First 6G RAN study approved

TR38.914 v1.0.0 in RP‑261565

The first study - to identify typical usage scenarios for 6G radio technology and the required capabilities for each scenario – is complete.

The approval of TR 38.914 and the agreement of a timeline for the first 6G specifications – See Timeline for Release 21 (June 10, 2026) – aligns the work to ITU-R’s 6G Framework (M.2160). Our 3GPP study can now be shared with ITU-R as a contribution to the IMT-2030 process.

TR 38.914 covers:

• 6G Deployment scenarios.
• 6G Requirements and technical principles (KPI, architecture and migration, operational requirements, new and existing services, testing and conformance).

Further 6G Radio Studies ongoing

Now the Plenary level study is complete, studies are now progressing at the Working Group level, on FS_6G_Radio which is divided into areas covered by RAN 1,2,3 & 4. A series of Check Points has been set to allow TSG RAN plenary to discuss and decide on detailed migration options and further analysis received from the Working Groups.

Project wide agreement on terms, including 6GR

In the joint session at TSG#112 (Singapore, June 9, 2026) of TSGs CT, RAN and SA, a proposal of an initial set of the basic terms was agreed. This will allow all deliverables from various Working Groups to have a consistent approach as new studies and Work Items are approved.

6GR - 6G Radio

6G RAT - 6G Radio Access Technology

6G RAN - 6G Radio Access Network

6GC or 6G CN - 6G Core Network

6GS - 6G System

This common-sense approach at the start of the 6G standards process took time out of the three TSGs last week, but by adopting consistent terminology, it is hoped that many hours of discussion in standards groups and marketing departments (!) may be saved.