SA4 AH report on FS_6G_MED
This report documents the SA4 Ad Hoc Group (AHG) call held on January 15, 2026 (16:00-17:30 CET) to discuss the newly approved FS_6G_MED study (Study on Media aspects for 6G system), which was approved at the December 2025 SA plenary in Baltimore. The call was chaired by Gilles Teniou (Tencent, SA4 Chair) with 51 participants attending.
Study Leadership:
- Prime Reporter: Thomas Stockhammer (Qualcomm) - coordination
- Secondary Reporter: Elmira Ramazanirend (Vodafone) - draft TR production
Meeting Schedule:
- Initial dates proposed for AHG calls were adjusted based on participant availability
- Changed to March 16th and 23rd (avoiding conflicts with DVB meeting on 18th and other constraints)
- Discussion on establishing regular timeslots for 6G_MED calls in weeks without other SWG telcos
- Suggestion for physical meeting in Amsterdam was noted, though online format preferred due to travel approval concerns
- Proposal for half-day workshop potentially at IBC or MHV events
Use Case Handling:
- Question raised about use case templates and organization
- Use cases primarily sourced from SA1
- Discussion on whether SA4 is limited to SA1-defined use cases or can expand
- Consensus that inputs are welcome with discussion on integration approach
- Suggestion to summarize SA1 use cases and extract SA4-specific requirements rather than exact wording
Deadlines:
- Request to set appropriate deadlines for contributions
- Concern raised about bringing use cases and work tasks to Goa meeting
Decision: Revised to S4aP260005 and agreed as basis for further work
Key Issues vs. Key Questions:
- Clarification requested on difference between "key issue" and "key questions" (confirmed as same)
- Discussion on "context and external factors" (similar to SA2 aspects/challenges)
Clause 6 Structure:
- Preference expressed not to populate Clause 6 in first meeting
- Proposal to aggregate discussions in annex with moderators determining structure under each work topic
- Question on whether same structure applies to all work topics (confirmed yes)
- Concern about consistency of structure across work topics
- Recognition that content may vary depending on topic complexity
Clause 4.2 - Use Cases:
- Suggestion to rename for clarity or postpone structure agreement
- "Requirements" terminology unclear
- Discussion on whether SA1 use cases are sufficient or need expansion with examples
- Debate on whether expanded use cases belong in Clause 4 or under work topics
Clause 7:
- Note should reference "considerations in clause 6"
Annex Usage:
- Unclear purpose of annex
- Explained as replacement for PD (permanent document) for consolidating information
- Decision on annex content migration to other clauses deferred
Decision: Noted (to be revised and submitted to SA4#135 with comments incorporated)
Starting Point Assumptions:
- Debate on whether assumptions about reusing existing 5G components vs. starting fresh are necessary at this stage
- Concern that assumptions may be premature and should be decided over time
- Question on whether 6G may have entirely new service requirements
- Agreement that starting point is needed
- Concern that text is unclear and difficult to understand what is being agreed
Decision: Revised into S4aP260006 and noted. Thomas Stockhammer to start email thread for iterating over the text.
Standard IPR and antitrust clauses were read at session opening, reminding delegates of:
- Obligations to inform Organizational Partners of Essential IPRs
- Compliance with antitrust and competition laws
- Consensus-based decision making approach
| Document | Title | Status |
|----------|-------|--------|
| S4aP260001 | Proposed agenda | Approved |
| S4aP260002 | Work Plan (Draft) | Revised to S4aP260005 |
| S4aP260003 | Ways of working considerations | Revised to S4aP260006 |
| S4aP260004 | TR skeleton | Noted |
| S4aP260005 | Work Plan (Revised) | Agreed |
| S4aP260006 | Ways of working (Revised) | Noted |
| S4aP260007 | Meeting report | Noted |