# Draft Work Plan for FS_Q4RTC_MED

## Introduction

This document presents a draft work plan for the Rel-20 Study on QUIC-based media delivery for real-time communication (FS_Q4RTC_MED), which was agreed at SA4#134 and approved at SA#110 [SP-251661].

## Study Objectives

The study encompasses the following key objectives:

### Objective 1: Protocol Identification and Documentation
Identify existing and emerging QUIC-based media delivery protocols suitable for real-time communication and document their features, benefits, limitations and current applications.

### Objective 2: Evaluation Framework Definition
Define an evaluation framework for QUIC-based media delivery protocols in the context of the RTC System as defined in TS 26.506 and TS 26.113, including:

- **Application scenarios**: Define scenarios for evaluation, particularly including existing 3GPP services or service enablers such as split rendering
- **Performance evaluation**: Define appropriate performance metrics and requirements, and evaluate the performance of QUIC-based media delivery protocols against existing architectures and protocols (WebRTC and (S)RTP-based frameworks) under realistic 3GPP network conditions
- **Existing evaluation consideration**: Consider existing performance evaluation from academia and other SDOs, which SA4 may verify analytically without conducting new simulations

**NOTE 1**: The evaluation framework may be based on an open-source network simulator such as ns3.

**NOTE 2**: Evaluation scenarios may involve real-time communication of audio (EVS and IVAS) and video (H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC) as specified in TS 26.114.

### Objective 3: Deployment Impact Assessment
Document potential impact of deploying QUIC-based technologies on the delivery architecture defined in TS 26.506, considering:
- Current architectures
- 3GPP core network architecture (TS 23.501)
- UE implementations
- Advantages and disadvantages including efficiency, scalability, distributed deployment capability, impact on radio optimizations, flow control and management, security/privacy versus traffic management, and readiness of general-purpose implementations

### Objective 4: Integration Study (Conditional)
If sufficient evidence of benefits for selected QUIC-based media delivery protocols in the RTC context are identified:

- **Integration with MRI solutions**: Study integration of beneficial QUIC-based media delivery protocols with SA2 MRI solutions (TS 23.501, clause 5.37.9) into the RTC System, including consideration of potential architectural enhancements, signaling and collaboration scenarios
- **Gap identification**: Identify gaps and potential normative work on architecture and procedures (TS 26.506) as well as protocols and APIs (TS 26.113 and TS 26.510)

**NOTE 4**: The study will take into account potential changes in the media delivery architecture as identified in other ongoing 3GPP studies.

### Objective 5: Coordination
Coordinate work with other 3GPP groups and the IETF as needed.

## Proposed Work Plan Timeline

### SA4#134 (17–21 November 2025, Dallas, US)
- Agree study item description
- Discuss potential work plan

### SA#110 (9–12 December 2025, Baltimore, US)
- Approve new study item

### SA4#134 RTC SWG call (Dec 17, 2025, 14:00-16:00 CET, Host Nokia)
- Discuss work plan

### SA4#134 RTC SWG call (Jan 28, 2026, 15:00-17:00 CET, Host Nokia)
- Discuss specification skeleton for TR 26.8xx
- **Initiate work on**: Identification of QUIC-based media delivery protocols suitable for RTC and documentation of their features, benefits, limitations and current applications

### SA4#135 (9–13 February 2026, Goa, India)
- Agree work plan
- Agree specification skeleton for TR 26.836
- **Progress work on**: Identification of QUIC-based media delivery protocols
- **Initiate work on**:
  - Definition of application scenarios for evaluation
  - Definition of performance metrics and requirements
  - Performance evaluation of QUIC-based media delivery protocols
  - Documentation of existing evaluation from academia and other SDOs
  - Document potential impact of deploying QUIC-based technologies
- Communicate with other 3GPP WG and external organizations if necessary

**NOTE**: Coordinate with FS_QStream_MED on the evaluation framework.

### Post SA4#135 RTC SWG calls (date/time TBD, Host Nokia)
- TBD

### SA4#135-bis-e (13–17 April 2026, online)
- **Complete work on**: Identification of QUIC-based media delivery protocols
- **Progress work on**:
  - Definition of application scenarios
  - Definition of performance metrics and requirements
  - Performance evaluation
  - Documentation of existing evaluation
  - Document potential impact of deploying QUIC-based technologies
- **Initiate** identification of potential stage-2 normative work for 5GA
- Communicate with other 3GPP WG and external organizations if necessary

### Post SA4#135-bis-e AHG calls (date/time TBD, Host Nokia)
- TBD

### SA4#136 (11–15 May 2026, Montreal, Canada)
- **Progress work on**:
  - Definition of application scenarios
  - Definition of performance metrics and requirements
  - Documentation of existing evaluation
  - Performance evaluation
  - Document potential impact of deploying QUIC-based technologies
- **Complete** identification of potential stage-2 normative work for 5GA
- Communicate with other 3GPP WG and external organizations if necessary

**NOTE**: Stage-2 normative work item for 5GA may be proposed here.

### Post SA4#136 AHG calls (date/time TBD, Host Nokia)
- TBD

### SA4#137-e (24–28 August 2026, online)
- **Complete work on**:
  - Definition of application scenarios
  - Definition of performance metrics and requirements
  - Documentation of existing evaluation
- **Progress work on**:
  - Performance evaluation
  - Document potential impact of deploying QUIC-based technologies
- **Initiate** identification of potential stage-3 normative work for 5GA
- Communicate with other 3GPP WG and external organizations if necessary

### Post SA4#137-e AHG calls (date/time TBD, Host Nokia)
- TBD

### SA4#138 (16–20 November 2026, Calgary, Canada)
- **Progress work on**:
  - Performance evaluation
  - Document potential impact of deploying QUIC-based technologies
- **Complete** identification of potential stage-3 normative work for 5GA
- Communicate with other 3GPP WG and external organizations if necessary
- Send TR 26.836 v1.0.0 for information to SA

**NOTE**: Stage-3 normative work item for 5GA may be proposed here.

### SA#114 (8–11 December 2026, US)
- Presentation of TR 26.836 v1.0.0 to SA for information

### SA4#139 (22–26 February 2027, South Korea)
- **Complete work on**:
  - Performance evaluation
  - Document potential impact of deploying QUIC-based technologies
- Finalize TR conclusions and recommendations for future work
- Send TR 26.836 v2.0.0 for approval to SA

### SA#115 (16–19 March 2027, Europe)
- Approval of TR 26.836 v2.0.0 in SA