Compared to 4G systems, 5G (NR) has achieved breakthrough improvements in key performance indicators of mobile communication; it also supports various emerging application scenarios. Based on the success of 5G (NR) systems, 6G is expected to emerge around the end of 2030. 3GPP SA1's multiple studies on Rel-19 not only demonstrate the additional capabilities that 5G systems will bring, but also provide guidance for the future capabilities required for 6G systems.
I. 3GPP Standards The entire development of mobile communication from GSM (2G), WCDMA (3G), LTE (4G) to NR (5G) has adopted 3GPP, the only and globally leading communication standard. During this period, almost all mobile phones and devices connected to cellular networks supported at least one of these standards. Besides contributing to the enormous success of 4G systems (commonly known as LTE), 3GPP has also significantly improved the performance of cellular communication systems in 5G.
II. 5G Standards and Functions Since the first commercial deployment of 5G systems in 2018, as shown in Figure 1, 3GPP has continuously added new functions in subsequent versions, including:
The second and third phase working groups in 3GPP developed the Rel-18 system architecture and protocols, while the first phase working group of 3GPP discussed 6G system architectures beyond the Rel-19 5G system.
III. Overall Progress of Rel-19 At the SA1#97 (February 2022) and SA1#98 (May 2022) meetings, the 3GPP SA1 working group reached an agreement on the Rel-19 Research Item Descriptions (SIDs), as shown in Table 1. Many projects are gradually moving towards application.
As the research title suggests, 3GPP standards are addressing the more specific needs of industries considering using 3GPP-based communication systems. Previous versions of 3GPP standards have added support for various industries, such as machine-to-machine communication. 3GPP has also introduced features such as support for low-power IoT communication, wide-coverage IoT communication, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication.
However, previous versions' support is insufficient for some other industries, and new research is striving to meet their needs. For example, the research on Metaverse services (FS_Metaverse) will address the requirements of 3GPP-based systems in carrying traffic for applications in metaverse scenarios.
On the other hand, as industries adopt 3GPP-based communication technologies, new scenarios are constantly emerging, requiring 3GPP to conduct further research. For instance, the research on satellite access (FS_5GSAT_ph3) is attempting to meet the additional needs of the satellite industry, building upon previous research.
