Session #21 of the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access took place on 23-26 September 2002 at the Shilla Cheju Hotel on the island of Cheju (Jeju), Korea. The session was hosted by Panyuh Joo of Samsung Electronics Co., which served as corporate host, sponsoring daily lunches and a Wednesday evening dinner.
Summary
The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access held its first Asian session, with eleven newcomers among the 54 attendees from Canada, China, Finland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the UK, and the USA. Most of the newcomers attended a Monday evening tutorial by the Working Group Chair on IEEE 802.16 Working Group Process, Status, and Technology. The week's meetings primarily involved the resolution of comments in the balloting of three documents. In addition, the Working Group drafted Project Authorization Requests (PARs) in preparation for three followup projects.
P802.16a: MAC Modifications and Additional Physical Layer for 2-11 GHz
On September 11, the Working Group's Draft 5 of P802.16a passed IEEE Ballot, subject to comment resolution. During Session #21, proposed resolutions of these comments were developed for ten-day recirculation. In order to resolve comments arising from the recirculation and prepare a draft for a confirmation ballot, a Ballot Resolution Committee of seven members was appointed. The seven are Brian Eidson, Marianna Goldhammer, Itzik Kitroser, Bob Nelson, Randall Schwartz, Shawn Taylor, and Nico van Waes.
The Working Group approved submission of proposed Project Authorization Request (PAR) P802.16d on 2-11 GHz System Profiles. This work is expected to form the basis of 2-11 GHz interoperability test specifications.
P802.16c: 10-66 GHz Profiles
On September 4, the Working Group's Draft 3 of P802.16c also passed IEEE Ballot, subject to comment resolution. Comment resolutions were prepared and will be recirculated as soon as Draft 4 is complete. Since no negative technical comments were received during the ballot, approval is anticipated in time for submission by November 1. This would put the draft on schedule for December 11 approval as an IEEE standard.
The next step in 16-66 GHz interoperability testing is project P1802.16.1 ("Draft Standard for Conformance to IEEE Standard 802.16 - Part 1: Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS) Proforma for 10-66 GHz WirelessMANTM-SC Air Interface"). A full proposed PICS draft was received as a contribution, and a Call for Comments on it was issued. Working Group Letter Ballot on the document is expected to open shortly after Session #22.
The Working Group approved submission of a PAR to initiate the P1802.16.2 "Test Suite Structure and Test Purposes." This would be the second of three anticipated conformance and interoperability test documents.
P802.16.2a: Amendment to Recommended Practice for Coexistence of Fixed Broadband Wireless Access Systems
The Working Group's Letter Ballot #8, reviewing Draft 1 of P802.16.2a, concluded on 18 September. The ballot passed, pending recirculation of
comments resolved at Session #21.
Mobile Wireless MAN
For the third consecutive time, the 802.16 hosted a meeting of an 802.16 Study Group addressing mobile applications. On 26 September, the Working Group endorsed a PAR (and associated "Five Criteria" statement) prepared by the Mobile Wireless MAN Study Group and agreed to forward it for approval. The proposed project P802.16e will amend IEEE Standard 802.16 by specifying "Physical Layer and Medium Access Control Modifications for Mobile Operation in Licensed Bands below 6 GHz".
Working Group Liaison Activities
Documents
A Session #21 document list indexes the session documents, including the drafts of meeting minutes:
Future Sessions
About IEEE 802.16
The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards is creating the WirelessMANTM Standard for wireless metropolitan area networks. IEEE 802.16 is a unit of the 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee, the premier transnational forum for wired and wireless networking standardization. IEEE 802 standards are available for free download at GetIEEE802.
Roger Marks (r.b.marks@ieee.org)
Chair, IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards
tel: +1-303-497-7837
r.b.marks@ieee.org