3GPP Releases Guidance on 5G Labeling

On February 7, 2017, the Organizational Partners of the 3rd Generation Partnership (3GPP), a leading mobile standards body, released a new logo for use with products based on 5G specifications. According to 3GPP, the logo will be available throughout various phases of development of 5G up through 2020, when the standard is scheduled for completion.

The 3GPP Organizational Partners are in agreement that the Project’s name and logos may be made available for use by manufacturers and service providers on a purely voluntary basis to declare that their products are based on the Project’s specifications. In conjunction with release of the logo, 3GPP provides the terms of use and how to apply for permission to use its 5G logo: http://​www​.3gpp​.org/​a​b​o​u​t​-​3​g​p​p​/​l​e​g​a​l​-​m​a​t​t​e​r​s​/​l​o​g​o-use.

Implementers of the 5G specification will have the chance to mark their equipment and documentation with the 5G logo and self-declare conformity to the 3GPP specifications. The 3GPP partners plan to monitor any possible misuse of the logo through reports by members of the 3GPP community and underscore that the grant of permission to use the 3GPP 5G logo does not involve or imply any certification by the partners in 3GPP or the 3GPP community that the products or services of manufacturers or service providers actually comply with the 3GPP specifications.” Rather, the 3GPP partners intend that the use of the logo simply provides a basis of reference for users, network operators and other manufacturers and service providers.”

3GPP has a pending checkpoint in March 2017, when the organization will assess progress on various items, including forward compatibility between existing radio access networks and 5G New Radio systems. New Radio is a wireless standard which encodes data across multiple carrier frequencies.