The 5G Standard

Specifications by Series

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All 3GPP specifications have a specification number consisting of 5 digits, in a seriesinspired by the pre-1998 GSM series of specification numbering – with its4 digits. In both cases, the first two digits define the series number.

These series are commonly used to describe the work. An example would be the ’38 series’ can be used in the project to describe radio studies and specifications for 5G NR.

The links in the table below will take you to listings of the specifications and reports in each series.

Subject of specification series
3G and beyond / GSM (R99 and later)
GSM only (Rel-4 and later)
GSM only (before Rel-4)
Requirements
Service aspects ("stage 1")
Technical realization ("stage 2")
Signalling protocols ("stage 3") - user equipment to network
Radio aspects
CODECs
Data
47 series (none exists)
Signalling protocols ("stage 3") -(RSS-CN) and OAM&P and Charging (overflow from 32.- range)
Signalling protocols ("stage 3") - intra-fixed-network
Programme management
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM / USIM), IC Cards. Test specs.
OAM&P and Charging
Access requirements and test specifications
13 series (1)
13 series (1)
Security aspects
(2)
(2)
UE and (U)SIM test specifications
(2)
Security algorithms (3)
(4)
LTE (Evolved UTRA), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro radio technology
Multiple radio access technology aspects
Radio technology beyond LTE

Note (1): The 13 series GSM specifications relate to European-Union-specific regulatory standards. On the closure of ETSI TC SMG, responsibility for these specifications was transferred to ETSI TC MSG, (Mobile Specification Group) and they do not appear on the 3GPP file server.

Note (2): The specifications of these aspects are spread throughout several series.

Note (3): Algorithms may be subject to export licensing conditions. See the relevant 3GPP page. See also the relevant ETSI pages.

Note (4): The original GSM algorithms are not published and are controlled by the GSM Association.

The links in the table above take you to the 3GPP Portal 'Specifications' section. From there you can download the specification and see full details of the history and ownership of the spec.(via the binocular icon…).

Numbering Technical Reports (two classes):

SDO Transposition

Not intended for publication

TRs Intended to be transposed and issued by the Organizational Partners as their own publications:

3GPP internal, documenting, planning and scheduling of work, interim results of feasibility studies:
Numbers of the form: xx.9xx

Numbers of the form: xx.8xx (feasibility study reports, etc) or, more rarely, 30.xxx / 50.xxx (planning and scheduling)

For some specification series, the stock of xx.8xx TRs has been exhausted. In these cases, further internal TRs are allocated xx.7xx numbers.

Latest versions

Old (archived) specifications

All older versions of specifications (where available) are stored in the archive subdirectory. All versions of all releases of a given specification are placed directly under the name of the specification.

Specs related to a particular working group

Each 3GPP TSG Working Group has a home page, with a link to the list of specifications under its responsibility. See the 3GPP Group section of our website and navigate the WG or TSG of interest.

Official SDO Publications

The 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS) and Technical Reports (TR) become "official" when transposed into corresponding publications of the 3GPP Organizational Partner or the body acting as publisher for the Partner.

Once a Release is frozen (see definition in TR 21.900), 3GPP specifications are officially transposed and published by the Organizational Partners, as a part of their standards series.

More information about specifications:

SDO Transposition

Not intended for publication

3GPP Specification Status Report
‘Missing Specs’ following the most recent round of TSG meetings.
Specifications Per TSG (Plenary) Round
Issuing new TS/TR numbers.
Search for references to a given specificationor references in a specification.
TS or TR Proposed for withdrawal.
Version numbering scheme
Specification and TR file name conventions
GSM Specifications – a short history
ASN.1 Object Identifiers
Confidentiality Algorithms
ETSI publications relating to core functions of the fixed IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)