3G Systems

3G Systems are intended to provide a global mobility with wide range of services including telephony, paging, messaging, Internet and broadband data. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) started the process of defining the standard for third generation systems, referred to as International Mobile Telecommunications 2000 (IMT-2000). In Europe European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) was responsible of UMTS standardisation process. In 1998 Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) was formed to continue the technical specification work. 3GPP has five main UMTS standardisation areas: Radio Access Network, Core Network, Terminals, Services and System Aspects and GERAN.

3GPP Radio Access group is responsible of:

Radio Layer 1, 2 and 3 RR specification
Iub, Iur and Iu Interfaces
UTRAN Operation and Maintenance requirements
BTS radio performance specification
Conformance test specification for testing of radio aspects of base stations
Specifications for radio performance aspects from the system point of view

3GPP Core Network group is responsible of:

Mobility management, call connection control signalling between the user equipment and the core network.
Core network signalling between the core network nodes.
Definition of interworking functions between the core network and external networks.
Packet related issues.
Core network aspects of the lu interface and Operation and Maintenance requirements3GPP Terminal group is responsible of:
Service capability protocols
Messaging
Services end-to-end interworking
USIM to Mobile Terminal interface
Model/framework for terminal interfaces and services (application) execution
Conformance test specifications of terminals, including radio aspects

3GPP Terminal group is responsible of:

Service capability protocols
Messaging
Services end-to-end interworking
USIM to Mobile Terminal interface
Model/framework for terminal interfaces and services (application) execution
Conformance test specifications of terminals, including radio aspects

3GPP Services and System Aspects group is responsible of:

Definition of services and feature requirements.
Development of service capabilities and service architecture for cellular, fixed and cordless applications.
Charging and Accounting
Network Management and Security Aspects
Definition, evolution, and maintenance of overall architecture