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IEEE Standards Board:
Project Authorization Request (PAR) Form

1. Sponsor Date of Request:
1997-10-23

2. Assigned Project Number:
802.11

3. PAR Approval Date:
9 Dec. 1997

4. Project Title, Copyright Agreement, and Working Group for this Project

I will write/revise a Standards Publication with the following TITLE: STANDARD [FOR] STANDARD for Information Technology-Telecommuniactions and information exchange between systems-Local and Metropolitan networks-Specific requirements-Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Controp (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specifications

I hereby acknowledge my appointment as Official Reporter (usually the W.G. Chair) to the IEEE P802.11, Working Group for Wireless LANs

In consideration of my appointment and the publication of the Standards Publication identifying me, at my option, as an Official Reporter, I agree to avoid knowingly incorporating in the Standards Publication any copyrighted or proprietary material of another without such other's consent and acknowledge that the Standards Publication shall constitute a "work made for hire" as defined by the Copyright Act, and, that as to any work not so defined, I agree to and do hereby transfer any right or interest I may have in the copyright to said Standards Publication to the IEEE

Signature of Official Reporter: _______was signed on_______________ Date: _Nov 14, 1997

Name of Working Group Chair: Vic Hayes
Title: Chair, IEEE P802.11 IEEE Member No: 01550144
Company: Lucent Technologies Nederland B.V.
1-10 Zadelstede
Nieuwegein       3431 JZ
The Netherlands
Telephone: +31 30 609 7528
FAX: +31 30 609 7556
email: vichayes@lucent.com

5. Describe This Project:

  1. Update an existing PAR     Yes  X  No
    (Indicate PAR Number/Approval Date.)
    Is this project in ballot now?     Yes     No
  2.     NEW STANDARD
     X  REVISION of an existing standard. (Indicate Standard Number and Year): IEEE Std 802.11-1997
        SUPPLEMENT to an existing standard (Indicate Standard Number and Year):
  3.  X  FULL USE (5-year life cycle)
         TRIAL USE (2-year life cycle)
  4. TARGET COMPLETION DATE for submittal to IEEE Standards Review Committee (REVCOM): June 1998

6. Scope of Proposed Project: To rectify a number of errors in the current standard and to accommodate input from the JTC1 review to result in a single JTC1/IEEE standard

7. Purpose of Proposed Project: To correct the errors found in reviewing interpretation requests to the current standard and from JTC1 review

8. Sponsor: Computer Society

Society/Committee: Computer Society/LMSC

9.

(a.1) Are you aware of any patents relevant to this project?    Yes (Attach Expl.)
 X No
(a.2) Are you aware of any copyrights relevant to this project?    Yes (Attach Expl.)
 X No
(a.3) Are you aware of any trademarks relevant to this project?    Yes (Attach Expl.)
 X No

(b) Are you aware of any other standards or projects with a similar scope?    Yes (Attach Expl.)
 X No

(c) Is this standard intended to form the basis of an international project?  X Yes
   No (Attach Expl.)
   Do not know

(d) Is this project intended to focus on health, safety or environmental issues?    Yes (Attach Expl.)
 X No
   Do not know

10. Proposed Coordination/Recommended Method of Coordination

  1. Mandatory Coordination
    SCC 10 (IEEE Dictionary) and IEEE Staff Editorial Review by Circulation of Drafts
    SCC 14 (Quantities, Units and Letter symbols) by Circulation of Drafts

  2. IEEE Coordination requested by Sponsor:
    3. COORDINATION METHOD OF COORDINATION
    US TAG for JTC1/SC6/WG1&3  X Circ./drfts    liais. memb.    com. memb.

  3. Additional Coordination Requested by Others:
    Leave Blank -- to be completed by staff
    4. COORDINATION METHOD OF COORDINATION
    ______________________    Circ./drfts    liais. memb.    com. memb.
    ______________________    Circ./drfts    liais. memb.    com. memb.
    ______________________    Circ./drfts    liais. memb.    com. memb.
    ______________________    Circ./drfts    liais. memb.    com. memb.
    ______________________    Circ./drfts    liais. memb.    com. memb.

Submitted By:

Signature of Submitter:______was signed on___________________     Date: _21 Nov 97____
IEEE Member No: 05572953
Name: Jim Carlo Title: IEEE 802/LMSC Sponsor Chair
Company: Texas Instruments
9208 Heatherdale Drive
Dallas TX       76243-6332
USA
Telephone: +1 214 480 2524
FAX: +1 214 480 2611
email: jcarlo@ti.com
DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE

Signature IEEE Officer:__was signed by Don Loughry on___ Date:9 Dec. '97


Title:_______V.P. Standards_________________________________________

Revised:

Annex: Scope of original project:


To develop a Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specification for wireless connectivity for fixed, portable and moving stations within a local area.

Type of medium

The goal is that the MAC shall support PHYs using electromagnetic waves through the air (i.e. radio waves as well as infra-red or visible light).

PHY layer suitable for use with the electromagnetic frequency spectrum as described in the following paragraph will be defined with this standard. If evidence of need and sufficient interest exists other PHY layers will be considered at a later time.

Radio spectrum

Currently the only available unlicensed spectrum is in the ISM bands in the USA provisionally 915 MHz band in Canada and Australia. Test programs are underway in the UK and elsewhere, evaluating license free operation.

The initial effort will be for the ISM bands and to consider the use of additional bands beyond ISM.

However, these ISM bands are already heavily used, and it is felt that service degradation from other users will happen, increasing with time. Therefore, in order to further development of the standard, the 802.11 committee should participate in the development of changed or new regulations for short distance radio services in which all authorized users of any new frequency allocation shall be permitted to radiate only a defined maximum power density. The goal is to provide regulations which allow for an easy approval process for the end-user.

To further enhance the standard the 802.11 committee will undertake to document the benefits of, and make recommendations for international spectrum allocation and use, where possible.

Supported Stations

The standard shall support stationary stations, movable stations, and mobile stations moving at pedestrian and vehicular (local premises environment) speeds. This is to be implemented with one PHY if feasible.

Environment

Because the range of wireless transmission / reception may be smaller than the physical coverage area desired, a distribution system designed to provide range extensibility will be addressed as part of this standard.

The standard will include support of the following:

- Basic Service Area (BSA) in which each station can communicate with any other station in the BSA.

- Extended Service Area (ESA) in which each station can communicate with any other station via the defined and managed Distribution System.

- Stations which interoperate in both BSA and ESA shall be defined if feasible.

Possible target environments include:

* in buildings and other premises such as offices, financial institutions, shops, malls, small and large industry, hospitals and residences,

* outdoor areas such as parking lots, campuses, building complexes and outdoor plants and storages.

Note: The definition of performance classes within a PHY may be necessary to support environments with benign or hostile characteristics.