N-WEST News #13
National Wireless Electronic Systems Testbed (N-WEST)

March 19, 1999

Topics:


IEEE CREATES 802.16 WORKING GROUP ON BROADBAND WIRELESS ACCESS

The drive toward standardization in the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) industry accelerated when, on March 11, 1999, the world's most prestigious network standardization body chartered the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access. By unanimous vote, the charter was granted by the Executive Committee of the LAN/MAN Standards Committee (Project "802") of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Project 802 publishes standards defining interfaces for the world's wired and wireless local and metropolitan area networks.

The decision to create 802.16 accompanied an 802 decision to accept a Project Authorization Request (PAR) submitted by the 802 Study Group on Broadband Wireless Access. That PAR, which received final approval from the IEEE Standards Board on March 18, proposes to develop a standard which "specifies the physical layer and media access control layer of the air interface of interoperable fixed point-to-multipoint broadband wireless access systems." The specification is to apply directly to systems "operating in the vicinity of 30 GHz" but is to be "broadly applicable to systems operating between 10 and 66 GHz." While 802.16 is proceeding with development of this air interface standard, it is also writing a second PAR to address BWA system coexistence.

Project 802 is an arm of the IEEE Computer Society. The IEEE's Microwave Theory and Techniques Society is also sponsoring the PAR. N-WEST Director Roger Marks was named interim chair of the Working Group through July 1999, when its first formal meeting will take place. A meeting of two 802.16 Task Groups is being planned for May.

The new Working Group continues to invite participation by all players in the budding worldwide BWA industry. Particularly sought are additional license holders and service providers, who are expected to benefit as standards lead to better, more reliable, and less expensive products.

54 ATTEND FINAL MEETING OF "802.N-WEST" STUDY GROUP

The IEEE 802 Study Group on Broadband Wireless Access ("802.N-WEST") held its second and final meeting on March 9-11, 1999 in Austin, Texas. 54 people from 42 companies participated. The meeting resulted in the decision to edit and then submit the air interface PAR prepared at the first Study Group meeting. Afterwards, progress continued on two fronts: (1) drafting a second PAR on BWA system coexistence; (2) creating a System Requirements document. Significant progress was made in both areas. Both project may be completed, or nearly completed, at the first 802.16 Task Group meetings, tentatively set for May 10-12.

During the two Study Group meetings, 97 people from about 70 companies, including major service providers and trade associations, participated.

NEXT MEETING: MAY 10-12, 1999 IN BOULDER (tentative)

Arrangements are being made for an Interim Meeting of two Task Groups (Sytem Requirements and Coexistence) of the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access. Plans are to hold the meetings in Boulder, CO from 1 pm on Monday May 10 through 5 pm on Wednesday May 12.

N-WEST IN THE NEWS

LECTURES SPOTLIGHT IEEE/N-WEST STANDARDIZATION EFFORTS

Roger Marks presented these talks on N-WEST and 802.N-WEST with the support of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques (MTT) Society's Distinguished Microwave Lecturer program:

UPCOMING EVENTS

NINE NEW N-WEST SUPPORTING COMPANIES

We now have 63 N-WEST Supporting Companies as we welcome:
Dr. Roger Marks (marks@nist.gov)