4G Americas Report on 3GPP Release 11 and 12 Standards

February, 2014
4G Americas has published its Annual look at the features behind the current technologies from 3GPP. The 4G Mobile Broadband Evolution paper starts with a topical joke, but quickly settles in to being a thorough overview of progress on the two most recent Releases. 

3GPP leaders visit the 5G Innovation Centre

Surrey University, England, January 31, 2014

At the recent ETSI Future Mobile Summit, the best of European Research demonstrated a new perspective on what will drive 5G and the impact it will have on the Standardization World. Motivated by the need for 3GPP to address the transition of Research output in to Industry Standards, a party of 3GPP leaders has made a return visit to Surrey University, the host of the 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC).

The major aim of the meeting between 3GPP and the 5GIC was to better understand how 3GPP and ETSI – as the European Partner and with its own ICT groups coming to the fore – could help to deliver the efficient transition of Research in to the Standards process, with the minimum of delay and the maximum of success.

LTE in 100 countries

GSA Press Release, February 5, 2014

The GSA has issued an Interim version of the  “Evolution to LTE” report, to herald the 100th Country with commercial services, as Cambodia beat off competition from Ghana, Peru and Zambia to be the 100th and latest Nation State with 4G/LTE.

The GSA “Evolution to LTE” report is packed with facts and analysis about the growth of the system, measuring a host of indicators, including National and network operator announcements.

Security Standards White Paper

"Security is legally essential for businesses which generate and handle user or customer data"

Charles Brookson, Chairman, ETSI OCG Security

ETSI White Paper, January 15, 2014

3GPP Partner - ETSI - has published a new edition of the ICT security related standards white paper, which covers the range of work, including mobile communications.

Today's press release, from ETSI, points out that standardized security features "are essential to ensure interoperability among systems and networks, demonstrate compliance with regulation and offer adequate levels of security in current and new areas such as cybersecurity, cloud or machine to machine communications..." 

TCCA Joins 3GPP for critical work

Fukuoka, October 31, 2013

The TCCA has today signed the 3GPP Partnership Agreement, the formal document that means that the Association is now a Partner in 3GPP. Phil Kidner, the TCCA Chief Executive, described the role of the TETRA and Critical Communications Association in representing TETRA, the technology that - along with P25 in North America – dominates the critical communications market worldwide.

Phil Kidner introduced Tony Gray, Chairman of the TCCA Critical Communications Broadband Group (CCBG). The group is working to guide the critical communications community towards a "commitment to a common mobile broadband technology solution – based on LTE". Mr. Gray also emphasised the importance of a parallel effort in discussions with regulators and National Authorities to ensure the availability of appropriate and harmonized spectrum for deployment of Critical Communications LTE networks.

The CCBG will be the point-of-contact for 3GPP, and Mr. Gray gave an outline of how the group is focused on the identification of fundamental features for group working, direct mode, reliance and security and on guaranteeing critical speech services over all-IP systems. The CCBG has recently initiated a new Standards Coordination Umbrella Group, to facilitate coordination and collaboration between stakeholder groups globally in the preparation of use cases and requirements so that they can be presented to 3GPP in a coordinated way.