3GPP Spec Lookup
Type any 3GPP TS or TR number, a title fragment, a working group, or a keyword (RRC, PFCP, SUCI, NGAP…). Click a result to see the working group, full title, and related specs.
What is a 3GPP specification?
3GPP publishes two kinds of documents. A Technical Specification (TS) is normative — vendors build against it and compliance is tested. A Technical Report (TR) is informative — a study, a feasibility analysis, or a model (for example TR 38.901 for propagation). Numbers are grouped by series: 23.xxx for system architecture, 24.xxx for NAS and other UE signalling, 29.xxx for SBI / interworking, 33.xxx for security, 36.xxx for LTE radio, and 38.xxx for NR.
Working groups at a glance
RAN1 owns the physical layer — OFDM numerology, coding, measurements (TS 38.211 – 38.215). RAN2 owns the L2 / L3 radio protocols — MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC (TS 38.321 – 38.331). RAN3 owns the NG-RAN architecture — CU/DU split, NGAP, XnAP, F1AP (TS 38.401 / 38.413 / 38.423 / 38.473). SA2 owns the 5G System architecture, SA3 owns security, CT1 owns NAS, CT3 owns stage-3 SBI protocols.
How to cite a spec
Always cite by series number and release when it matters: e.g., “TS 38.331 v17.5.0”. Every quarter 3GPP publishes updated versions — some fixes, some new features gated behind the release. The portal.3gpp.org page for each spec lists every version.
Related tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I download 3GPP specs?
All 3GPP specifications are free at portal.3gpp.org. Each spec page has every version back to the first release. The FTP mirror at ftp.3gpp.org is a faster bulk download source if you want a full release dump.
What's the difference between a TS and a TR?
TS (Technical Specification) is normative — vendors implement to it, GCF conformance tests against it. TR (Technical Report) is informative — feasibility studies, channel models, architecture analyses. Both share the same xx.yyy numbering, which is why TR 38.901 sits comfortably next to TS 38.214.
How often are 3GPP specs updated?
3GPP runs a quarterly meeting cycle. Each plenary week produces new versions of active specs with agreed CRs (change requests) merged in. A single spec typically sees 4–6 versions per year until its parent release is closed, after which only essential corrections land.
What is a 3GPP Release?
A Release is 3GPP's feature umbrella. Rel-15 introduced 5G NSA (late 2017) and SA (mid-2018). Rel-16 added URLLC enhancements and NR-U. Rel-17 added NTN, RedCap, and sidelink. Rel-18 is 5G-Advanced. A spec exists in multiple releases simultaneously — TS 38.331 v15, v16, v17 and v18 all ship in parallel.
Calculator gave you the answer? Learn the theory in 7 days, free.
$19.99/mo (global) · ₹999/mo (India). Full Pro access — 150+ hands-on exercises, 20+ troubleshooting Scenarios, 17 certifications, TelcoMentor AI coach. No credit card.
- No credit card
- Cancel anytime
- Full Pro access
- TELCOMA since 2009