Unlike Releases 15 and 16, already completed, and Rel-17, in its final phase, Release 18 is a set of proposals with implementation planned for 2024, many of which are still in the research and discussion phase. Based on it, there will be 5G Advanced, whose main focus is on improving technology through integrating new features, such as the beginning of the native incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), as well as concepts that are still distant, such as Extended Reality (XR), with no limits to the creation of mobile XR experiences.
In addition to the news, aspects of previous releases were enhanced, such as duplexing flexibility, the evolution of the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) system, the software Research Electronic Data Capture (RedCap), positioning, and sidelink, now with support for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication. This e-book presents a brief summary of the main features of Rel-18, its importance, and its objectives.