6/29/13

3GPP - Releases

About 3GPP

Specification Groups

Specifications

3GPP Calendar

Technologies

News & Events

Home

Site Map

Contact

Home Specifications Releases

3GPP uses a system of parallel "releases" - to provide developers with a stable platform for implementation and to allow for the addition of new features required by the market.

3GPP Website:

Features and contents of each Release

The list of specifications needed for each 3G and GSM release is listed in the TR mentioned in Release description below. A simple list of Features per Release can be found here The 3GPP Specification Release version matrix that each specification falls in to. is a listing (with links) of the Specifications - showing the Release

Search and download specs, docs, CRs and more from the 3GPP FTP Server:

Advanced FTP Search

3GPP News 3GPP Partners News 3GPPlive tweets

Freeze Dates:
Rel see Work Plan for Features in each Release Spec version number (see note 4) 12.x.y
7243 unique visitors average per day

Functional freeze date, indicative only (see note 3)

Rel-12

Stage 1 freeze March 2013 Stage 2 freeze December 2013 Stage 3 freeze June 2014 (RAN protocols: September 2014)

Rel-11

11.x.y

Stage 1 freeze September 2011 Stage 2 freeze March 2012 Stage 3 freeze September 2012 (core network protocols stable December 2012, radio access protocols stable March 2013 - though performance parts of RAN work items may not be complete before June 2013)
Release 7

Click

to play our Video (Vimeo hosted)

Rel-10

10.x.y

Stage 1 freeze March 2010 Stage 2 freeze September 2010 Stage 3 freeze March 2011 (protocols stable three months later)

Release 6 Release 5 Release 4 Release 1999 Functionality in early GSM releases

Rel-9

9.x.y

Stage 1 freeze December 2008 Stage 2 freeze June 2009 Stage 3 freeze December 2009

Rel-8

8.x.y

Stage 1 freeze March 2008 Stage 2 freeze June 2008 Stage 3 freeze December 2008

Rel-7

7.x.y

Stage 1 freeze September 2005 Stage 2 freeze September 2006 Stage 3 freeze December 2007

www.3gpp.org/releases

1/3

6/29/13
Rel-6 Rel-5 Rel-4 R00 6.x.y 5.x.y 4.x.y 4.x.y 9.x.y R99 3.x.y 8.x.y R98 R97 R96 Ph2 Ph1 7.x.y 6.x.y 5.x.y 4.x.y 3.x.y early 1999 (closed December 2007) early 1998 (closed December 2007) early 1997 (closed June 2006) 1995 (closed June 2006) 1992 (closed prior to creation of 3GPP) March 2000 (closed June 2011) December 2004 - March 2005 March - June 2002 March 2001 see note 1 below

3GPP - Releases

Note 1: The term "Release 2000" was used only temporarily and was eventually replaced by "Release 4" and "Release 5" (most elements originally in Release 2000 were renamed Release 4, but some were deferred until Release 5). Note 2: Specifications with a version number of 0.x.y, 1.x.y or 2.x.y indicates that it is a new, draft, specification which has not yet been approved. The anticipated release is normally shown on the cover of the document. Note 3: After "freezing", a Release can have no further additional functions added. However, detailed protocol specifications (stage 3) may not yet be complete. In addition, OA&M specs and test specs may lag by some considerable time. A "frozen" Technical Specification is one which can have no further category B or C (new or modified functionality) Change Requests, other than to align earlier stages with later stages; thus all TSs pertaining to a Release may not necessarily be frozen at the time the Release itself is functionally frozen. Indeed since Release 7, the trend has been to freeze each of the three stages independently. Note 4: In the version number, the field "x" is incremented at each change in the spec resulting from one or more Change Requests approved by the responsible TSG. Field "y" is incremented whenever an editorial change is made to a specification; editorial changes are those which cannot in any way change the technical interpretation of the spec, and are introduced at the discretion of the Support Team. Exceptionally, field "y" is incremented when a newlyprovided version of a spec is found to be flawed due to, for example, misimplementation of a newly-approved CR; however, this circumstance is only permitted during the three-week period following the end of an SA (or GERAN) plenary, during which new versions of specs are produced. Every change of version is documented in the "change history" annex of the spec. When "x" is incremented, field "y" is reset to zero. When the Release field (the first digit) is incremented, fields "x" and "y" are reset to zero. Note 5: "Exceptions" - Identified late-running Features at stage 2 freeze time will automatically imply an implicit delay in the stage 2 freeze date.

Other associated terms

Stages The term "stage" derives from the ITU-T (originally CCITT) method for categorizing specifications (Recommendation I.130 ). "Stage 1" refers to the service description from a service-users point of view. "Stage 2" is a logical analysis, breaking the problem down into functional elements and the information flows amongst them across reference points between functional entities. "Stage 3" is the concrete implementation of the protocols appearing at physical interfaces between physical elements onto which the functional elements have been mapped. In addition, 3GPP often performs feasibility studies the results of which are made available in Technical Reports (normally 3GPP-internal TRs, numbered xx.8xx, not intended for transposition by the Organizational Partner SDOs). The feasibility study might be considered as a sort of "Stage 0". Furthermore, some Stage 3 specifications require test specifications to be prepared: effectively a "Stage 4". Phases This term has two distinct usages within the 3GPP: in reference to GSM specifications, Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 2+ referred to releases of specifications (see table above); some features within GSM/3G specifications have been enhanced over the years. For example, enhancements to the CAMEL functionality are referred to as CAMEL phase 2, CAMEL phase 3 CAMEL phase 4 etc. CAMEL is one of only a few examples within the 3GPP using the term in this sense.

www.3gpp.org/releases

2/3

6/29/13
Further information.

3GPP - Releases

The mechanisms for creating and maintaining specifications are described in TR 21.900 . A presentation outlining the release and change request process can be found here .

Details of the features and work items under each 3GPP Release are kept in the corresponding, on-line, list of features and study items. A 3GPP description document - Overview of 3GPP Release 12 is available on-line, giving a high-level view of the features that are included in the Release. Some additional background material about the lead-up to Release 12 is on line at; (...)
more

Details of the features and work items under each 3GPP Release are kept in the corresponding, on-line, list of features and study items. A 3GPP description document - Overview of 3GPP Release 11 is available on-line, giving a high-level view of the features that are included in the Release.
more

Details of the features and work items under each 3GPP Release are kept in the corresponding, on-line, list of features and study items. A 3GPP description document - Overview of 3GPP Release 10 is available on-line, giving a high-level view of the features that are included in the Release. Some aspects of the Radio advances in Rel-10 are covered in a short (...)
more

Details of the features and work items under each 3GPP Release are kept in the corresponding, on-line, list of features and study items. A 3GPP description document - Overview of 3GPP Release 9 is available on-line, giving a high-level view of the features that are included in the Release.
more

Details of the features and work items under each 3GPP Release are kept in the corresponding, on-line, list of features and study items. A 3GPP description document - Overview of 3GPP Release 8 is available on-line, giving a high-level view of the features that are included in the Release. 3G Release 8 - See version 8 of "Technical Specifications and Technical Reports for a UTRAN-based 3GPP (...)
more 0 | 5 | 10

Full Meeting Calendar

GERAN TSG #59 - Sofia, BG - From 26 to 30 August CT, RAN and SA TSG #61 meetings - Porto, PT - From 3 to 11 September

About Releases
Release 12 Release 11 Release 10 Release 9 Release 8 Release 7 Release 6 Release 5 Release 4 Release 1999

Browse Technologies
NAS LTE-Advanced LTE HSPA The Evolved Packet Core Carrier Aggregation explained GPRS & EDGE UMTS HSPA W-CDMA

3GPP 2013 | Legal Notice - The terms 3GPP, LTE, and UMTS are registered Trade Marks of ETSI.

www.3gpp.org/releases

3/3