The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) unites [Six] telecommunications standards bodies, known as “Organizational Partners” and provides their members with a stable environment to produce the highly successful Reports and Specifications that define 3GPP technologies.
These technologies are constantly evolving through - what have become known as - Generations of commercial cellular / mobile systems. 3GPP was originally the standards partnership evolving GSM systems towards the 3rd Generation. However, since the completion of the first LTE and the Evolved Packet Core specifications, 3GPP has become the focal point for mobile systems beyond 3G.
From 3GPP Release 10 onwards - 3GPP is compliant with the latest ITU-R requirements for IMT-Advanced ’Systems beyond 3G’. The standard now allows for operation at peak speeds of 100 Mbit/s for high mobility and 1 Gbit/s for low mobility communication.
What next? Details of all Features and Work Items are on-line. A wealth of information resides in the Work Plan, which is a good starting point for anyone who needs to get a precise picture of the current work. An overview document also exists, for every 3GPP Release (See link at the bottom of this page).
The original scope of 3GPP was to produce Technical Specifications and Technical Reports for a 3G Mobile System based on evolved GSM core networks and the radio access technologies that they support (i.e., Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) modes).
The scope was subsequently amended to include the maintenance and development of the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) Technical Specifications and Technical Reports including evolved radio access technologies (e.g. General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE)).
3GPP was created in December 1998 by the signing of the "The 3rd Generation Partnership Project Agreement". The latest 3GPP Scope and Objectives document has evolved from this original Agreement.
The discussions that led to the signing of the 3GPP Agreement were recorded in a series of slides called the "Partnership Project Description" that describes the basic principles and ideas on which the project is based. The Partnership Project Description has not been maintained since its first creation but the principles of operation of the project still remain valid.
Table of contents Who can become an Individual Member of 3GPP and how much does it cost? Who may participate in 3GPP meetings? Who shall fill in the 3GPP Individual Member Application form? What shall I do if a 3GPP company or official contact details change? Different membership categories? Who may become an observer? Who may become a Guest Member and do guests have to pay (...)
If you require extra PC software tools in order to work electronically within 3GPP , please go first to the 3GPP ToolKit and download what you need for free.
Tools
Microsoft Internet Explorer (Internet browser) Look here Microsoft Office Converters and Viewers Look here Netscape Navigator (Internet Browser Look here Adobe Acrobat Reader (.PDF files reader) Look here (...)
