3GPP Standardisation
As previously mentioned, standardisation is essential to every new 3GPP release.
3GPP releases new specifications on average every 18 months and they make sure companies and institutions work together towards a common goal.
Why the need for standardisation?
The process of developing a new technology is extremely expensive. For this reason, companies and institutes have joined forces to develop together. This saves on research costs and helps to develop products that can be beneficial to multiple verticals by increasing production demands.
This cooperations have made possible to produce a wider choice of compatible equipment.
Furthermore, working together have also allowed for continuous improvement and innovation on products has progressed fast.
Thanks to the wider market, there is also less dependency on one vendor and, by not relaying on one manufacturer only, competition has made possible for the prices to decrease and the quality to go up.
In addition, because of compatibility standards, the equipment can be easily changed and replaced during the system’s lifetime.
But how does this standardisation process work?
3GPP standard developing process
The standardisation process works in 3 phases:
- Requirements (Service and System Aspect team - SA1)
- Architecture (Service and System Aspects team – SA 2, 3 and 6)
- Interfaces and protocols (Core network and Terminals team – CT)
Requirements
At the requirement phase, at the beginning of a new release, the team starts by writing down the requirements for the project: the Service and System Aspect teams analyses what service is necessary and what needs to be achieved.
Teams involved in this phase are SA1 that works on service. Once everything has been identified, the following step is the Architecture.
Architecture
At this stage there are more teams involved: the SA2 team whose focus is specifically the Architecture of the project, SA3 that works on security and SA6 the team that works on the mission critical project. They will work together with the Radio Access Network teams to define the structure of the network project.
Interfaces and protocols
The last step is with the Core Network and Terminals team. Their task will be to write down the protocols, both core protocols and security protocols.
RugGear and 3GPP standards
RugGear is an active player in the standardisation process of 3GPP equipment. Our R&D team actively and regularly take part in the MC plugtest organised by TCCA and all its partners.
Our devices are compliant to the 3GPP standards and we make sure that they fully function with past, present and future technology.
Do you want to find out more about our work and how our solutions can be integrated in your systems? Get in touch and we will be happy to answer all your questions.