3GPP noted that the delivery of a new mobile generation is a multi-year process
The 3GPP organizational partners ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSDSI, TTA and TTC said the body would begin planning for 6G specifications.
In a statement, the standards body noted that work is underway for Release-18 and it will soon begin development of Release-19 specifications, which are related to 5G-Advanced.
The organization said its consensus-based process delivers the critical technical specifications that provide a complete system description for the mobile networks that billions of users depend on.
3GPP highlighted that the delivery of a new mobile generation is a multi-year process, adding that the work for the 6G specifications is being planned well in advance.
“Mobile communication systems have been positioned as an essential platform for our society and economy, and we believe this trend will further increase with 6G. For mobile communication systems from 3G to 5G, 3GPP has also worked with ITU to strongly promote standardization development all over the world. Through this commitment, the 3GPP organizational partners will work together to develop 6G which will bring more values to all of us with global standard,” said Seiji Nishioka, executive director at ARIB.
“3GPP’s ongoing 5G work delivers valuable technology for global customers. Further improvements through the 5G-Advanced lifecycle will help ensure 5G’s operational importance. Looking forward, industry, users and government have expressed growing interest in 6G’s potential to not only deliver new services but to optimize existing ones. ATIS’ Next G Alliance has developed a comprehensive 6G roadmap for North America that will serve as a basis for our input to 3GPP global 6G standardization,” said Susan Miller, ATIS president and CEO
6G systems are expected to be commercially launched by 2030, while the first phase of standardization will likely start in 2025, leading to the first 6G specification in 3GPP Release 21 by 2028.
The standardization process for future 6G systems is in its early stage. In June 2023, the International Telecommunication Union-Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Working Party (WP) 5D published the framework recommendation of 6G networks.
Last week, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said it has officially published the framework for developing 6G standards approved last month by the ITU Radiocommunication Assembly (RA).
The details of the 6G framework are contained in Recommendation ITU-R M.2160 on the “IMT-2030 Framework” approved by the ITU Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-23) at its recent meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
With the framework’s official publication, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) can now start working to define technical requirements, submission process and evaluation criteria for potential IMT-2030 6G radio interface technologies.
The IMT-2030 Framework Recommendation identified 15 capabilities for 6G technology. Nine of those capabilities are derived from existing 5G systems.
Envisioned use cases for 6G include immersive interactive video, intelligent industrial applications including telemedicine and management of energy and power grids, enhanced ubiquitous connectivity, especially in remote and sparsely populated areas, expanded IoT devices and apps, support for AI-powered applications and integrated multi-dimensional sensing combined with high-precision positioning to improve assisted navigation.
