The evolution of mobile networks is a continuous process with a sequence of releases based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards. The series of releases organized by this entity started with 3G and continues to the present day with 5G. This e-book presents an overview of Release 16, frozen in mid-2020 and crucial for standardizing many improvements and 5G technology innovations.
Release 16 brings several enhancements to Standalone (SA), focused on the definition of operational requirements for massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) and Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC). It also provides Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) with additional improvements, mobile IoT interoperability with Wi-Fi, the use of unlicensed spectrum for the mobile network, and efficiency advancements, such as reducing energy consumption.