TSG#36 Highlights

| TSG CT | TSG SA | TSG RAN | TSG GERAN

Previous Highlights: TSG#35 |  TSG#34 | TSG#33 | TSG#32 | TSG#31 | TSG#30 | TSG#29 | TSG#28 | TSG#27 | TSG#26 | TSG#25 | TSG#24 | TSG#23 | TSG#22
TSG#21 | TSG#20 | TSG#19 | TSG#16 | TSG#15

Welcome!

Welcome to the latest edition of TSG Highlights! The aim is to provide you with a concise summary of the decisions and actions of the most recent 3GPP Technical Specification Group meetings held in September2006 in Palm Springs, USA.

3GPP has four  TSGs: CT (Core Networks and Terminals); RAN (Radio Access Network); SA (Services and Systems Aspects) and GERAN (GSM EDGE Radio Access Network). 

Please note, these summaries do not constitute formal, approved reports of the meetings – they are opinions only and also may not be complete. They are offered for guidance only.

TSG CT (Core Network and Terminals)

The meeting was held inBusan, Korea from 30May to 1 June 2007.

 Overview of CT#36

CT WG work load and means to cope with it:

•          CT WG work load has been analysed, but no organizational changes are necessary right now

•          CT WG1 and CT WG4 can have 2 meetings in each plenary cycle

•          CT WG1 and CT WG4 run parallel sessions

•          CT WG3, CT WG5 and CT WG6 meet once in each plenary cycle

CT5 leadership elections

•          Dr. Salim Mounir Alaoui was elected CT WG5 chair

•          There were no candidates for vice chair

•          Methodology expert Ultan Mulligan's (ETSI PTCC) term ended 05/07

Release 99 Overview:

• Correction of reference to ISO/IEC 7816-3.       

Release 4 Overview:

•          Correction of reference to ISO/IEC 7816-3

•          Test case corrections

•          Outdated RFC 2960 was deprecated by RFC 3309 and the references were corrected to point to the new RFC

•          Added warning that in old releases the ServiceChangeMGCId parameter may be returned in MGW responses, but it cannot be relied upon as it's optional

Release 5 Overview:

•          Rel-5 CR count remains less than 10

•          Technical changes:

•          Correction to home network domain name in USIM field EF-DOMAIN

•          Removal of editor's notes from 29.228

•          Addition of absent condition to User-Authorization-Type in 29.228

•          Correction of XML schema in 23.328

•          Alignment of the tokenisation of Via header with the base SIP protocol RFC 3261 in 24.229

Release-6 Overview

•          Rel-6 CR count is 6 % up since the previous CT

•          Corrections were made on the following work items: IMS; WLAN; CSSplit and Mc interface; Mn interface; LCS; GAA/GBA; OSA web services stage 3; MBMS; QoS1; CH-FBC; Security; TEI6.

Release-7 Overview

•          Rel-7 CR count is 10 % up since the previous CT

•          CT #36 is expected to remain the high water mark of Rel-7 CRs

•          Several work items were completed (10):

•          IMSProtoc, Mp, OSA7, VCC, SDoUE, NSP-CR, SMSIP, MTmovMS, CSITerm, TEI7

•          CRs approved against work items (24):

•          EMC1, IMSProtoc, EVGCS, Mp, OSA7, VCC, MIWIMS, PCC, SDoUE, GRUU, NSP-CR, ServID, HSI, SMSIP, MTSI, MTmovMS, CSITerm, CSICS, LATRED, MBMS(Mz), ServID, (FS)BSNbIP, MAP based Zh interface, TEI7

7.2   Rel-7 Hot topics

•          High speed UICC interface

•          RAN WG4 continue their work on the potential interference problem

•          Rel-7 CRs were approved in CT #36 under extension until this meeting

•          IMS service identification

•          CT WG1 had elaborated two alternative sets of CRs

•          Alternative B gained the support of decisive majority in two ballots

•          Consequently the CRs related with alternative B were approved

•          Stage 2 specs alignment possibly needed?

•          Further work is still needed, so extension sheet is provided

•          IMS emergency call partial solution

•          SA and CT cannot complete the whole IMS work for Rel-7

•          Partial solution for normal idle mode has been elaborated

•          CRs on partial solution in Rel-7 were approved conditionally, subject to SA approving the corresponding SA WG2 CRs

•          Handling of final responses to forked requests

•          IETF guidance should be sought to the proposed solution

Not yet completed Rel-7 WIs:

1.       IMS emergency calls, GPRS part (EMC1)

2.       Identification of IMS communication services (ServID)

3.       System enhancements for fixed broadband access to IMS (FBI)

4.       Evolution of policy control and charging (PCC)

5.       ISIM API for Java card (APIJAVA)

6.       MBMS, Mz interface (MBMSMz)

7.       MBMS, direct activation procedure

8.       Multimedia interworking between IMS and CS (MIWIMS)

9.       High speed interface between UICC and ME (HSI)

10.     Interworking between 3GPP CS and SIP-I networks (ExtSIPI)

11.     FS on support of Nc interface based on SIP-I (NcSIP)

12.     MAP based Zh' interface (New WID)

Rel‑7 exception sheets:

•          Exception sheet for EMC1                                                                                (CT WG1)

•          Exception sheet for ServiceID                                                                           (CT WG1)

Revised Rel‑7 WIDs:

•          WID on Improvements of VGCS in public networks for parallel use of services;

•          Updated WID Mp (MRFC - MRFP) interface;

•          Updated Rel‑7 WID OSA Stage 2-3;

•          Routeing of MT-SMs via the HPLMN;

•          Update of Stage 3 VCC WID;

•          Updated WID on Multimedia interworking between IM CN subsystem and circuit switched networks;

•          Revision of the WID on IMS Support of Conferencing;

•          Revised WID for SDoUE Stage 3;

•          Updated WID on Interworking between the 3GPP CS domain with BICC or ISUP as signalling protocol and external SIP-I networks;

•          Update of Study Item for (G)MSC-S - (G)MSC-S Nc Interface based on the SIP-I protocol;

•          WIDs on high-speed interface between the UICC and the ME;

•          Update of WID for Stage 3 CSItermS;

•          Revised WID for EVGCS.

New Rel‑7 WIDs:

•          WID on "MAP based Zh' interface"                                                                    (CT WG4)

•          R7 WID OSA Stage 2/3 enhancements                                                             (CT WG5)

•          Updated WID on Mobile Termination whilst the MS is moving to another MSC       (CT WG4)

Release 8:

•          Rel-8 CR count is 400 % up since the previous TSG CT meeting (so we had 20 of them this time!)

•          Contributions were received against several Rel-8 WIs:

•          CRs on WI EVA

•          CRs on TEI

•          Contact Manager for UICC applications WID was revised giving the WID a new name (was "Enhanced USIM phone book")

•          Three new Rel-8 work items were started

New and updated Rel‑8 WIDs:

•          R8 WID OSA Stage 2/3 enhancements (OSA8)                                           (CT WG5)

•          WID for IMSProtoc Phase 2                                                                              (CT WG1)

•          IMS inter-operator service interconnection interface                                   (CT WG3)

•          Rel-8 WID update: Revised WID for multimedia priority service               (CT WG1)

•          Rel-8 WID Update: "Contact Manager for 3GPP UICC applications"
  (was "Enhanced USIM Phonebook")                                                                       (CT WG6)

For information to TSG SA:

•          TSG CT#35 meeting report for information in SP-070440

•          LS on Service ID in CP-070497 = SP-070437

•          CT has selected Alternative B for Service ID solution

•          Corresponding main CRs were already approved in CT #36

•          CT requests from IETF groups an expedited progress on the new IETF drafts that become very late Rel-7 dependencies

•          IMS emergency registration life time

•          No principal disagreements but CT is requesting guidance from SA2 on the desired solution in this open item which affects the IMS part

•          Key establishment between UICC and terminal

•          CT6 needs more time to complete the non-controversial work

•          CT Terms of Reference

•          CT ToR was updated and is provided for information in SP-070443

For TSG SA action:

It was noted that the exception sheets were not provided. It was confirmed that the exception sheets were for September 2007

•          GPRS aspects of IMS emergency calls

•          LS to SA in CP-070455 = SP-070435.

•          CT requests extension for this work until September 2007.

•          SA is requested to decide whether partial IMS emergency call support is included in Rel-7 or not.

•          Direct MBMS activation procedure

•          LS to SA in CP-070493 = SP-070436

•          SA2 introduced the stage 2 very late

•          CT has not started the work and expects it would take until 12/07

•          SA is requested to confirm the removal of direct MBMS activation from Rel-7 and to request the SA WGs to create alignment CRs to stage 1 and stage 2 as applicable

•          Alignment of IMS NNI WIs, LS CP-070503 = SP-070439

•          CT feels the work is not only TISPAN related but more generic

•          Which WI (SA or CT) should be the parent feature?

•          IMS Service ID solution

•          SA WGs are requested to align their specs with alternative B

•          LS in CP-070499 = SP-070438 on MAP between BSF and HSS(HLR)

•          SA3 had decided against CT4 assumption and the CRs had to be rejected in this meeting

•          CT needs the answers to the architecture and service (=network configuration) questions in the LS in order to draft new CRs

•          CRs in CP-070464 – 465 were approved conditionally

•          Two work items are affected, SEC1 and MBMS

•          These CRs depend on SA CRs 33.220 CR0125 and 33.246 CR0136 -> these were approved in TSG SA #36

•          CRs in CP-070372 were approved conditionally

•          These IMS emergency call related CRs depend on SA CRs

•         CR 23.060-0594 rev 2 (S2-072255) and CR 23.107-0162 rev 3 (S2-072256) -> these were rejected in SA #36

•          TSG CT is expecting SA #36 to freeze Rel-7

•          Extension sheets provided for any ongoing Rel-7 work until TSG CT #37

•          TSG SA needs to decide on inclusion of each non-complete WI in Rel-7

•          More even spread of plenary meetings

•          Proposal to shift both March and June plenary 2009 one week later

Back to top

TSG-RAN (Radio Access Network)

Executive Summary

TSG RAN meeting #36 took place in Busan, Korea. The meeting started at 9:00 on Tuesday 29th May 2007 and finished on the Friday 01st June 2007. 143 participants attended the meeting and 244 documents were submitted.

Change Requests

The approved Change Requests (CRs) to TSG RAN specifications are summarised in the following table and figure:
 

Most of the CRs affect the Rel-6 for the testing and the Rel-7 for the non-testing (completion of Rel-7 Work Items).

 

Incoming Liaisons

Several Liaison Statements were received on the subject of LTE interworking with GERAN and also non-3GPP.

The reply LSs to the earlier subject of limitation of limitation of SRNC identities were received. Some related RAN WG2 and RAN WG3 CRs were approved.

RAN1 and RAN2 LSs on LTE performance were received. A CR on TR 25.912 was approved the same week.

A reply LS from RAN WG4 to ETSI SCP was received, with regards to EMC requirements for the new High Speed Protocol for the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC).


 

ITU-R Issues

The documents approved during the previous TSG RAN plenary (inputs to revision 7 and revision 8 of M.1457) and by correspondance before TSG RAN-36 (on the revision of Rec. ITU-R M.1580 & M.1581) were submitted to the ITU-R WP8F, following usual procedures. The WP8F was ongoing in parallel to TSG RAN 36 that week.

 

Release 7 Work Items and Study Items

Long Term Evolution

LTE as currently defined in RAN1 meets all and exceeds many of the LTE performance targets (see CR on 25.912). Stage 3 related decisions are progressing (e.g. power control, synchronisation channels and effect on procedures, broadcast, channel coding). In RAN WG2, the impact of PDCP in the e-NodeB was finalised. Stage 2 for Layer 2 was the main focus and is almost complete. Broadcast Channel was completed. Stage 3 started also for the cell selection and re-selection. In RAN WG3, the stage 3 content for S1AP/X2AP (36.413/36.423) for protocol functions with stable stage2 is available. TRs on UE, eNodeB and RRM are progressing in RAN WG4.

 

New Work Items and Study Items

New Work Items:

 MBSFN Downlink Optimized Broadcast 3.84Mcps TDD (CRs subject to a vote by correspondence).

Conformance Test Aspects - 1.28Mcps TDD MBMS RF/RRM

Conformance Test Aspects - Minimum UE performance requirement for downlink physical channels in support of MTCH and MCCH operation based on type 1 enhanced receiver (Rx- Diversity)

Conformance Test Aspects - Minimum UE performance requirement for downlink physical channels in support of E-DCH operation based on type 1 enhanced receiver (Rx- Diversity)

3G LTE - Terminal Protocol Conformance Test Specifications

3G LTE - Terminal Radio Transmission and Reception Conformance Test Specifications

Combination of higher order modulation and MIMO in HSDPA.

 

New Study Item:

Improved network controlled mobility between LTE and 3GPP2/mobile WiMAX radio technologies

Improved network controlled mobility between LTE and 3GPP2/mobile WiMAX radio technologies
 

Back to top

TSG-SA (Service and System Aspects)

TSG SA#36 (4 - 7 June 2007, Busan, South Korea)

Dear Colleagues,

Please find below my summary of major decisions from SA#36.  It serves to highlight key agreements reached during the meeting and forms the basis of the summary of the SA meeting on the 3GPP web site.  I have not included the specific guidance to the SA WGs as the WG chairs and MCC provide that guidance to the WGs.  Please let me know any errors or omissions.

TSG-SA reached agreement on how to proceed with both Common IMS and Openness of IMS Requirements.  SA1 will be closed and re-opened with a new charter which emphasizes the development of generic service descriptions.  The decisions and next steps are documented in SP-070411 and SP-070412.  In addition, SA approved a new ToR to cover these areas (SP-070453).

Almost all of the work which had exceptions at SA#35 was completed by this meeting.  Given the small number of remaining exceptions, Rel-7 can be considered frozen at this meeting.  All remaining specifications will be transposed (except for those where a decision has been made to not upgrade the specifications), thereby creating a full set of Rel-7 specifications.

In addition, it was agreed that the target for Rel-8, stage 1 freezing is December 2007.

Some other specific decisions by the SA plenary were:

• Partial support for GPRS emergency calls was removed from Rel-7, in favor of having a more complete solution in Rel-8.
• The SA3 request to introduce security capability information into MBMS Rel 6 was agreed.
• The need for the normative specification of a MAP based Zh’ interface for support of GBA was ageed.
• The direct MBMS multicast activation functionality will be removed from Rel-7.
• In response to LS’s received from 3GPP2, WiMax Forum, IEEE 802.16, and IEEE 802.21, CRs were approved adding requirements for several interworking scenarios with non-3GPP accesses.  This interworking assumes the existence of a 3GPP evolved packet core (SAE).
• A LS was sent to the European Commission informing them of progress on eCall data transfer and requesting assistance on identifying the proper souce of requirements.
• The Voice over IMS bearer related enhancements (VoIMS) feature was formally removed from the workplan as the actual work is being done under other work items.
• The SAE and eCall data transfer studies were moved to Rel-8.  Since these are only studies, this move has no impact on the schedule of the actual normative work.

 
The following new TSs were approved: TS 22.182 Customized Alerting Tone (SP-070374), TS 26.142 Dynamic and Interactive Multimedia Scenes (DIMS) (SP-070312), a large number of O&M TS’s in the 32.xxx series (SP-070283 through SP-070290), and TS 33.259 Key Establishment between a UICC Hosting Device and a Remote Device (SP-070341).

The following new TRs were approved: TR 22.908 Paging Permission Access Control (SP-070375), TR 23.919 Direct Tunnel Deployment Guideline (SP-070404), TR 26.902 Video Codec Performance (SP-070313), TR 32.808 Telecommunications Management, Study of CPS Framework of User Data for Network Services and Management (SP-070302),

TR 32.811 Telecommunications Management, Itf-N Performance Criteria: Requirements (SP-070291), and TR 33.803 Coexistence between TISPAN and 3GPP Authentication Schemes (SP-070342).

Several new work items (WIDs) were approved: SMS Online Charging (SP-070293), A large number of O&M WIDs (SP-070296, SP-070297, SP-070299, SP-070300, SP-070301, SP-070492), System Enhancements for Interconnection Interfaces between two IMS CN subsystem networks (SP-070490), IMS System Enhancements for Corporate Network Access (SP-070495), Security Enhancements for IMS (SP-070496), and Paging Permission with Access Control Requirements (SP-070501).

Two WIDs were updated: Requirements for seamless roaming and service continuity between mobile and WLAN Networks (SP-070379) – revised completion dates, and Support of Service Level Interworking for Messaging Services (SP-070481) – addition of SA2 aspects.

Several new study items (SIDs) were approved: Several O&M studies (SP-070305 through SP-070308), Multimedia Session Continuity (SP-070400), and Study on CS Domain Services over Evolved PS Access (SP-070401).

One SID was updated: IMS Centralized Study (SP-070494) – to clarify the boundary of this work.

Completion of Rel 7 at this set of plenaries was a major achievement, but we now have even higher mountains to climb.  Over the next few months we must stabilize the Rel 8 requirements, absorb the incoming common IMS work, and complete the SAE and LTE work.  3GPP has a history of meeting challenges and I have no doubt we will meet these challenges as well.

Stephen Hayes
3GPP TSG-SA Chair
Ericsson Inc.
Tel: +1 817-491-4015
Fax: +1 817-977-8920
Mobile: +1 469 360 8500
mailto:stephen.hayes@ericsson.com

Back to top