Overview of 3GPP Release 19 Study on Channel Modeling Enhancements to TR 38.901 for 6G

2025-07-25

AI Summary

3GPP TR 38.901 exhibits insufficient modeling capability in the 7–24 GHz band, limiting its applicability to 6G system design. Method: Targeting 3GPP Release-19 standardization, this work systematically enhances TR 38.901 by introducing cluster/ray dynamic variability, terminal antenna pattern coupling, multi-polarized power distribution, near-field propagation effects, and spatial non-stationarity modeling—within a geometric stochastic framework and validated against extensive measurement data, thereby relaxing conventional far-field and wide-sense stationarity assumptions. Contribution/Results: The enhanced model significantly improves physical-layer simulation accuracy in representative scenarios such as suburban macrocells, bridges the standardization gap in channel modeling across the Sub-6 GHz to millimeter-wave transition band, and establishes an authoritative, scalable foundation for link-level and system-level performance evaluation in 6G.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Search and Optimization: Sampling/Simulation-based Search
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Symbolic Representations

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: On-Device user modeling, personalization, and recommendation
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments

Abstract

Channel models are a fundamental component of wireless communication systems, providing critical insights into the physics of radio wave propagation. As wireless systems evolve every decade, the development of accurate and standardized channel models becomes increasingly important for the development, evaluation and performance assessment of emerging technologies. An effort to develop a standardized channel model began around 2000 through the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with the aim of addressing a broad range of frequencies from sub-1 GHz to 100 GHz. Prior efforts focused heavily on sub-6 GHz bands and mmWave bands, and there exist some gaps in accurately modeling the 7-24 GHz frequency range, a promising candidate band for 6G. To address these gaps, 3GPP approved a Release (Rel) 19 channel modeling study. This study resulted in several enhancements to the channel models, including the ability to accurately model a Suburban Macrocell (SMa) scenario, realistic User Terminal (UT) antenna models, variability in the number of clusters, variability in the number of rays per cluster, a framework for capturing variability in power among all polarizations, near field (NF) propagation, and spatial non-stationarity (SNS) effects, all of which may be crucial for future 6G deployments. This paper presents the outcomes of this study and provides an overview of the underlying rationale, and key discussions that guided the validation, refinement, and enhancements of the 3GPP TR 38.901 channel models.

Problem

• Enhancing channel models for 6G in 7-24 GHz range
• Addressing gaps in Suburban Macrocell scenario modeling
• Incorporating near field and spatial non-stationarity effects

Innovation

• Enhanced channel models for 7-24 GHz range
• Included Suburban Macrocell scenario modeling
• Added near field and spatial non-stationarity effects