Specifications

Revised versions of 3GPP specifications are published - free of charge - up to four times a year following the quarterly Technical Specification Group plenary meetings.

Quick link to the specifications ico-web file server area

The link above takes you straight to the specifications, but you need to know what you are looking for.

To find a particular specification by series, look at the Numbering page.

3GPP specifications

The term "3GPP specification" covers all GSM (including GPRS and EDGE) and W-CDMA specifications. The following terms are also used to describe networks using the 3G specifications: UTRAN, UMTS (in Europe) and FOMA (in Japan).

Revised versions of many of these specifications are produced up to four times a year following the quarterly TSG plenary meetings (TSG GERAN meets five times a year.)

The table below leads to information about:

  • Specifications arising from each plenary TSG meeting, including the latest versions of each specification that was not changed at that meeting. i.e. each directory holds a complete set of specifications.
  • The month of the meeting and the meeting number
  • The Status List (ZIPped RTF or Word format) summarizing the current version number for every release of every 3GPP specification following each TSG plenary meeting.
  • Details of each specification (working group, rapporteur, the Project Manager in MCC (Mobile Competence Centre), the meeting at which it was, or is expected to be, "frozen" (i.e. the point after which only corrections are allowed) - all are in the Staus lists.

Full details of the Specifications, their history and current status can be found in the 3GPP Specifications Status database.

Missing Specs from Plenary meetings are listed on the FTP site.

year-monthremarklatest statusspecs directoryTSG CN #TSG RAN* #TSG T #TSG SA #TSG GERAN #TSG CT #
2008-09 StatusList 2008-09 41 41 39 41
2008-06 StatusList 2008-06 40 40 38 40
2008-03 StatusList 2008-03 39 39 37 39
2007-12 StatusList 2007-12 38 38 36 38
2007-09 StatusList 2007-09 37 37 35 37
2007-06 StatusList 2007-06 36 36 34 36
2007-03 StatusList 2007-03 35 35 33 35
2006-12 StatusList 2006-12 34 34 32 34
2006-09 GERAN henceforward meets synchronously with other TSGs, so no further "delta" directories necessary. StatusList 2006-09 33 33 31 33
2006-06 New at GERAN only. 2006-06 30
2006-06 StatusList 2006-06 32 32 32
2006-04 New at GERAN only. 2006-04 29
2006-03 StatusList 2006-03 31 31 31
2006-01 New at GERAN only. 2006-01 28
2005-12 StatusList 2005-12 30 30 30
2005-11 New at GERAN only. 2005-11 27
2005-09 StatusList 2005-09 29 29 29
2005-08/09 New at GERAN only. 2005-09 26
2005-06 New at GERAN only. 2005-06 25
2005-06 StatusList 2005-06 28 28 28
2005-04 New at GERAN only. 2005-04 24
2005-03 RAN closed and RANnew opened, CN and T closed, CT opened. StatusList 2005-03 27 27bis, 27 27 27 27
2005-01 New at GERAN only. 2005-01 23
2004-12 StatusList 2004-12 26 26 26 26
2004-11 New at GERAN only. 2004-11 22
2004-09 StatusList 2004-09 25 25 25 25
2004-08 New at GERAN only. 2004-08 21
2004-06 New at GERAN only. 2004-06 20
2004-06 StatusList 2004-06 24 24 24 24
2004-04 New at GERAN only. 2004-04 19
2004-03 StatusList 2004-03 23 23 23 23
2004-02 New at GERAN only. 2004-02 18
2003-12 StatusList 2003-12 22 22 22 22
2003-11 New at GERAN only. 2003-11 17
2003-09 StatusList 2003-09 21 21 21 21
2003-09 New at GERAN only. 2003-09 16
2003-06 New at GERAN only. 2003-06 15
2003-06 StatusList 2003-06 20 20 20 20
2003-04 New at GERAN only. 2003-04 14
2003-02 StatusList 2003-03 19 19 19 19
2003-02 New at GERAN only. 2003-02 13
2002-12, 2002-11 StatusList 2002-12 18 18 18 18 12
2002-09 StatusList 2002-09 17 17 17 17 11
2002-06 Rel-5 GERAN features content functionally frozen 2002-06 10
2002-06 Rel-5 features content functionally frozen (remainder, non-GERAN) StatusList 2002-06 16 16 16 16
2002-04 2002-04 9
2002-03 Rel-5 features content functionally frozen (part) StatusList 2002-03 15 15 15 15
2002-02 8
2001-12 StatusList 2001-12 14 14 14 14
2001-11 7
2001-09 StatusList 2001-09 13 13 13 13
2001-08 6
2001-06 StatusList 2001-06 12 12 12 12 5
2001-06 Rel-4 GERAN features content functionally frozen 4
2001-03 Rel-4 non-GERAN features content functionally frozen StatusList 2001-03 11 11 11 11
2001-01 3
2000-12, 2000-11 StatusList 2000-12 10 10 10 10 2
2000-11
2000-09 StatusList 2000-09 9 9 9 9 1
2000-06 StatusList 2000-06 8 8 8 8
2000-03 7 7 7 7
1999-12 R99 features content functionally frozen 6 6 6 6
1999-10 5 5 5 5
1999-06 4 4 4
1999-05 4
1999-04 3 3 3 3
1999-03 2 2 2 2
1998-12 1 1 1 1

* TSG RAN was closed at the end of meeting 27 and re-opened for meeting 27 bis.

If you plan to download a large number of specifications and are using MS Explorer 4.0 or earlier, it may be worthwhile acquiring an FTP client software tool such as:

  • Ipswitch WS_FTP Pro® : This general purpose file transfer program simplifies the process of downloading large numbers of files from an FTP site.
  • FTPSync®: This tool allow the user to specify a directory on their local disk and synchronize it with a directory on an FTP site.

For additional information relating to 3GPP Specifications, their creation and maintenance, etc. go here.