3GPP agrees first specification for 5G NR
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3GPP agrees first specification for 5G NR

Mobile standards body the 3GPP has agreed on the specification for non-standalone 5G new radio at a meeting in Portugal – the first official specification for 5G.

A number of major telecoms operators released a joint statement saying that the completion of the first 5G NR standard will help set the stage for full-scale 5G developments, including large scale trial and commercial deployments.

3GPP agreed to accelerate it 5G schedule earlier this year with support from global mobile industry leaders announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona I February. This first specification was completed as part of 3GPP Release 15.

Some of the world’s biggest telecoms operators, who are currently undergoing 5G trials, welcomed the 3GPP announcement.

“We’re proud to see the completion of this set of standards. Reaching this milestone enables the next phase of equipment availability and movement to interoperability testing and early 5G availability,” said Hank Kafka, VP access architecture and analytics at AT&T. “It showcases the dedication and leadership of the industry participants in 3GPP to follow through on accelerating standards to allow for faster technology deployments.”

“BT welcomes the first significant step to 5G deployment and we remain excited about the further innovations that 5G will bring.” said Neil McRae, chief architect at BT, “We are proud to have played a part in this and BT is committed to continuing to drive further 5G standardisation at pace to benefit our customers and communities.”

The 5G NR lower layer specifications have been designed so that they can support Standalone and Non-Standalone 5G NR operation in a unified way, to ensure that 3GPP benefits the global industry with a large-scale single 5G NR ecosystem.

Enrique Blanco, Telefónica’s global systems and networks director added: “Telefónica greatly appreciates the efforts made by the industry for completing this major milestone towards 5G. Telefónica acknowledges the full potential of 5G, and encourages the industry to keep developing ambitious ideas in order to deliver outstanding connectivity and bring the best possible experience to our customers. Telefónica is fully committed to working with the industry in this direction.”

Arnaud Vamparys, SVP radio networks at Orange said: “Orange welcomes this inaugural first release of a worldwide standard for 5G. With subsequent 3GPP releases expected from mid-2018 that will accelerate application and IoT development, Orange sees a myriad of opportunities to deliver a differentiated and high quality network, and is therefore fully committed to working with the industry to roll out 5G.”

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