Skip to main content

3GPP URLLC Requirements

Published Date
Author Cadence PCB Solutions

Key Takeaways

  • 3GPP was originally formed to produce technical specifications and reports for 3G mobile systems. 

  • The mission of 3GPP is to create mobile broadband standards.

  • 3GPP RAN TR 38.913 gives the URLLC requirements for latency and reliability.

3GPP URLLC requirements

The 3GPP organization is at the forefront of shaping the future of telecommunications

The  3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) organization is at the forefront of shaping the future of telecommunications. 3GPP unites telecommunication standard development organizations and develops 5G specifications and requirements. 3GPP has strengthened mobile communication systems by devising specifications for three generations of wireless technology, from 3G to 5G.

For 5G technology, 3GPP published several requirements that subsequently became the national standards in member countries. 3GPP URLLC requirements are one such specification. Let’s learn more about 3GPP and its requirements.

3GPP at a Glance

3GPP is the union of seven telecommunications standard development organizations, given in the table below.

3GPP Organizational partners

Scope 

3GPP was originally founded to produce technical specifications and reports for 3G mobile systems. The 3G mobile system supported by 3GPP was based on GSM core networks and radio access technologies. However, with the growth of mobile communication from 4G to 5G, the 3GPP scope was amended to include the development and maintenance of the specifications and reports beyond 3G. 

Mission

The mission of 3GPP is to create mobile broadband standards. The organizational partners aforementioned are provided with a stable base to produce the specifications and reports that define 3GPP technologies. The 3GPP specifications include all aspects of mobile or cellular telecommunication technologies, such as care networks, service capabilities, and radio access. The 3GPP specifications also include details related to non-radio access to the core network and requirements for working with non-3GPP networks.

Specifications

The importance of 3GPP specifications and reports are increasing, as commercial and residential applications consist of an immense number of Internet-of-Things (IoT). 5G technology is preparing the global network to run at the pace demanded by the market. The 3GPP specifications and reports are in line to support 3GPP infrastructure and 5G network communication, which ultimately leads to a huge number of 5G use cases.

5G wireless technology provides the service category of Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), which supports most IoT applications. Let’s see what 3GPP URLLC  requirements are in the upcoming section.

Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC)

In the 5G network, the service area that enables short transmissions, efficient data transfers, and low latency is called Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC). URLLC service ensures short transmissions either through larger subcarrier spacing or by overlapping transmissions. The service of URLLC is significant when employing 5G communication technology in remote surgery, self-driving cars, etc. URLLC service ensures the 5G network is a trusted platform for mission-critical applications requiring low latency and secure connectivity.

3GPP URLLC Requirements

The main requirements of URLLC are:

  1. Low latency

  2. Ultra-reliable communication

Latency

According to 3GPP requirements, latency can be defined as:

  1. End-to-end latency - includes queuing delay, air transmission delay, computing/processing delay, and retransmission.

  2. User plane latency - a parameter measured in ‘ms’ representing the work of the communication network starting when the source sends a user pocket until it is received at the target destination.

  3. Control plane latency - the time taken to transition from an idle state (battery efficient state) to the start of continuous data transfer or active state.

As per 3GPP RAN TR 38.913, the URLLC requirements for latency and reliability can be given below

3GPP URLLC Requirements and values)

The 3GPP URLLC requirements are of prime importance, as there is a proliferation of IoT systems today. IoT systems utilize the 5G network to achieve low latency and high reliability throughout their operation. With Cadence design tools, the hardware/ software integration in 5G applications can be reduced, thereby reducing the time-to-market.

Leading electronics providers rely on Cadence products to optimize power, space, and energy needs for a wide variety of market applications. If you want to learn more about our innovative solutions, talk to our team of experts or subscribe to our YouTube channel.