An Overview of 5G Advanced Evolution in 3GPP Release 18

The 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) radio access network (RAN) plenary recently approved a work package for its Release 18, representing a major evolution and branded as the first release of 5G Advanced. The work package includes diverse study or work items that will significantly boost 5G performance and address a wide variety of new use cases. In particular, 3GPP Release 18 will embrace artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to provide data-driven, intelligent network solutions. This article provides an overview of the 5G Advanced evolution in 3GPP Release 18, which is anticipated to trigger a paradigm shift and have a profound impact on future wireless networks.