The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) unites seven telecommunications standard development organizations (ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSDSI, TTA, TTC), known as “Organizational Partners” providing their members with a stable environment to produce the Reports and Specifications that define 3GPP technologies.
3GPP produces Technical Specifications, to be transposed by seven Standardization Bodies (Organizational Partners) into their appropriate deliverables (e.g., standards).
Membership in an Organizational Partner is a pre-requisite for Individual Membership of 3GPP. All entities registered as members of an Organizational Partner and eligible for participation in the technical work of that Organizational Partner, can become Individual Members of 3GPP if they are committed to support 3GPP and to contribute technically or otherwise to one or more of the Technical Specification Groups within the 3GPP scope.
3GPP specifications cover cellular telecommunications technologies, including radio access, core network and service capabilities, which provide a complete system description for mobile telecommunications.
The original scope of 3GPP (1998) was to produce Technical Specifications and Technical Reports for a 3G Mobile System based on evolved GSM core networks and the radio access technologies that they support.
The scope was subsequently amended to include the maintenance and development of the Technical Specifications and Technical Reports for evolved 3GPP technologies, beyond 3G.
The 3GPP production of specifications and studies (TRs) are contribution-driven, by member companies, in Working Groups and at the Technical Specification Group (TSG) level. The Technical Specification Groups in 3GPP are:
- Radio Access Networks (RAN)
- Services & Systems Aspects (SA)
- Core Network & Terminals (CT)
The Working Groups, within the TSGs, meet regularly and come together for their quarterly TSG Plenary meeting, where their work is presented for information, discussion and approval. The last meeting of the week of TSG Plenary meetings is TSG SA, which also has responsibility for the overall coordination of the technical work and for the monitoring of its progress.
