Security Paper and Workshop Presentations

July 1, 2015

The updated ETSI White paper on "Security for ICT" now includes important new information on the work being done for the "Cyber", "Cloud" and "IoT" security in ETSI groups. The paper also covers 3GPP with dedicated sections on GSM, UMTS & LTE and details of current security aspects of 3GPP work on:

• Machine Type Communications (MTC),
• Public Warning Systems,
• Proximity Services (ProSe) and Group Communication over LTE
• Mission Critical Push To Talk over LTE (MCPTT)
• Spoofed Call Detection and Prevention,
• Security Assurance Specification (SAS) for the MME network product class,
• Subscriber privacy,
• Single Sign On frameworks between 3GPP networks and user-centric Web services.

Although the paper does not cover 5G specifically, it does demonstrate effectively how future systems call for security capabilities beyond what has been previously available and provides a snap shot of what ETSI and 3GPP are doing to meet the challenge.

3GPP video with TCCA leaders

May 19, 2015

A new 3GPP video discusses how LTE is a vital part of the Critical Communications future, but carries a word of warning from Phil Kidner - the CEO of the TCCA - who believes that the 3GPP specifications are yet to meet all of the mission critical requirements, meaning that TETRA is set to be around for a number of years to come.

OMA license granted to 3GPP

March 30, 2015

A copyright agreement is now in place that will allow the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Push-to-Communicate for Public Safety (PCPS) specifications - based on OMA Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) - to be used in 3GPP specifications for mission-critical Push To Talk (MCPTT).

The agreement, approved by the OMA Board and now out for signature among the 3GPP SDOs, is a vital aid to the progress of the work of 3GPP’s new SA6 working group, allowing them to use PCPS 1.0 texts where needed to complete 3GPP MCPTT without having to ‘re-invent the wheel’.

3GPP related testing

Building on IMTC liaisons with 3GPP RAN5, on IMS Voice and video over LTE testing, IMTC is inviting 3GPP companies to participate in the next SuperOp! in Porto, Portugal from the 15th to 23rd May.

Several 3GPP features relating to WebRTC, H.264 (AVC and SVC), SIP over IPv6, Telepresence Interoperability Protocol, Packet Switched Streaming (HTTP & MPEG-DASH), IMS voice and video over LTE and Rich Communications Suite services – will be tested at the event.

LTE completes a full 360 in 2014

January 7, 2015

The latest update of the Evolution to LTE report from the GSA announces that 360 operators have now commercially launched LTE networks and services - with 107 of them deploying or trialling LTE-Advanced technologies.

As usual the report is packed with statistical data that uncovers some of the major trends in the LTE market;

• FDD mode is dominant - with 312 of the operators deploying FDD mode only (31 TDD only, 17 deployed both)
• Most used spectrum is 1800 MHz with 158 LTE1800 networks in 76 countries
• Next comes 2.6 GHz - in over 25% of networks.
• 80 operators are investing in VoLTE deployments, studies or trials
• LTE roaming is a market reality and increasingly commonplace