Mandatory UE Requirement

Description

A Mandatory UE Requirement, as defined in 3GPP TS 21.905, refers to a regulatory requirement that is applicable to 3G User Equipment (UE). These requirements are determined by each country or region and are beyond the scope of 3GPP specifications. This means that while 3GPP defines technical specifications for UEs to ensure interoperability and performance, there are additional legal and regulatory requirements that UEs must meet to be sold and operated in specific markets. These requirements are typically set by national regulatory authorities (NRAs) or regional bodies, such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) in Europe, or the Office of Communications (Ofcom) in the UK.

The definition explicitly gives an example of a mandatory UE requirement: spurious emission limits in the UK. Spurious emissions are unwanted radio frequency emissions outside the necessary bandwidth of a transmission, which can cause interference with other radio services. Regulators set limits on these emissions to ensure that UEs do not disrupt other users of the spectrum. These limits are often stricter than the minimum requirements specified by 3GPP, and they can vary from country to country. Therefore, UE manufacturers must design their devices to comply with the specific requirements of each market where they intend to sell their products.

Mandatory UE requirements can cover a wide range of technical parameters, including but not limited to: frequency stability, output power, spurious emissions, radiated emissions, immunity to interference, and specific absorption rate (SAR) for human exposure to radio frequency fields. They may also include requirements related to emergency services, such as the ability to make emergency calls without a SIM card, or requirements for location accuracy for emergency call positioning. Additionally, there may be requirements for compatibility with local networks, such as support for specific frequency bands or technologies.

Compliance with mandatory UE requirements is typically demonstrated through testing and certification. Manufacturers must obtain type approval or certification from the relevant regulatory authority before placing their devices on the market. Testing is often performed by accredited test laboratories that verify the device meets the requirements. The test methods and limits are usually defined in regulatory documents, which may reference international standards such as those from ETSI, CISPR, or IEC. In some cases, 3GPP specifications may include test methods that can be used to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements, but the requirements themselves are not defined by 3GPP.

It is important to distinguish mandatory UE requirements from 3GPP-defined requirements. 3GPP specifications define requirements for UEs to ensure that they can operate in 3GPP networks and interoperate with network equipment from different vendors. These are often referred to as 'core requirements' or 'technical requirements'. Mandatory UE requirements, on the other hand, are legal obligations that a UE must meet to be legally sold and used in a particular country or region. They are not within the scope of 3GPP because they are set by national or regional regulators, and they can vary significantly from one jurisdiction to another.

In the context of 3GPP, the term 'Mandatory UE Requirement' is defined in TS 21.905, which is the vocabulary specification. The definition has remained largely unchanged since Release 4, although the formatting of the text has varied slightly across releases. The term is used to clarify that there are requirements beyond 3GPP specifications that UEs must comply with. This is important for developers and manufacturers to understand, as they need to consider both 3GPP specifications and local regulatory requirements when designing and certifying their devices.

Purpose & Motivation

The term 'Mandatory UE Requirement' was created to clearly delineate the boundary between 3GPP's technical specifications and the regulatory requirements imposed by national and regional authorities. 3GPP's mission is to produce technical specifications for cellular networks, but it does not have the authority to set legal requirements for radio equipment. Those are set by sovereign regulators. Therefore, it was necessary to define a category of requirements that are mandatory for UEs but are outside the scope of 3GPP. This helps avoid confusion and ensures that manufacturers and operators understand that compliance with 3GPP specifications alone may not be sufficient to market a device in a particular country.

Historically, as cellular technology evolved from 2G to 3G, the complexity of regulatory requirements increased. In the early days of GSM, regulatory requirements were relatively straightforward, but with the introduction of new frequency bands, higher data rates, and more sophisticated modulation schemes, the potential for interference and other issues grew. Regulators responded by imposing more detailed requirements, such as spurious emission limits, to protect other spectrum users. 3GPP recognized that these requirements were outside its remit and therefore defined the term to make it clear that they are not specified by 3GPP.

The purpose of the term is also to promote global harmonization by encouraging regulators to align their requirements with international standards where possible. While 3GPP does not set regulatory requirements, it does collaborate with other standards bodies, such as ITU, to ensure that its specifications can be used as a basis for regulatory compliance. By defining the term, 3GPP provides a common vocabulary for discussing these requirements and helps stakeholders navigate the complex landscape of international regulations. Ultimately, the term serves to remind all parties that while 3GPP specifications are essential for interoperability, they are not a substitute for compliance with local laws and regulations.