Comprehensive Catalog of 6G Study Items (Rel-20)
Comprehensive Catalog of 6G Study Items (Rel-20)
The following table provides an exhaustive list of the active Study Items (SIs) and Technical Reports (TRs) that constitute the 6G work program in Rel-20. You can monitor these documents as they evolve from skeletal drafts to dense technical analyses.
The below list is as of March 2026 and will evolve over time.
| WG | Spec/TR # | Title | Status | Impacted Layers | Technical Summary & Engineering Implication |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAN | RP-243327 | Study on 6G Scenarios and Requirements | Active | PHY/MAC | The master RAN study. Investigates deployment scenarios (e.g., dense urban FR3, extreme rural NTN) and defines key performance indicators (KPIs) to meet ITU-R M.2160. |
| RAN1 | TR 38.914 | Study on 6G Scenarios and Requirements | Draft | PHY | Critical. Defines the channel models for 7-24 GHz (FR3) and Sub-THz. Evaluates link budgets, path loss models, and blockage characteristics essential for Giga-MIMO design. |
| RAN1 | RP-251881 | Study on 6G Radio | Active | PHY/MAC | Investigates the air interface. Includes waveform candidates (OTFS, filtered OFDM), multiple access schemes, and duplexing evolution (Full Duplex). |
| SA1 | TR 22.870 | Study on 6G Use Cases and Service Requirements | Active | Service | Defines 23 foundational use cases including Holographic Communication, Digital Twins, and Compute-as-a-Service. Sets the "Stage 1" requirements that drive PHY/MAC capability needs. |
| SA2 | TR 23.801 | Study on Architecture for 6G System | Active | Core/NAS | The primary core network study. Investigates the "System of Systems" concept, distributed NAS, AI-native control plane, and convergence of NTN/TN in the core. |
| SA2 | TR 23.700-06 | Study on architecture enhancements for vehicle-mounted relays | Active | Core/RAN | Feeds into 6G concepts for mobile base stations (e.g., cell-free nodes on buses). Critical for solving the "high Doppler, low coverage" problem in FR3. |
| RAN | Rel-20 ISAC | Study on Integrated Sensing and Communication | Active | PHY | Investigates sharing spectrum between radar sensing and data comms. Focus is currently on Monostatic sensing (gNB transmits/receives) to simplify synchronization. |
| RAN | Rel-20 AI | AI/ML for Air Interface | Active | PHY/MAC | Investigates "Two-sided" models (UE and gNB running matched neural nets) for CSI compression and beam management. A major shift from "One-sided" proprietary AI. |
The Bridge Between 5G-Advanced and 6G
3GPP Release 20 (Rel-20) is unusual because it covers two different areas. It serves as a bridge, adding the final updates to 5G-Advanced while starting the first research into 6G.
This distinction is important as the 5G-Advanced work in Rel-20 sets the final rules for making modems and hardware by 2027-2028. The 6G work is currently just for research. These studies will produce reports to see what is possible before the official 6G standards begin in Release 21.
6G Timeline and Milestones
The timeline follows global 6G goals. The 6G part of Rel-20 focuses on defining what the new system needs to do and how it will be used, creating the basic requirements for future designs.
| Milestone | Date | Significance for Engineering Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Rel-20 Workshop | Mar 2025 | The "kick-off" for 6G. Vendor positions were publicized, and the scope of studies was delimited. |
| Rel-20 Stage 1 Freeze | June 2025 | Service requirements (SA1) are locked. This defines what the system must do (e.g., "1 Tbps peak," "0.1 ms latency"). |
| Rel-20 RAN Study Freeze | Mar 2027 | The completion of PHY/MAC feasibility studies. By this date, decisions on waveforms (OFDM vs. OTFS) and spectrum (FR3 vs. THz) are effectively made. |
| Rel-21 Start | Mid-2027 | The beginning of normative 6G work. The writing of Technical Specifications (TS) begins. |
| Rel-21 Freeze | Late 2028 | The first "Day 1" 6G standard is technically complete. |
| Commercialization | ~2030 | First commercial deployments based on Rel-21 silicon. |
Timeline
Standardization Roadmap Overview
The timeline for 6G standardization involves coordination between the ITU framework and 3GPP engineering working groups.
ITU Framework
- 2024-2026Performance RequirementsDefining technical requirements: spectral efficiency, latency, and positioning accuracy.
- 2027-2028Evaluation PhaseAccepting technology submissions to outline 3GPP technical work.
- 2029-2030IMT-2030 DesignationGlobal approval for 6G technologies.
3GPP Engineering
- May 2024Service RequirementsRelease 19 service requirement study.
- Mid 2025Technical StudyResearch into technology options and physical layer.
- 2027-2028Work Item PhaseWriting the 6G specifications for Release 21.
- End 2028Specifications GoalTarget completion of the initial 6G specifications.
Key Technical Pillars
Spectrum
Support for FR1, FR2, and cm-wave ranges.
Migration
Evolution from the existing 5G Core.
AI Integration
Machine learning integration in the protocol.
Energy Efficiency
Design optimized to maximize battery life and network efficiency.
Expected window for the first commercial 6G systems based on early specifications.
WirelessBrew Team
Technical expert at WirelessBrew, specializing in 5G NR, LTE, and wireless system optimization. Committed to providing accurate, 3GPP-compliant engineering tools.
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