This Technical Report (TR) provides a "Guide" for Priority Service. The intent of this "Guide" is to describe how existing 3GPP specifications support the high-level requirements identified for Priority Service in TR 22.950. Priority Service allows qualified and authorized users to obtain priority access to available radio (voice or data traffic) resources on a priority basis before other PLMN users during situations when PLMN congestion is blocking call attempts. In addition, Priority Service supports priority call progression and call completion to support an "end-to-end" priority call. Priority Service is intended to be used by qualified and authorized users, i.e., key emergency service personnel and those with leadership responsibilities, only during times of emergency situations and network congestion. Priority Service providers should adhere to uniform, nationwide operating access procedures. Priority Service is to be available at all times in equipped markets in both the HPLMN and VPLMN within a country where a PLMN provider is offering the service. Priority Service is applicable to both GERAN and UTRAN and is activated on a per call basis using Priority Service dialling procedures. Priority Service, supported by the 3GPP system set of services and features, is one element in the ability to deliver calls of a high priority nature from mobile to mobile networks, mobile to fixed networks, and fixed to mobile networks.

This present document addresses the Service Aspects (Service Description), Network Aspects (Call Flows), and Management Aspects (Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning) of Priority Service, based on existing 3GPP specifications. The Priority Service is intended to be used for both Voice and Data. However, this document only addresses Circuit Switched Voice Service. Data, multimedia and non-circuit switched aspects of Priority Service have not been addressed and are for further study. The Priority Service is intended to interwork with external networks to provide an end-to-end service. Therefore, service interactions with external networks are considered within the scope of this document, although the specification of these interactions may be in another standard. If this occurs, a reference to that specification is made.

The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.

• References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non specific.
• For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.
• For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.

Refer to TR 21.905 for additional definitions and abbreviations used in this document that are not defined below.