iable Massive machine- and low-latency type communications communications Connection density Latency Figure 4-3 Key Requirements to Usage Scenarios The process defined by the ITU-R to finalize the IMT-2020 vision has been a multistep journey in- volving leadership by WP5D over a period of more than eight years. In the middle of 2020, the ITU-R determined the final candidate technology submissions to be accepted as qualified IMT-2020 technologies. As of the time of writing, the final IMT-2020 specifications (known as IMT- 2020.SPECS) are going through final agreement before forwarding to member states for adoption and approval. Please see the link at the end of the chapter for further reading on IMT-2020.SPECS. The reason this process is important is that IMT sets the requirements that 3GPP aims to meet with its specification of the mobile technology. Only when the 3GPP specification release meets the IMT requirement is it qualified to be called 3G, 4G, or 5G. For example, the IMT-Advanced require- ments were met by 3GPP in Release 10, which has become known as LTE-Advanced. This IMT document becomes the goal sheet that 3GPP will endeavor to implement, SO the next section covers 3GPP and its standardization processes. 4.2 3rd Generation Partnership Project The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) was formed in December 1998 with an original goal to produce technical specifications and technical reports for a 3G mobile system based on an evolu- tion of the core network and radio access technologies from the Global System for Mobile commu- nications (GSM). The scope was subsequently amended to include maintenance and development of the GSM system including evolution in the radio access, such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE). 3GPP develops technical specifications, and these specifications are converted into standards by seven separate SSOs for telecommunications, as shown in Figure 4-4. These organizations are ETSI (Europe and rest of the world), ATIS (Unit