-e) meetings, the membership will evaluate the possibility to resume physical meetings in the second half of the year – as soon as possible after the June 2021 TSG e-meetings.

Related Topics
  • 3GPP,
  • 4G LTE,
  • 5G Evolution,
  • Core Network,
  • Europe,
  • Global,
  • Industry Associations,
  • Radio Access Network,
  • Tracker

More Like This

Open RAN

What’s up with… Open RAN investments, Veon in Russia, AWS

Jan 27, 2023

5G Evolution

Elisa’s Financial Statements Release 2022

Jan 27, 2023

5G Evolution

What’s up with… Ericsson, Millicom, AST SpaceMobile

Jan 26, 2023

Access Evolution

Nokia reports a stellar 2022

Jan 26, 2023

5G Evolution

Ericsson announces changes to the executive team

Jan 26, 2023

This content extract was originally sourced from an external website (3GPP) and is the copyright of the external website owner. TelecomTV is not responsible for the content of external websites. Legal Notices

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

0:46

The Cloud Native Telco Summit returns this September!

8:32

Azita Arvani on Being a Female Leader at Rakuten Symphony

16:19

AT&T Amy Zwarico on securing telco applications in the public cloud

1:44

Join us for the greatest industry debate of the year!

TelecomTV
Company
  • About Us
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
Our Brands
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • Great Telco Debate
  • TelecomTV Events
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070
Connect With Us
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal Notices
  • Help

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media.

© Decisive Media Limited 2023. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).