As the official member of 3GPP, IPLOOK is always invited to attend related meetings. Lok Liao, Standard Engineer from the research group, on behalf of IPLOOK, participated in the 3GPP SA WG meetings in Gothenburg, discussing and co-writing some proposals with industry partners. We invited Mr. Liao to briefly sort out his experience of 3GPP meetings, so that we can have an overview of the industry standardization activities. Here's what he shared with us:
Q: Could you please introduce the research group at IPLOOK?
Lok: Our group focuses on doing technical research to verify whether the new technology can be combined with our products, or do a feasibility study on new products, to dig into the future opportunities and target market.
Q: Could you provide an overview of the 3GPP WG CT and SA and their significance in the development of mobile communication systems?
Lok: Core Networks and Terminals (CT) is responsible for the technical co-ordination of:
·Terminal interfaces (logical and physical)
·User equipment to core network protocols
·Interworking with external networks
·Core network protocols of 3GPP systems
3GPP TSG Service and System Aspects (SA) is responsible for the overall architecture and service capabilities of systems based on 3GPP specifications. 3GPP is a global project. It ensures mobile communication systems to meet global needs, seamless interoperability between different vendors, and the global scale necessary for mobility. For IPLOOK, our core network product complies with 3GPP which provides a great compatibility to meet global market needs.
Q: What are IPLOOK's key objectives and focus areas in the meeting in Sweden? What contributions did your team make during the standardization process?
Lok: As an industry-leading end-to-end mobile network solution vendor, IPLOOK expects to have a deeper participation with its expertise in the future 3GPP meetings. For now, we focus on 5GS and 5G SAT ACCESS. Besides, in RAN we focus on NTN. We also proposed a few CRs (Change Requests) in these meetings.
Q: Could you discuss any particular core network specifications that your team will be working on within WG SA?
Lok: For example, in 22.261, this specification introduce the Service requirements for the 5G system. In SA1 Meeting in Berlin, China Telecom proposed a new WID related to Satellite Access in Phase 3. It provides more descriptions of satellite access for us to consider how to meet these needs.
Q: The 5G technical standards went through from R15 to R18, and its commercial characteristics have been improved. What innovations will be made in 5G technology? What new features will be introduced in R19?
Lok: In Rel-19, we can see more 5G system capabilities with satellite access being proposed. At least we can grab some features from the Rel-19. For example, in FS_5GSAT_Ph3, enhancements related to the 5G system with satellite access were investigated, including information collection through satellite connections.
Q: What competitive advantages does IPLOOK offer in terms of its core network solutions, considering the evolving standards developed by 3GPP?
Lok: Firstly, IPLOOK's core network solutions are highly customizable. Especially for the entry-level enterprises&operators, IPLOOK can better meet their unique needs. Secondly, our core network products are able to adapt to the evolving standards of 3GPP thanks to IPLOOK's R&D team, who's always devoted to self-developing and following the standards.
Stay tuned for the full interview video on IPLOOK YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3QOTu05
