On the final day of this week’s 3GPP Working Group (WG) meetings, there is a sense of real progress made, as the breakout rooms start to empty and delegates head back to the full WG sessions. The focus there is on reporting on progress made and coordination to allow the WG leadership to take this week's work forward to the Plenary meetings – TSGs#105 – to be held 9-13 September 2024.
Over 1,970 experts attended this week in Maastricht, continuing the trend for these WG mega-meetings to be the largest gatherings of the 3GPP calendar.
The MECC in Maastricht has been a fabulous location for the late summer WGs. Fine weather and a town that has charm as well as top rate facilities has made the stay here a positive experience.
The week of technical meetings has also been accompanied by two different community based activities, that provided some memorable moments and a fitting social backdrop to a successful week of work:
We don’t like cricket – we love it!
On Sunday evening a 3GPP cricket team took to the field, to take on the Maastricht Cricket Club (The MCC!). A 20 over game was won convincingly (by 127 runs) by the hosts, but everyone had a wonderful time and there is now a core of players established, that could well result in a 3GPP team playing the great game far afield as time goes by.
In a re-run of sorts, the Maastricht Cricket Club hosted a joyous 3GPP evening on the Wednesday – after work. A good natured, but highly competitive match between WG RAN2 and RAN4 resulted in a narrow victory for RAN2, which was celebrated in style by a 50+ crowd of supporters.
Band on the RAN
On Thursday, at the close of business, the MECC provided a stage for the RAN2 band to play at the WG’s social gathering. T-shirts were made and delegates contributed to make the evening a magical mix of music, dance and fun-ness.
Some links:
The reports and all Tdocs are online via the Groups page (https://www.3gpp.org/3gpp-groups) or on the ftp server at: https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/ in the following meeting folders:
- 3GPP CT1#150
- 3GPP CT3#136
- 3GPP CT4#124
- 3GPP RAN1#118
- 3GPP RAN2#127
- 3GPP RAN3#125
- 3GPP RAN4#112
- 3GPP RAN5#104
- 3GPP SA1#107
- 3GPP SA2#164
- 3GPP SA3#117
- 3GPP SA4#129-e (Not in Maastricht)
- 3GPP SA5#156
- 3GPP SA6#62
- 3GPP CT6#119-bis
Cricket Captain's log
It was a warm sunny afternoon in Fukuoka, Japan and an idea popped into my head – wouldn’t it be fantastic if we had a way introduce the people of 3GPP to the wonderful world of Cricket, far from the rolling English countryside and cheering crowds of India, but in another country that sensibly drives on the left side of the road a plan was hatched, and an LS was sent to RAN2.
The game of cricket is built upon many of the same virtues as 3GPP, a collective spirit and respect for all with a healthy dose of competition and fun thrown in. A perfect way to spend an afternoon either as a player or a spectator. Therefore after a quick internet search a club was found in Maastricht and an e-mail sent.
After some discussions with the club, it was agreed that as well as a RAN4 and RAN2 match during the meeting week, we would play a combined 3GPP team across all working groups to take on the might of Maastricht CC, the dates were set, and games were on. Soon followed the registering of 3GPP Cricket Club with the England and Wales Cricket Board (https://3gppcc.play-cricket.com/home) and the formalisation of these fixtures.
So, after several e-mail exchanges, a whatsapp group on an early morning in sleepy Hampshire, Eswar and I set off from England in a Fiat 500 with a boot full of cricket equipment and everything required for a 3GPP meeting, a scene that was a sight to behold, after being mistaken by the UK Border Control for professional crickets we boarded ‘Le Shuttle’ and set off for to the continent.
Alex Hamilton
3GPP Cricket Club Captian
The game of cricket is built upon many of the same virtues as 3GPP, a collective spirit and respect for all with a healthy dose of competition and fun thrown in. A perfect way to spend an afternoon either as a player or a spectator. Therefore after a quick internet search a club was found in Maastricht and an e-mail sent.
After some discussions with the club, it was agreed that as well as a RAN4 and RAN2 match during the meeting week, we would play a combined 3GPP team across all working groups to take on the might of Maastricht CC, the dates were set, and games were on. Soon followed the registering of 3GPP Cricket Club with the England and Wales Cricket Board (https://3gppcc.play-cricket.com/home) and the formalisation of these fixtures.
So, after several e-mail exchanges, a whatsapp group on an early morning in sleepy Hampshire, Eswar and I set off from England in a Fiat 500 with a boot full of cricket equipment and everything required for a 3GPP meeting, a scene that was a sight to behold, after being mistaken by the UK Border Control for professional crickets we boarded ‘Le Shuttle’ and set off for to the continent.
Alex Hamilton
3GPP Cricket Club Captian
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