The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has officially frozen Release 19 (Rel-19) specifications following its December 2025 plenary meetings in Baltimore, Maryland. This milestone completes the second phase of 5G-Advanced (5G-A), shifting focus to Release 20 (Rel-20) enhancements and early 6G research.

The FirstNet Authority, representing U.S. public safety interests, actively participated across all Technical Specification Groups (TSG RAN, SA, and CT). Global 3GPP standards ensure interoperability, reliability, and innovation—critical for first responders who rely on seamless, mission-critical communications.

Key Release 19 Achievements for Public Safety

• Completion of high-priority features, including NR sidelink multi-hop UE-to-Network (U2N) relay (championed by FirstNet Authority).

• Finalized NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) for NR and IoT, enabling coverage in rural/remote areas.

• Enhanced Mission Critical Services (MCS) conformance testing for push-to-talk, video, and data over LTE/5G.

• Advancements in proximity services (ProSe), ambient IoT, and integrated sensing/communication (ISAC).

These features improve coverage, resilience (e.g., GNSS-resilient NTN), and situational awareness for emergency response.

Transition to Release 20 and 6G

With Rel-19 frozen (limited to error corrections only), working groups now prioritize Rel-20:

• Continued 5G-A normative work addressing commercial and public safety needs.

• 6G study items progressing (e.g., AI/ML integration, RAN architecture, NTN, KPIs, and value-driven features).

• SA1 nearing completion of 6G use cases and requirements (~80% done).

• Discussions on Release 21 timeline (first normative 6G specs), expected finalization by June 2026.

Industry expects 6G to build on 5G foundations, emphasizing AI-readiness, efficiency, and societal/operator-driven innovations.

The FirstNet Authority continues advocating for public safety priorities in these global standards to ensure reliable, interoperable networks for first responders.

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Further information on the 3GPP’s work and organization can be found at: www.3gpp.org