3GPP Release 19 Description and Summary of Work Items

As the journey towards 3GPP Release 20 and 6G (3GPP Rel-21) continues to gather pace, the recently concluded Release 19 comes with a clearer view of what the next phase of 5G evolution, often referred to as 5G-Advanced, will look like in practice. One of the most useful artefacts in this process is the recently published technical report 3GPP TR 21.919, which offers a consolidated snapshot of the features and work items currently shaping this release.

Rather than focusing on detailed specifications, this report takes a step back and provides accessible summaries of the agreed work items. Each summary is intended to answer two simple but important questions: what problem is being addressed, and what impact the feature will have on the overall system. This makes the document particularly valuable not only for specialists deeply involved in standardisation work, but also for a broader audience trying to keep track of where the industry is heading.

It is worth noting that this is still very much a work in progress (50% complete). At the time of publication, just over 60 summaries have been included, with many more expected in future updates. Even so, the current version already highlights the sheer breadth of activity in Release 19, spanning everything from energy efficiency and non-terrestrial networks to AI, immersive services, and advanced radio capabilities.

In this post, I will not attempt to reinterpret or condense the summaries themselves. Instead, I am sharing the full list of topics covered in the report below, which provides a useful index into the areas that 3GPP worked on as part of Release 19.

It should be noted that the technical report (TR) presents the "initial state" of the Features introduced in Release 19, i.e. as they are by the time of publication of this document. Each Feature is subject to be later modified or enhanced, over several years, by the means of Change Requests (CRs). To further outline a feature at a given time, it is recommended to retrieve all the CRs which relate to the given Feature, as explained in its Reference section. 

Below is the list of all topics covered in this report. Some of the topics may be missing a summary, which will be added later in the later updates.  

5 Rel-19 Energy Efficiency, Energy Saving

5.1   Enhancements of Network energy savings for NR

5.2   Low-power wake-up signal and receiver for NR (LP-WUS/WUR)

5.3   Energy Efficiency as Service Criteria

6   Rel-19 Satellite (5GSAT), NTN, UAS, Aerial

6.1   Satellite access Phase 3

6.1.1   Security Aspects of 5G Satellite Access Phase 3

6.1.2   Charging aspects of satellite access Phase 3

6.2   Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) for NR Phase 3

6.3   Enhancements for Air-to-ground network for NR

6.4   Inter-RAT mode mobility support from E-UTRAN TN to NR NTN

6.5   Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) for Internet of Things (IoT) Phase 3 (for LTE)

6.6   Introduction of IoT-NTN TDD mode

6.7   Enhanced requirements and test methodology for NR NTN and IoT NTN

6.8   On-demand broadcast of GNSS assistance data

6.9   Uncrewed Aerial System Phase 3

6.10   Support for PWS in Satellite E-UTRAN and Satellite NG-RAN

6.11   Introduction of BDS (BeiDou Navigation Satellite System) B2b Signal in A-GNSS for LTE and NR

6.12   Introduction of A-GNSS support for NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) L1 SPS (Standard Positioning Service) in NR & LTE

6.13   Management Aspects of Rel-18's NTN Phase 2

6.14   Lower Selection-priority for PLMN Selection

6.15   New LTE band for 5G broadcast for region 3 utilizing a geosynchronous satellite

6.16   Satellite band-related items

6.16.1   Introduction of Ku bands for NR NTN

6.16.2   Introduction of additional operating NR bands for HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station)

6.16.3   Introduction of another NR NTN S-band (MSS band 2000-2020 MHz UL and 2180-2200 MHz DL)

6.16.4   New NR NTN bands to support Extended L-band and combined MSS L-band and Extended L-band ranges

6.16.5   Introduction of another IoT-NTN S-band (MSS band 2000-2020 MHz UL and 2180-2200 MHz DL)

7   Rel-19 Internet of Things (IoT) and Reduced Capability (RedCap) UE

7.1   NR power class 2 RedCap (Reduced Capability) UE in FR1

7.2   NAS layer overhead reduction for data transfer using CP CIoT

7.3   Management Aspects of RedCap features

8   Ambient power-enabled Internet of Things (IoT)

8.1   Ambient power-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) (SA and CT)

8.1.1   Charging for Ambient power-enabled Internet of Things

8.1.2   Security Aspects of Ambient IoT Services in 5G for Isolated Private Networks

8.2   Solutions for Ambient IoT (Internet of Things) in NR

9   Rel-19 Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML)

9.1   AI/ML Model Transfer Phase 2

9.2   Core Network Enhanced Support for Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML)

9.3   Application enablement for AI/ML services

9.4   Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) for NR air interface

9.5   Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) for NR air interface

9.6   Enhancements for Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) for NG-RAN

9.7   AI/ML Management Phase 2

9.8   Protocol for AI Data Collection from UPF

10   Rel-19 Verticals and Non Public Network

10.1   Rel-19 Enhancements of 3GPP Northbound and Application Layer Interfaces and APIs

10.2   SEAL DD (Data Delivery) Phase 2

10.3   Common Application Programming Interface (API) Framework (CAPIF) Phase 3

10.4   Enhanced OAM for management service exposure to external consumers through CAPIF

10.5   Non-Public Network (NPN) security considerations

10.6   Security for PLMN hosting a NPN

10.7   Interconnect of SNPN

10.8   ProSe support in NPN

11   Rel-19 communications services

11.1   Media Messaging Enhancements

11.2   Terminal Audio quality performance and Test methods for Immersive Audio Services, Phase 2

11.3   EVS Codec Extension for Immersive Voice and Audio Services, Phase 2

11.4   5GMSG Service phase 3

11.5   Video Operating Points - Harmonization and Stereo MV-HEVC

11.6   Advanced Media Delivery

11.7   5G Real-time Transport Protocol Configurations, Phase 2

11.8   Next Generation Real time Communication services Phase 2

11.8.1   System architecture for Next Generation Real time Communication services Phase 2

11.8.2   Security support for the Next Generation Real Time Communication services Phase 2

11.8.3   Application enablement aspects for MMTel

12   Rel-19 XR (eXtended Reality), Augmented Reality (AR), Metaverse, Edge Computing

12.1   Localized Mobile Metaverse Services

12.2   Extended Reality and Media

12.3   XR (eXtended Reality) for NR Phase 3

12.4   Avatar Communications in AR Calls

12.5   Split rendering over IMS

12.6   Enhancement of support for Edge Computing in 5G Core network - Phase 3

12.7   Edge Computing for Industrial Scenarios

12.8   Edge Computing Considering the Operational Needs of Service Hosting Environment

12.9   Architecture for enabling Edge Applications Phase 3

13   Rel-19 High Power UEs (HPUE)

13.1   Rel-19 High power UE (power class 1.5 or 2) for NR intra-band CA or NR inter-band CA/DC band combinations with/without NR Supplementary Uplink (UL)

13.2   Rel-19 High power UE (power class 1.5 and 2) for NR FR1 TDD/FDD single band for handheld/FWA UEs, and high power UE operation (power class 1) for FWVM (fixed-wireless/vehicle-mounted) use cases in a single NR band

13.3   Introduction of Power Class 2 and UE 40MHz Channel Bandwidth in NR band n28

13.4   Rel-19 High power UE (power class 1.5 or 2) for DC combinations of LTE band(s) and NR band(s)

13.5   Rel-19 High power UE (power class 2) and high power operation (power class 1) for fixed-wireless/vehicle-mounted use cases in a single LTE band

14   Rel-19 RAN topology

14.1   5G NR Femto

14.2   Additional topological enhancements for NR

14.3   Vehicle Mounted Relays Phase 2

15   Rel-19 Sidelink, Proximity

15.1   NR sidelink multi-hop relay

15.2   UE-to-UE multi-hop relay

15.3   NR Sidelink: Intra-band Carrier Aggregation in ITS band

15.4   Charging Aspects of Ranging and Sidelink Positioning

15.5   Multi-path relay

15.6   Proximity-based Services in 5GS Phase 3

16   NR and LTE Dual Connectivity (DC)

16.1   UE RF enhancements for NR FR1/FR2 and EN-DC, Phase 4

16.2   Support of intra-band non-collocated EN-DC/NR-CA deployment Phase2: new receiver type(s)

16.3   Rel-19 downlink interruption for NR and EN-DC band combinations at dynamic Tx Switching in Uplink

16.4   Rel-19 DC of x LTE band(s), y NR band(s) (1<=x<6, 1<=y<6, x+y<=6) and single or two NR Supplementary Uplink (SUL) bands

16.5   Simultaneous Rx/Tx band combinations for NR CA/DC, NR SUL and LTE/NR DC in Rel-19

16.6   UE Conformance - Rel-19 NR CA and DC; and NR and LTE DC Configurations

17   Rel-19 Other NR and LTE Radio

17.1   Adding channel bandwidth(s) support to existing NR bands and CA/ENDC combinations in REL-19

17.2   Data collection for SON (Self-Organising Networks)/MDT (Minimization of Drive Tests) in NR standalone and MR-DC (Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity) Phase 4

18   Rel-19 NR Radio

18.1   NR mobility enhancements Phase 4

18.2   Evolution of NR duplex operation: Sub-band full duplex (SBFD)

18.3   NR Radio Resource Management (RRM) Phase 5

18.4   Multi-carrier enhancements for NR Phase 3

18.5   NR demodulation performance Phase 5

18.6   NR MIMO Phase 5

18.7   FR1 TRP, TRS and MIMO OTA testing enhancement Phase 3

18.8   Rel-19 NR CA/DC for x bands DL with y bands UL (x<7, y<3) and SUL/CA band combinations with a single SUL or two SUL cells

18.9   Low band carrier aggregation via switching

18.10  NR channel BW less than 5MHz for FR1 Phase 2

18.11  mmWave in NR: UE spurious emissions and EESS (Earth Exploration Satellite Service) protection

18.12  NR base station (BS) RF requirement evolution for FR1/FR2 and testing

18.13  UE Conformance - New Rel-19 NR licensed bands and extension of existing NR bands

18.14  Other band-related items

18.14.1   7MHz Channel Bandwidth for n26 and n5

18.14.2   Introduction of the NR FDD 1.4 GHz band

18.14.3   Introduction of NR bands n87 and n88

18.14.4   Introduction of NR band n68

18.14.5   Additional NR bands for NR features in Rel-19

18.15  Study on spatial channel model for demodulation performance requirements for NR

19   Rel-19 LTE Radio

19.1   LTE-based 5G Broadcast Phase 2

19.2   Rel-19 LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation for x bands (1<=x<= 6) DL with y bands (y=1, 2) UL

19.3   Band-related items

19.3.1   New bands for LTE based 5G terrestrial broadcast for early deployments

19.3.2   Introduction of LTE FDD band in 1800–1830 MHz for Canada

20   Rel-19 Mission Critical, eCall, Emergency

20.1   Enhanced Mission Critical Architecture

20.2   Enhanced Mission Critical Location Management

20.3   Alignment of eCall over IMS with CEN

20.4   UE Conformance - Alignment of eCall over IMS with CEN

20.5   Multiple Location Procedure for Emergency LCS Routing

20.6   Multimedia Priority Service (MPS) for Messaging services

20.7   Mission Critical (MC) services for generic support on Isolated Operation for Public Safety (IOPS) mode of operation

20.8   Sharing of administrative configuration between interconnected MC service systems

20.9   Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) Phase 5

20.10   Mission critical security enhancements for release 19

20.11   Protocol enhancements for Mission Critical Services

21   Rel-19 Network Slicing

21.1   Network Controlled Network Slice Selection

22   Rel-19 Service-Based Architecture (SBA)

22.1   UPF enhancement for Exposure And SBA Phase 2

22.2   Automatic Certificate Management Environment (ACME) for the Service Based Architecture (SBA)

22.3   Reducing Information Exposure over SBI

22.4   Service Based Interface Protocol Improvements Release 19

23   Rel-19 QoS and Policy

23.1   Rel-19 Enhancements of UE Policy

23.2   Rel-19 Enhancements of Session Management (SM) Policy

23.3   Minimize the Number of Policy Associations

23.4   Spending Limits for UE Policies in Roaming scenario

23.5   Enhancing Parameter Provisioning with static UE IP address and UP security policy

23.6   Providing per-subscriber VLAN instructions from UDM and DN-AAA

23.7   QoS monitoring enhancement

24   Rel-19 multi-access

24.1   Upper layer traffic steering and switching over dual 3GPP access

24.2   Multi-Access (ATSSS_Ph4)

24.3   ATSSS Rule Provisioning via 3GPP access connected to EPC

24.4   Local traffic routing for multi-access UE

25   Other topics

25.1   Deferred 5GC-MT-LR Procedure for Periodic Location Events based NRPPa Periodic Measurement Reports

25.2   Subscription control for reference time distribution in EPS

25.3   Rel-19 IMS:

25.3.1   PS Data Off for IMS Data Channel Service

25.3.2   IMS Disaster Prevention and Restoration Enhancement

25.3.3   IMS Stage-3 IETF Protocol Alignment

25.4   Identifying non-3GPP Devices Connecting behind a UE or 5G-RG

25.5   Integrated Sensing and Communication

25.6   Rel-19 Application Data Analytics Enablement Service

25.7   Interworking of Non-3GPP Digital Terrestrial Broadcast Networks with 5GS Multicast Broadcast Services

25.8   Minimization of Service Interruption During Core Network Failure Phase 2

25.9   Measurement Data Collection

25.10  Enhanced application layer support for location services

25.11  NF discovery and selection by target PLMN

25.12  MSISDN verification operation support to Nnef_UEId Service

25.13  Rel-19 Enhancements of Network Automation Enablers

25.14  Enhancement of controlling RAT utilization

25.15  CT Aspects for IP Domain usage

25.16  Indirect Network Sharing

25.17  Management of Network Sharing Phase 3

25.18  Roaming Value-Added Services

25.19  Monitoring of signalling traffic in 5G

25.20  Roaming traffic offloading via session breakout in HPLMN

25.21  Stage-3 5GS NAS protocol development 18

25.22  Stage-3 SAE Protocol Development

25.23  Harmonization of test case definitions for cross-RAT usability

25.24  Data management regarding subscriptions and reporting

25.25  PRU Usage Extension supported by Core Network

26   Rel-19 miscellaneous Security

26.1   Security Assurance Specification for maintenance of 5G features

26.2   5G Security Assurance Specification (SCAS) for the Unified Data Repository (UDR)

26.3   5G Security Assurance Specification (SCAS) for the Short Message Service Function (SMSF)

26.4   Addition of 256-bit security Algorithms

26.5   Addition of Milenage-256 algorithm

26.6   Roaming and interconnect authorization aspects in indirect communication

26.7   Public key distribution and Issuer claim verification of the Access Token

26.8   3GPP profiles for cryptographic algorithms and security protocols

26.9   Mobility over non-3GPP access to avoid full primary authentication

26.10  LI Handling of Protected Services

26.11  Lawful Interception Rel-19

26.12  Lawful Interception Guidance Rel-19

26.13  Specification of example algorithm for alternative f5* (f5**) function

27   Rel-19 miscellaneous OAM&charging

27.1   Charging aspects for Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) Network Sharing

27.2   Service Based Management Architecture enhancement phase 3

27.3   Management Data Analytics phase 3

27.4   Intent driven management services for mobile network phase 3

27.5   Management of planned configurations

27.6   Management aspects of Network Digital Twins

27.7   Closed Control Loop Management

27.8   Data management phase 2

27.9   5G performance measurements and KPIs phase 4

27.10  5G Advanced NRM features phase 3

27.11  Subscriber and Equipment Trace and QoE collection management

27.12  Management of IAB nodes

27.13  Enhancement of Management Aspects Related of NWDAF Phase 2

27.14  CHF Segmentation

27.15  Subscriber Data Migration

You can download the latest version of the specs from here.

Related Post: 

• The 3G4G Blog - Tutorial: A Quick Introduction to 3GPP
• Free 6G Training: ATIS Webinar on 'Introduction to 3GPP Release 19 and 6G Planning'
• The 3G4G Blog: AIoT and A-IoT
• The 3G4G Blog: The Evolution of 3GPP 5G Network Slice and Service Types (SSTs)
• The 3G4G Blog: 5G-Advanced Store and Forward (S&F): Enabling Resilient IoT Communications via Satellite
• The 3G4G Blog: Low Latency Power Saving with Low Power-Wake Up Signal/Receiver (LP-WUS/LP-WUR)
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP TSG RAN and TSG SA Release-19 Workshop Summary
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP Release 18 Description and Summary of Work Items
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP Release 17 Description and Summary of Work Items
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP Release 16 Description and Summary of Work Items 

6G and Other 3GPP Logos

The Project Coordination Group (PCG) of 3GPP recently approved a new logo for use on specifications for 6G, during their 52nd PCG meeting, hosted by ATIS in Reston, Virginia. As with previous logos, surely people in general will use them not just for 3GPP 6G compliant products, but for all kinds of things.

New 6G logo approved - The Project Coordination Group (PCG) of 3GPP has approved a new logo for use on specifications for 6G, during their 52nd PCG meeting this week. Learn more: https://t.co/sh2yvQtc23 via @3GPPLive#Free6Gtraining #6G #5G #B5G #5GAdvanced #3G4G5G pic.twitter.com/2CtUVBGQgd

— Free 6G Training (@6Gtraining) April 24, 2024

Over the years many people have reached out to me to ask for 3GPP logos, even though they are available publicly. All 3GPP logos, from 3G to 6G is available in the Marcoms directory here. In addition to the logo, each directory also lists guidance for use of the logos. For example, 3GPP does not allow the use of the logo as shown on the left in the image on top of the post while the one on the right is okay.

Surely there isn't an issue for general use but for anyone wishing to use the logos for their products, equipment, documentation or books, they will have to strictly comply with the rules.

Related Posts: 

• The 3G4G Blog - Tutorial: A Quick Introduction to 3GPP
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP RAN Plenary Update and Evolution towards 5G-Advanced
• The 3G4G Blog: IMT-2020 (5G) Requirements
• The 3G4G Blog: Why is 5G called 5G?
• The 3G4G Blog: LTE and LTE-Advanced Official Logos now available 

R&S Webinar on LTE-A Pro and evolution to 5G

Rohde & Schwarz recently uploaded a webinar video on their YouTube channel. I found it really useful. It's embedded below.

Topics covered:

• LTE-M / NB-IoT
• feMTC
• UE Category M2
• OTDOA based positioning
• UE Categories
• Unlicensed Spectrum Overview
• LTE in Unlicensed Spectrum
• LWA, LWIP
• LAA, eLAA
• Wi-Fi
• LBT
• LWA mobility
• Carrier Aggregation Enhancements
• Multi-user superposition transmission (MUST)
• Single cell - point to multipoint transmission (SC-PTM)
• SC-PTM Channel Structure
• SC-PTM Channel Flow
• Massive MIMO
• V2X Overview
• eNB scheduling - transmission mode 3
• Distributed scheduling - transmission mode 4
• Direct communication
• LTE Advanced Pro (Release 15)
• Further NB-IoT Enhancements
• Even further enhanced MTC - eMTC4 (Rel-15)

Related Posts:

• LTE-Advanced Pro (a.k.a. 4.5G)
• New LTE UE Categories (Downlink & Uplink) in Release-13
• Mission Critical Services update from 3GPP - June 2017

The small detail about 5G you may have missed...

While going through the latest issue of CW Journal, I came across this article from Moray Rumney, Lead Technologist, Keysight. It highlights an interesting point that I missed out earlier that 5G also includes all LTE specifications from Release 15 onwards.

I reached out to our CW resident 3GPP standards expert Sylvia Lu to clarify and received more details.

There is a whole lot of detail available in RP-172789.zip. Here RIT stands for Radio Interface Technology and SRIT for Set of RIT.

Indeed, NB-IoT and Cat-M will also be part of the initial IMT-2020 submissions early next year.. watch the space

— Sylvia Lu (@SylviaLuUk) December 22, 2017

In fact at Sylvia clarified, NB-IoT and Cat-M will also be part of the initial IMT-2020 submissions early next year. Thanks Sylvia.

There is also this nice presentation by Huawei in ITU (here) that describes Requirements, Evaluation Criteria and Submission Templates for the development of IMT-2020. It is very helpful in understanding the process.

Coming back to the question I have often asked (see here for example),
1. What features are needed for operator to say they have deployed 5G, and
2. How many sites / coverage area needed to claim 5G rollout

With LTE Release-15 being part of 5G, I think it has just become easy for operators to claim they have 5G.

What do you think?

Mission Critical Services update from 3GPP - June 2017

3GPP has published an overview of what has been achieved so far in the Mission Critical and also provides an outlook of what can be expected in the near future. A more detailed paper summarizing the use cases and functional aspects of Rel-13, Rel-14 and upcoming Rel-15 will be published later this year.

Mission Critical Services – Detailed List of Rel-13, Rel-14 and Rel-15 Functionalities

Rel-13 MCPTT (completed 2016)

• User authentication and service authorization
• Configuration
• Affiliation and de-affiliation
• Group calls on-network and off-network (within one system or multiple systems, pre-arranged or chat model, late entry, broadcast group calls, emergency group calls, imminent peril group calls, emergency alerts)
• Private calls on-network and off-network (automatic or manual commencement modes, emergency private calls)
• MCPTT security
• Encryption (media and control signalling)
• Simultaneous sessions for call
• Dynamic group management (group regrouping)
• Floor control in on-network (within one system or across systems) and in off-network
• Pre-established sessions
• Resource management (unicast, multicast, modification, shared priority)
• Multicast/Unicast bearer control, MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service) bearers
• Location configuration, reporting and triggering
• Use of UE-to-network relays

Rel-14 MC Services (completed 2017)

MC Services Common Functionalities:

• User authentication and service authorization
• Service configuration
• Affiliation and de-affiliation
• Extended Location Features
• (Dynamic) Group Management
• Identity management
• MC Security framework
• Encryption (media and control signalling)

MCPTT Enhancements:

• First-to-answer call setup (with and without floor control)
• Floor control for audio cut-in enabled group
• Updating the selected MC Service user profile for an MC Service
• Ambient listening call
• MCPTT private call-back request
• Remote change of selected group

MCVideo, Common Functions plus:

• Group Call (including emergency group calls, imminent peril group calls, emergency alerts)
• Private Call (off-network)
• Transmission Control

MCData, Common Functions plus:

• Short Data Service (SDS)
• File Distribution (FD) (on-network)
• Transmission and Reception Control
• Handling of Disposition Notifications
• Communication Release

Rel-15 MC Services (in progress)

MC Services Common Functionalities Enhancements:

• Enhanced MCPTT group call setup procedure with MBMS bearer
• Enhanced Location management, information and triggers
• Interconnection between 3GPP defined MC systems
• Interworking with legacy systems

MCPTT Enhancements:

• Remotely initiated MCPTT call
• Enhanced handling of MCPTT Emergency Alerts
• Enhanced Broadcast group call
• Updating pre-selected MC Service user profile
• Temporary group call - user regroup
• Functional alias identity for user and equipment
• Multiple simultaneous users

MCVideo Additions:

• Video push
• Video pull
• Private call (on-network)
• Broadcast Group Call
• Ambient Viewing Call
• Capability information sharing
• Simultaneous Sessions
• Use of MBMS transmission
• Emergency and imminent peril private communications
• Primary and Partner MC system interactions for MCVideo communications
• Remote video parameters control capabilities

MCData Additions:

• MCData specific Location
• Enhanced Status
• Accessing list of deferred communications
• Usage of MBMS
• Emergency Alert
• Data streaming
• File Distribution (FD) (off-network)
• IP connectivity

Release-14 features will be available by end of September 2017 and many Release-15 features, that is being hurried due to 5G will be available by June 2018.

For more details, follow the links below:

• Mission Critical Services in 3GPP
• 3GPP TSG-SA WG6 Meeting #17 - Agenda, Documents and Reports

Gigabit LTE?

Last year Qualcomm announced the X16 LTE modem that was capable of up to 1Gbps, category 16 in DL and Cat 13 (150 Mbps) in UL. See my last post on UE categories here.

Early January, it announced Snapdragon 835 at CES that looks impressive. Android central says "On the connectivity side of things, there's the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, which enables Category 16 LTE download speeds that go up to one gigabit per second. For uploads, there's a Category 13 modem that lets you upload at 150MB/sec. For Wi-Fi, Qualcomm is offering an integrated 2x2 802.11ac Wave-2 solution along with an 802.11ad multi-gigabit Wi-Fi module that tops out at 4.6Gb/sec. The 835 will consume up to 60% less power while on Wi-Fi."

Technology purists would know that LTE, which is widely referred to as 4G, was in fact pre-4G or as some preferred to call it, 3.9G. New UE categories were introduced in Rel-10 to make LTE into LTE-Advanced with top speeds of 3Gbps. This way, the ITU requirements for a technology to be considered 4G (IMT-Advanced) was satisfied.

LTE-A was already Gigabit capable in theory but in practice we had been seeing peak speeds of up to 600Mbps until recently. With this off my chest, lets look at what announcements are being made. Before that, you may want to revisit what 4.5G or LTE-Advanced Pro is here.

• Qualcomm, Telstra, Ericsson and NETGEAR Announce World’s First Gigabit Class LTE Mobile Device and Gigabit-Ready Network. Gigabit Class LTE download speeds are achieved through a combination of 3x carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO on two aggregated carriers plus 2x2 MIMO on the third carrier, and 256-QAM higher order modulation. 
• TIM in Italy is the first in Europe to launch 4.5G up to 500 Mbps in Rome, Palermo and Sanremo
• Telenet in partnership with ZTE have achieved a download speed of 1.3 Gbps during a demonstration of the ZTE 4.5G new technology. That's four times faster than 4G's maximum download speed. Telenet is the first in Europe to reach this speed in real-life circumstances. 4.5G ZTE technology uses 4x4 MIMO beaming, 3-carrier aggregation, and a QAM 256 modulation.
• AT&T said, "The continued deployment of our 4G LTE-Advanced network remains essential to laying the foundation for our evolution to 5G. In fact, we expect to begin reaching peak theoretical speeds of up to 1 Gbps at some cell sites in 2017. We will continue to densify our wireless network this year through the deployment of small cells and the use of technologies like carrier aggregation, which increases peak data speeds. We’re currently deploying three-way carrier aggregation in select areas, and plan to introduce four-way carrier aggregation as well as LTE-License Assisted Access (LAA) this year."
• T-Mobile USA nearly reached a Gigabit and here is what they say, "we reached nearly 1 Gbps (979 Mbps) on our LTE network in our lab thanks to a combination of three carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO and 256 QAM (and an un-released handset)."
• The other US operator Sprint expects to unveil some of its work with 256-QAM and massive MIMO on Sprint’s licensed spectrum that pushes the 1 gbps speed boundary. It’s unclear whether this will include an actual deployment of the technology

So we are going to see a lot of higher speed LTE this year and yes we can call it Gigabit LTE but lets not forget that the criteria for a technology to be real '4G' was that it should be able to do 1Gbps in both DL and UL. Sadly, the UL part is still not going Gigabit anytime soon.

New LTE UE Categories (Downlink & Uplink) in Release-13

Just noticed that the LTE UE Categories have been updated since I last posted here. Since Release-12 onwards, we now have a possibility of separate Downlink (ue-CategoryDL) and Uplink (ue-CategoryUL) categories.

From the latest RRC specifications, we can see that now there are two new fields that can be present ue-CategoryDL and ue-CategoryUL.

An example defined here is as follows:

Example of RRC signalling for the highest combination
UE-EUTRA-Capability
   ue-Category = 4
      ue-Category-v1020 = 7
         ue-Category-v1170 = 10
            ue-Category-v11a0 = 12
               ue-CategoryDL-r12 = 12
               ue-CategoryUL-r12 = 13
                  ue-CategoryDL-v1260 = 16

From the RRC Specs:

• The field ue-CategoryDL is set to values m1, 0, 6, 7, 9 to 19 in this version of the specification.
• The field ue-CategoryUL is set to values m1, 0, 3, 5, 7, 8, 13 or 14 in this version of the specification.

3GPP TS 36.306 section 4 provides much more details on these UE categories and their values. I am adding these pictures from the LG space website.

More info:

• 3GPP TS 36.331: Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Radio Resource Control (RRC); Protocol specification
• 3GPP TS 36.306: Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); User Equipment (UE) radio access capabilities
• http://niviuk.free.fr/ue_category.php - up to date info on LTE UE categories
• http://www.sharetechnote.com/html/LTE_Advanced_UE_Category.html

Inside 3GPP Release-13 - Whitepaper by 5G Americas

The following is from the 5G Americas press release:

The summary offers insight to the future of wireless broadband and how new requirements and technological goals will be achieved. The report updates Release 13 (Rel-13) features that are now completed at 3GPP and were not available at the time of the publication of a detailed 5G Americas report, Mobile Broadband Evolution Towards 5G: 3GPP Release 12 & Release 13 and Beyond in June 2015.

The 3GPP standards have many innovations remaining for LTE to create a foundation for 5G.  Rel-12, which was finalized in December 2014, contains a vast array of features for both LTE and HSPA+ that bring greater efficiency for networks and devices, as well as enable new applications and services. Many of the Rel-12 features were extended into Rel-13.  Rel-13, functionally frozen in December 2015 and completed in March 2016, continues to build on these technical capabilities while adding many robust new features.

Jim Seymour, Principal Engineer, Mobility CTO Group, Cisco and co-leader of the 5G Americas report explained, “3GPP Release 13 is just a peek behind the curtain for the unveiling of future innovations for LTE that will parallel the technical work at 3GPP on 5G. Both LTE and 5G will work together to form our connected future.”

The numerous features in the Rel-13 standards include the following for LTE-Advanced:

• Active Antenna Systems (AAS), including beamforming, Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) and Self-Organizing Network (SON) aspects
• Enhanced signaling to support inter-site Coordinated Multi-Point Transmission and Reception (CoMP)
• Carrier Aggregation (CA) enhancements to support up to 32 component carriers
• Dual Connectivity (DC) enhancements to better support multi-vendor deployments with improved traffic steering
• Improvements in Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing
• Enhancements to Machine Type Communication (MTC)
• Enhanced Proximity Services (ProSe)

Some of the standards work in Rel-13 related to spectrum efficiency include:                                                                                                                       

• Licensed Assisted Access for LTE (LAA) in which LTE can be deployed in unlicensed spectrum
• LTE Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Aggregation (LWA) where Wi-Fi can now be supported by a radio bearer and aggregated with an LTE radio bearer
• Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) where lower power wider coverage LTE carriers have been designed to support IoT applications
• Downlink (DL) Multi-User Superposition Transmission (MUST) which is a new concept for transmitting more than one data layer to multiple users without time, frequency or spatial separation

“The vision for 5G is being clarified in each step of the 3GPP standards. To understand those steps, 5G Americas provides reports on the developments in this succinct, understandable format,” said Vicki Livingston, Head of Communications for the association.

The whitepaper as follows:

Related posts:

• Tweets from NGMN Industry Conference & Exhibition 2016
• 3GPP Release-13 whitepapers and presentations
• LTE-Advanced Pro (a.k.a. 4.5G)
• New whitepaper on Narrowband Internet of Things