3GPP RAN Plenary Debrief June 2022

Summary Report from 3GPP plenaries (mainly RAN) #96 (Budapest, Hungary, 6 - 10 June 2022)

Hans van der Veen, NEC Laboratories Europe GmbH

General

This was the first F2F meeting since December 2019. Delegates were very happy to meet F2F again after such a long time and thought it was much more effective than any electronic meeting.

-     Rel-17 ASN.1 was frozen, but nevertheless the June 2022 version of the specifications is not fully implementable.

-     No new Rel-18 work and no upscoping of existing Rel-18 work was allowed.

RAN Meeting planning (Endorsed: RP-221818)

The RAN1 meeting in August (France) and all RAN WG meetings in November will be F2F (Canada). The September and December TSG plenaries will be electronic.

Rel-17

Rel-17 Planning (Stage 2 complete; all SA Stage 3 and most RAN exceptions finished; ASN.1 frozen, not fully implementable)

Stage 1: frozen December 2019 with exceptions; Stage 1 work completed by June 2020

RAN work package: approved December 2019

Stage 2: frozen June 2021 with exceptions; Stage 2 work completed by June 2022

RAN1: frozen December 2021

RAN2/3/4 core functionality: frozen March 2022 with 45 exceptions; in June 2022 still 2 exceptions left (Extending current NR operation to 71GHz and Introduction of 900MHz NR band for Europe for Rail Mobile Radio)

Stage 3: frozen March 2022 with 20 exceptions in SA and 27 exceptions in CT; in June 2022 still 15 CT exceptions left

ASN.1 and open APIs: frozen June 2022, but June 2022 version is not fully implementable

RAN4: freezing target September 2022

Granted Rel-17 exceptions (RAN Core part) (2nd exception: 3 more months)

NR

-     RP-221783 Extending current NR operation to 71GHz

-     RP-221786 Introduction of 900MHz NR band for Europe for Rail Mobile Radio

Granted Rel-17 exceptions (CT) (2nd exception: 3 more months)

CT1

-     CP-221169 eMONASTERY CT1

-     CP-221175 5MBS CT1

-     CP-221177 EDGEAPP CT1

-     CP-221179 eSEAL CT1

-     CP-221181 5G_ProSe CT1

CT3

-     CP-221101 EDGEAPP CT3

-     CP-221102 5MBS CT3

-     CP-221103 EVEX CT3

CT4

-     CP-221086 CT4 aspects of proximity based services in 5GS (5G_ProSe)

-     CP-221087 Service-based support for SMS in 5GC (SMS_SBI)

-     CP-221092 CT4 aspects of the architectural enhancements for 5G multicast-broadcast service (5MBS)

CT6

-     CP-221089 CT6 aspects of 5GC architecture for satellite networks (5GSAT_ARCH-CT)

-     CP-221110 IoT_SAT_ARCH_EPS CT6

-     CP-221112 5MBS CT6

-     CP-221187 CT6 aspects of proximity based services in 5GS CT6

Closed Work Items and Study Items (excluding spectrum-related and conformance testing)

Rel-17 NR

-     Core: Support of reduced capability NR devices

-     Core: Solutions for NR to support non-terrestrial networks (NTN)

-     Core: Enhancements to Integrated Access and Backhaul for NR

-     Core: Enhancement of RAN slicing for NR

-     Core: Further enhancement on NR demodulation performance

-     Core: Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) Over-the-Air (OTA) requirements for NR UEs

-     Perf.: Introduction of DL 1024QAM for NR FR1

-     Core: Further enhancements of NR RF requirements for frequency range 2 (FR2)

-     Core: Introduction of bandwidth combination set 4 (BCS4) for NR

-     Core: Increasing UE power high limit for CA and DC

Rel-17 LTE

-     Core: NB-IoT/eMTC support for Non-Terrestrial Networks

Rel-17 RAN Work Item Summaries (descriptions of features in the release after the work has actually finished)

-     RP-221163 Support of reduced capability (RedCap) NR devices

-     RP-221178 Enhancements to IAB for NR

-     RP-221376 Enhancements of RAN slicing for NR

-     RP-221286 Further enhancement on NR demodulation performance

-     RP-221384 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) Over-the-Air (OTA) requirements for NR UEs

-     RP-221206 Further enhancements of NR RF requirements for frequency range 2 (FR2)

-     RP-221589 Increasing UE power high limit for CA and DC

-     RP-221505 Introduction of 6GHz NR licensed bands

-     RP-221201 High-power UE operation for fixed-wireless/vehicle-mounted use cases in LTE and NR bands

-     RP-221197 Enhanced IoT and URLLC support for NR

-     RP-221544 UE Power Saving Enhancements for NR

-     RP-221340 User Plane Integrity Protection support for EPC connected architectures

-     RP-221827 Further RRM enhancement for NR and MR-DC

-     RP-221547 NB-IoT/eMTC support for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN)

Rel-17 SA Work Item Summaries (descriptions of features in the release after the work has actually finished)

-     SP-220425 IIoT

-     SP-220426 Non-Seamless WLAN offload authentication in 5GS

-     SP-220695 5G_ProSe

-     SP-220450 Management Aspects of 5G Network Sharing

-     SP-220455 NB-IoT/eMTC Non-Terrestrial Networks in EPS

-     SP-220458 Enhancements for cyber-physical control applications in vertical domains (eCAV)

-     SP-220484 MINT

-     SP-220485 eMONASTERY2

-     SP-220566 Discovery of management services in 5G

-     SP-220567 Management of the enhanced tenant concept

-     SP-220568 Intent driven management service for mobile network

-     SP-220569 Improved support for NSA in the service based management architecture

-     SP-220570 Management of non-public networks

-     SP-220571 Charging Enhancement for URLLC

-     SP-220572 5G LAN Charging

-     SP-220573 Charging enhancements for 5GS CIoT

-     SP-220574 System support for Multi-USIM devices

-     SP-220577 eEdge_5GC

-     SP-220578 Additional NRM features

-     SP-220580 Autonomous network levels

-     SP-220584 Enhanced support of Non-Public Networks

-     SP-220585 5G Charging for Local breakout roaming of data connectivity

-     SP-220586 Enhancement of Handover Optimization

-     SP-220587 5MBS

-     SP-220588 IP address pool information from UDM

-     SP-220589 Summary of Dynamic management of group-based event monitoring (TEI17_GEM)

-     SP-220590 Dynamically Changing AM Policies in the 5GC

-     SP-220591 Access Traffic Steering, Switching and Splitting support in the 5G system architecture; Phase 2

-     SP-220619 Remote Identification of Uncrewed Aerial Systems

-     SP-220620 AKMA TLS protocol profiles

-     SP-220622 EDGEAPP

-     SP-220623 eSEAL

-     SP-220626 Handsets Featuring Non-Traditional Earpieces (HaNTE)

-     SP-220696 5G ProSe Charging

-     SP-220629 Enablers for Network Automation for 5G - phase 2 (eNA_Ph2)

-     SP-220697 Charging aspects of ARCH_NR_REDCAP

-     SP-220631 File management

-     SP-220635 EVEX 5GMS Event Exposure

-     SP-220636 5G Multicast-Broadcast Protocols

-     SP-220637 Feasibility Study on 5G Video Codec Characteristics

-     SP-220646 Study on Multicast Architecture Enhancement for 5G Media Streaming (FS_5GMS_Multicast)

-     SP-220650 Study on Media Production over 5G NPN (FS_NPN4AVProd)

-     SP-220651 Application layer support for Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS)

-     SP-220652 CMED

-     SP-220653 Enhanced application layer support for V2X services

-     SP-220655 enh3MCPTT

-     SP-220656 MCSMI_CT

-     SP-220664 5G Enhancement for UAVs

Rel-17 NR: RAN slicing (Revised WID: RP-221377)

The work was declared completed in RAN. SA (after closure of RAN) decided to approve the original SA2 CRs for this topic as a Working Agreement, with the following addition: SA#96 asks SA2 to work further on NR_Slice Core in Q3. SA2 is asked to work on clarifying the Random access behaviour and how the NSAG [Network Slice AS (Access Stratum) Group] priority is formed. Additionally, the sentence describing how Cell Reselection is disabled if the NSAG priorities are not sent could be clarified. Impacts on RAN shall be avoided.

Rel-17 NR: RF requirements for FR2 (Revised WID: RP-221784; Endorsed WF: RP-221854)

RAN plenary decided to remove UL gap for UL coherent MIMO from Rel-17. The discussion on UL gap for UL coherent MIMO will be continued in RAN4 under TEI18.

Rel-17 NR: TEI17 Incorrect PMI reporting (Endorsed WF: RP-221851)

RAN decided not to introduce requirements for PMI reporting in ICI for incorrect PMI reporting in Rel-17. The issue of incorrect PMI reporting can be revisited in Rel-18 or beyond.

Rel-17 UE Capabilities (Endorsed WF: RP-221853)

RAN tasks RAN2 to complete the relevant signalling for Rel-17 UL Tx switching, including adding missing signalling elements, if found necessary. All relevant existing RAN WG agreements shall not be reverted.

Approved Work Items and Study Items (excluding spectrum-related and conformance testing)

-     None.

Rel-18

Rel-18 Planning (no changes: no milestones in June 2022)

Stage 1: frozen December 2021 without exceptions

RAN1/2/3 work package: approved December 2021

RAN4 work package: approved March 2022

Stage 2: freezing target March 2023

RAN1: freezing target September 2023

RAN2/3/4 core functionality: freezing target December 2023

Stage 3: freezing target December 2023

ASN.1 and open APIs: freezing target March 2024

RAN4: freezing target June 2024

Closed Work Items and Study Items (excluding spectrum-related and conformance testing)

Rel-18 NR

-     SI: Study on enhanced test methods for FR2 UEs

-     SI: Study on requirements and use cases for network verified UE location for Non-Terrestrial-Networks (NTN) in NR

Rel-18 NR: Sidelink evolution (Revised WID: RP-221798)

In sidelink unlicensed operation, the gNB does not perform Type 1 channel access to initiate and share a channel occupancy, neither Type 2 channel access to share an initiated channel occupancy, nor semi-static channel access procedures to access an unlicensed channel.

Rel-18 NR: Non-Terrestrial Networks (Disc.: RP-221871; Revised WID: RP-221819)

RAN is expected to determine by RAN#98 whether the study has identified any need for Network verified UE location specification support in Rel-18.

Rel-18 NR: Mobile IAB (Disc.: RP-221344; Revised WID: RP-221815)

RAN decided that RAN3 and RAN2 should discuss the potential complexity of a scenario where a mobile IAB node connects to a stationary (intermediate) IAB node, with respect to the scenario where a mobile IAB node connects directly to an IAB-donor.

Rel-18? NR: All type of NR devices are applicable for NCD-SSB? (Disc.: RP-221465; Endorsed WF: RP-221870)

The topic NCD (non-cell-defined) SSB for all devices was handled under the Rel-17 agenda item "RedCap" but it is clear that this is not RedCap any longer. RAN1 and RAN4 were asked to make progress on their discussions related to the RAN2 LS in R2-2204009, aim to ensure that Feature Group 6-1a "bwp-WithoutRestriction" works in an early implementable form in Rel-18, or, possibly Rel-17, and report progress to RAN #97.

Rel-18 LTE: IoT NTN enhancements (Revised WID: RP-221806)

The following objective was added to enhance support for discontinuous coverage:

Study and specify, if needed, mobility management enhancements and power saving enhancements for discontinuous coverage, taking into account the conclusions from the SA2 study (FS_5GSAT_Ph2).  [RAN2, RAN3].

Approved Work Items and Study Items (excluding spectrum-related and conformance testing)

-             RP-221820 SI: Study on requirements and use cases for network verified UE location for Non-Terrestrial-Networks (NTN) in NR
Keywords: Study detailed regulatory requirements (e.g. accuracy, privacy, reliability, latency) for network-verified UE location for NTN and for potential use cases/services (i.e. emergency call, lawful intercept, public warning, charging/billing).