3GPP Rel-17
A Comprehensive Guide to the 3GPP Release 17 Standard
What Is The 3GPP?
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a consortium with seven national or regional telecommunication standards organizations and a variety of other organizations which are key players in the telecommunications ecosystem with the primary goal of developing mobile communications protocols.
Technologies such as long-term evolution (LTE) and 5G fall under the umbrella of the 3GPP, covering everything from the air interface and radio access network to the core network and services.
3GPP standards are currently extensively used by cellular providers and equipment manufacturers worldwide. It is the most widely used cellular standard organization and plays a crucial role in shaping the future of mobile communications.
What Is Rel-17?
The 3GPP organization arranges new releases with enhancements based on market and industry requirements.
3GPP’s most recent development, Release 17 offers new features and advancements for 5G mobile networks. It was completed in Q3 of 2022, and manufacturers have been incorporating its latest components into their commercial products since then.
What Is Rel-17?
The 3GPP organization arranges new releases with enhancements based on market and industry requirements.
3GPP’s most recent development, Release 17 offers new features and advancements for 5G mobile networks. It was completed in Q3 of 2022, and manufacturers have been incorporating its latest components into their commercial products since then.
What Are the Key Features of Rel-17?
One of the primary characteristics that distinguish it from previous ones is the support for non-terrestrial networks (NTN) such as satellites or high-altitude platforms. NTN capabilities introduced in Rel-17 enable 3GPP protocols for broadband (NR protocol) and for massive IoT (NB-IoT and eMTC) to be used for satellite communications. NTN capabilities are considered pivotal to help meet the increasing demand for connectivity in remote and underserved areas where traditional terrestrial networks may not be available.
Release 17 also brings enhancements to the uplink control and data channel design (increased repetitions, joint channel estimation, frequency hopping).
Furthermore, the release introduces new radio technologies such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) to provide higher throughput, lower latency and more reliable communications.
The Benefits of 3GPP Rel-17 in Massive IoT
A particularly significant feature of Release 17 is the support for massive IoT, characterized by the large number of devices connected to the network and the need for low power consumption and reduced cost. In situations where the devices cannot be charged or are battery-reliant, the ability of machines to enter conserving mode when there is no data to be sent can be very beneficial.
It is made possible by the reduction of unnecessary device paging receptions and easing up on device measurement for radio links. The enhanced massive MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) allows the connection and communication of a vast array of devices, from industrial equipment to consumer products, due to the improvement of factors such as beam management and SRS triggering.
Additionally, this release includes enhancements to existing properties like data security to protect against cyber threats and provide end-to-end security for all services. It can increase mobile network speed and reliability while also minimizing environmental impact and guaranteeing the security of sensitive data, which is critical for use cases such as healthcare or industrial automation.
The Benefits of 3GPP Rel-17 in Massive IoT
A particularly significant feature of Release 17 is the support for massive IoT, characterized by the large number of devices connected to the network and the need for low power consumption and reduced cost. In situations where the devices cannot be charged or are battery-reliant, the ability of machines to enter conserving mode when there is no data to be sent can be very beneficial.
It is made possible by the reduction of unnecessary device paging receptions and easing up on device measurement for radio links. The enhanced massive MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) allows the connection and communication of a vast array of devices, from industrial equipment to consumer products, due to the improvement of factors such as beam management and SRS triggering.
Additionally, this release includes enhancements to existing properties like data security to protect against cyber threats and provide end-to-end security for all services. It can increase mobile network speed and reliability while also minimizing environmental impact and guaranteeing the security of sensitive data, which is critical for use cases such as healthcare or industrial automation.
What Is Sateliot’s Relationship with the 3GPP?
Sateliot has made the most contributions to Release 17 within the 3GPP from the space sector, contributions that were unanimously accepted by all the members.
On March 16th, 2023, Sateliot joined the Global Certification Forum (GCF) as the first satellite operator to bring device interoperability based on 3GPP standards. Read this article to learn more about this advancement.
What Are Sateliot's Latest Contributions to the 3GPP?
The Store&Forward and the Regenerative Payload were among the most supported items during the last 3GPP’s Rel-19 scope definition workshop.
The latest discussions on the Rel-19 set the standard of Satellite Telecommunications for 2025, and the Store&Forward and Regenerative Payload guarantee the best possible uplink and downlink connectivity. Especially in low-density constellations and even when visibility to a ground station is discontinuous. With this groundbreaking innovation, IoT delay-tolerant applications can connect from day one and avoid the huge cost of mega-constellations.
With the support from 50 top-notch industry players, including Samsung, SK Telecom, Google, and Apple, and under the ongoing implementation of the Rel-17, we believe that those features that are of paramount importance and that Sateliot has been promoting will be included in the next release of the NTN standard.
What Are Sateliot's Latest Contributions to the 3GPP?
The Store&Forward and the Regenerative Payload were among the most supported items during the last 3GPP’s Rel-19 scope definition workshop.
The latest discussions on the Rel-19 set the standard of Satellite Telecommunications for 2025, and the Store&Forward and Regenerative Payload guarantee the best possible uplink and downlink connectivity. Especially in low-density constellations and even when visibility to a ground station is discontinuous. With this groundbreaking innovation, IoT delay-tolerant applications can connect from day one and avoid the huge cost of mega-constellations.
With the support from 50 top-notch industry players, including Samsung, SK Telecom, Google, and Apple, and under the ongoing implementation of the Rel-17, we believe that those features that are of paramount importance and that Sateliot has been promoting will be included in the next release of the NTN standard.
