ETSI TS 122 261 V17.16.0 (2026-02)

5G; Service requirements for the 5G system (3GPP TS 22.261 version 17.16.0 Release 17)

RTS/TSGS-0122261vhg0

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Technical Committee: 3GPP SA 1 - Services
• Current Stage: 12 - Citation in the OJ (auto-insert)
• Completion Date: 02-Feb-2026

Standards Content (Sample)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
5G;
Service requirements for the 5G system
(3GPP TS 22.261 version 17.16.0 Release 17)

3GPP TS 22.261 version 17.16.0 Release 17 1 ETSI TS 122 261 V17.16.0 (2026-02)

Reference
RTS/TSGS-0122261vhg0
Keywords
5G
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ETSI
3GPP TS 22.261 version 17.16.0 Release 17 2 ETSI TS 122 261 V17.16.0 (2026-02)
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ETSI
3GPP TS 22.261 version 17.16.0 Release 17 3 ETSI TS 122 261 V17.16.0 (2026-02)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 2
Legal Notice . 2
Modal verbs terminology . 2
Foreword . 7
Introduction . 7
1 Scope . 8
2 References . 8
3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations . 9
3.1 Definitions . 9
3.2 Abbreviations . 11
4 Overview . 12
5 High-level requirements . 13
5.1 Migration to 5G . 13
5.1.1 Description . 13
5.1.2 Requirements . 13
5.1.2.1 Interworking between 5G systems . 13
5.1.2.2 Legacy service support . 13
5.1.2.3 Interoperability with legacy 3GPP syste ms . 14
6 Basic capabilities . 14
6.1 Network slicing . 14
6.1.1 Description . 14
6.1.2 Requirements . 14
6.1.2.1 General . 14
6.1.2.2 Management . 14
6.1.2.3 Network slice constraints . 15
6.1.2.4 Cross-network slice coordination . 15
6.2 Diverse mobility management . 16
6.2.1 Description . 16
6.2.2 General requirements . 16
6.2.3 Service continuity requirements . 16
6.2.4 Roaming related requirements . 17
6.3 Multiple access technologies . 17
6.3.1 Description . 17
6.3.2 Requirements . 17
6.3.2.1 General . 17
6.3.2.2 E-UTRA access . 18
6.3.2.3 Satellite access . 18
6.3.2.4 Fixed broadband access . 18
6.4 Resource efficiency . 18
6.4.1 Description . 18
6.4.2 Requirements . 19
6.4.2.1 General . 19
6.4.2.2 Efficient bulk operations for IoT . 20
6.4.2.3 Efficient management for IoT . 20
6.4.2.4 Efficient control plane . 20
6.5 Efficient user plane . 20
6.5.1 Description . 20
6.5.2 Requirements . 20
6.6 Efficient content delivery . 21
6.6.1 Description . 21
6.6.2 Requirements . 22
6.7 Priority, QoS, and policy control . 22
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6.7.1 Description . 22
6.7.2 Requirements . 23
6.8 Dynamic policy control . 23
6.9 Connectivity models . 24
6.9.1 Description . 24
6.9.2 Requirements . 24
6.9.2.1 General . 24
6.9.2.2 Services and Service Continuity . 24
6.9.2.3 Permission and Authorization . 25
6.9.2.4 Relay UE Selection . 25
6.9.2.5 Satellite and Relay UEs . 25
6.10 Network capability exposure . 26
6.10.1 Description . 26
6.10.2 Requirements . 26
6.11 Context-aware network . 27
6.11.1 Description . 27
6.11.2 Requirements . 28
6.12 Self backhaul . 28
6.12.1 Description . 28
6.12.2 Requirements . 28
6.13 Flexible broadcast/multicast service . 29
6.13.1 Description . 29
6.13.2 Requirements . 29
6.14 Subscription aspects . 30
6.14.1 Description . 30
6.14.2 Requirements . 30
6.15 Energy efficiency . 31
6.15.1 Description . 31
6.15.2 Requirements . 31
6.16 Markets requiring minimal service levels . 31
6.16.1 Description . 31
6.16.2 Requirements . 31
6.17 Extreme long range coverage in low density areas . 32
6.17.1 Description . 32
6.17.2 Requirements . 32
6.18 Multi-network connectivity and service delivery across operators . 32
6.18.1 Description . 32
6.18.2 Requirements . 32
6.19 3GPP access network selection . 33
6.19.1 Description . 33
6.19.2 Requirements . 33
6.20 eV2X aspects . 33
6.20.1 Description . 33
6.20.2 Requirements . 34
6.21 NG-RAN Sharing . 34
6.21.1 Description . 34
6.21.2 Requirements . 34
6.22 Unified access control . 34
6.22.1 Description . 34
6.22.2 Requirements . 34
6.22.2.1 General . 34
6.22.2.2 Access identities . 35
6.22.2.3 Access categories . 36
6.23 QoS monitoring . 37
6.23.1 Description . 37
6.23.2 Requirements . 37
6.24 Ethernet transport services . 38
6.24.1 Description . 38
6.24.2 Requirements . 38
6.25 Non-public networks . 39
6.25.1 Description . 39
6.25.2 Requirements . 39
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6.26 5G LAN-type service . 40
6.26.1 Description . 40
6.26.2 Requirements . 40
6.26.2.1 General . 40
6.26.2.2 5G LAN-virtual network (5G LAN-VN) . 40
6.26.2.3 Creation and management . 41
6.26.2.4 Privacy . 41
6.26.2.5 Traffic types . 41
6.26.2.6 Discovery . 41
6.26.2.7 (void) . 41
6.26.2.8 Indirect communication mode . 41
6.26.2.9 Service exposure . 42
6.27 Positioning services . 42
6.27.1 Description . 42
6.27.2 Requirements . 42
6.28 Cyber-physical control applications in vertical domains . 43
6.28.1 Description . 43
6.28.2 Requirements . 44
6.29 Messaging aspects . 44
6.29.1 Description . 44
6.29.2 Requirements . 44
6.30 Steering of roaming . 44
6.30.1 Description . 44
6.30.2 Requirements . 44
6.31 Minimization of Service Interruption . 45
6.31.1 Description . 45
6.31.2 Requirements . 45
6.31.2.1 General . 45
6.31.2.2 Disaster Condition . 45
6.31.2.3 Disaster Roaming . 45
6.32.1 Description . 46
6.32.2 Requirements . 46
7 Performance requirements . 47
7.1 High data rates and traffic densities . 47
7.2 Low latency and high reliability . 48
7.2.1 Overview . 48
7.2.2 Scenarios and KPIs . 48
7.2.3 Other requirements . 49
7.2.3.1 (void) . 49
7.2.3.2 Wireless road-side infrastructure backhaul . 49
7.3 High-accuracy positioning. 52
7.3.1 Description . 52
7.3.2 Requirements . 52
7.3.2.1 General . 52
7.3.2.2 Requirements for horizontal and vertical positioning service levels . 52
7.3.2.3 Other performance requirements . 54
7.4 KPIs for a 5G system with satellite access . 54
7.4.1 Description . 54
7.4.2 Requirements . 54
7.5 High-availability IoT traffic . 55
7.5.1 Description . 55
7.5.2 Requirements . 56
7.6 High data rate and low latency. 57
7.6.1 AR/VR . 57
7.7 KPIs for UE to network relaying in 5G system . 58
8 Security. 59
8.1 Description . 59
8.2 General . 60
8.3 Authentication . 60
8.4 Authorization . 61
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8.5 Identity management . 61
8.6 Regulatory . 62
8.7 Fraud protection . 62
8.8 Resource efficiency . 62
8.9 Data security and privacy . 62
9 Charging aspects . 63
9.1 General . 63
9.2 5G LAN . 63
Annex A (informative): Latency needs to support example use cases from vertical industries . 64
Annex B (informative): Positioning accuracy needs to support example use cases from
vertical industries . 65
Annex C (informative): Relation of communication service availability and reliability . 66
Annex D (informative): Critical-communication use cases . 69
D.1 Discrete automation – motion control . 69
D.1.1 Service area and connection density . 70
D.1.2 Security . 70
D.2 Discrete automation . 70
D.2.1 Service area and connection density . 72
D.2.2 Security . 72
D.3 Process automation . 72
D.3.1 Remote control . 73
D.3.2 Monitoring . 73
D.3.3 Service area . 73
D.4 Electricity distribution . 73
D.4.1 Medium voltage . 73
D.4.1.1 Service area and connection density . 75
D.4.1.2 Security . 75
D.4.2 Energy distribution – high voltage . 75
D.4.2.1 Service area and connection density . 75
D.4.2.2 Security . 75
D.5 Intelligent transport systems – infrastructure backhaul . 76
D.5.1 Service area and connection density . 76
Annex E (informative): (void) . 77
Annex F (informative): QoS Monitoring. 78
F.1 QoS monitoring for assurance . 78
F.2 Network Diagnostics . 79
Annex G (informative): Asset Tracking use cases . 80
G.1 Asset Tracking . 80
G.2 Battery life expectancy and message size to support example use cases for asset tracking . 80
Annex H (informative): Change history . 81
History . 86

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3GPP TS 22.261 version 17.16.0 Release 17 7 ETSI TS 122 261 V17.16.0 (2026-02)
Foreword
rd
This Technical Specification has been produced by the 3 Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
The contents of the present document are subject to continuing work within the TSG and may change following formal
TSG approval. Should the TSG modify the contents of the present document, it will be re-released by the TSG with an
identifying change of release date and an increase in version number as follows:
Version x.y.z
where:
x the first digit:
1 presented to TSG for information;
2 presented to TSG for approval;
3 or greater indicates TSG approved document under change control.
y the second digit is incremented for all changes of substance, i.e. technical enhancements, corrections,
updates, etc.
z the third digit is incremented when editorial only changes have been incorporated in the document.
Introduction
The need to support different kinds of UEs (e.g. for the Internet of Things (IoT)), services, and technologies is driving
the technology revolution to a high-performance and highly efficient 3GPP system. The drivers include IoT, Virtual
Reality (VR), industrial control, ubiquitous on-demand coverage, as well as the opportunity to meet customized market
needs. These drivers require enhancements to the devices, services, and technologies well established by 3GPP. The key
objective with the 5G system is to be able to support new deployment scenarios to address diverse market segments.
This document compiles requirements that define a 5G system.
The 5G system is characterised, for example, by:
- Support for multiple access technologies
- Scalable and customizable network
- Advanced Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (e.g. availability, latency, reliability, user experienced data rates,
area traffic capacity)
- Flexibility and programmability (e.g. network slicing, diverse mobility management, Network Function
Virtualization)
- Resource efficiency (both user plane and control plane)
- Seamless mobility in densely populated and heterogeneous environment
- Support for real time and non-real time multimedia services and applications with advanced Quality of
Experience (QoE)
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3GPP TS 22.261 version 17.16.0 Release 17 8 ETSI TS 122 261 V17.16.0 (2026-02)
1 Scope
The present document describes the service and operational requirements for a 5G system, including a UE, NG-RAN,
and 5G Core network. Requirements for a 5G E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity in E-UTRAN connected to EPC are
found in TS 22.278 [5].
2 References
The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present
document.
- References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or
non-specific.
- For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.
- For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including
a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same
Release as the present document.
[1] 3GPP TR 21.905: "Vocabulary for 3GPP Specifications".
[2] NGMN 5G W
...