Summary
Session #27 of the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access took place on 8-11 September 2003 at the Denver Marriott City Center in Denver, Colorado, USA. The session was hosted by Roger Marks, with the support of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society. The IEEE 802 Handoff Study Group held a co-located session on 8-9 September. 54 people registered and attended The session was busy, congenial, and constructive, with six separate sets of comment resolutions to process. The Working Group committed to specific timetables for the completion its WirelessMAN air interface enhancement projects.
Fast Track for Comprehensive Revision of WirelessMAN™ Air Interface Standard
On 11 September, the IEEE-SA Standards Board created a project (P802.16-REVd) to comprehensively update the WirelessMAN Air Interface standard, merging IEEE Standards 802.16, 802.16a, and 802.16c into a single consolidated revision of IEEE Standard 802.16. The content will also be revised appropropriately to represent the state of the art for fixed broadband wireless access.
The project expands the activity organized under Task Group d. In anticipation of the project approval, the Working Group finalized a ballot of changes developed by Task Group d, resolving final comments at Session #27. During this session, the group also resolved comments collected in a review of a 661-page editorial consolidation of IEEE Stds 802.16, 802.16a, and 802.16c.
With this work complete, the Working Group agreed to initiate Working Group Letter Ballot #13 on the draft revision. Because of the advanced state of the project, the Working Group voted, unanimously, to approve a development schedule indicating the finalization of the Working Group draft in November. After Sponsor Ballot, the Working Group intends to submit the final draft by 13 February 2003.
Working Group Schedules November Ballot for Mobile WirelessMAN (P802.16e) Project
Task Group e met to consider comments received in a Task Group Review of the P802.16e Working Document. An additional Task Group Review was planned for the project, which will enhance the WirelessMAN air interface to support mobile as well as fixed users. The Working Group voted, unanimously, to adopt a development schedule calling for the adoption of a draft and the initiation of a Working Group Letter Ballot in November, with the final draft completed next summer.
Interoperability Documentation for 10-66 GHz Advances
Task Group C continued its progress toward interoperability documentation for the 10-66 GHz WirelessMAN-SC™ air interface:
Sponsor Ballot on Revised Recommended Practice P802.16.2
On 11 September, the IEEE-SA Standards Board converted the existing P802.16.2a project into a revision project (P802.16.2-REVa) to revise IEEE Standard 802.16.2. The draft P802.16.2a/D6 completed Sponsor Ballot, with one Disapprove vote. Comments will be resolved by a Ballot Resolution Committee. The Working Group plans to submit a draft by 19 October for IEEE-SA approval.
Working Group Liaison and Other Activities
The IEEE 802 Handoff Study Group, in its co-located session of 8-9 September, invited 802.16 participants to attend a meeting during which the Study Group's activities and the handoff activities within 802.16's Task Group e were both discussed. The Handoff Study Group presented a liaison report at the 802.16 Closing Plenary. It agreed to request the initiation of a standardization project on "Media Independent Handover".
Five Working Group participants met for two hours with members of the technical committee of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, which held its 23rd Annual Conference on 10-13 September about four blocks from the session venue. The NATOA members indicated significant interest in IEEE 802.16.
Michael Lightner, candidate for the position of IEEE President-Elect 2004, attended the 802.16 Opening Plenary, remaining afterwards to speak to participants and learn more about their perspective.
Documents
The Session #27 document list indexes the session documents.
Minutes and Motions
The Working Group minutes are available as IEEE 802.16-03/44. Significant motions presented at the Closing Plenary are embedded in the Closing Plenary Agenda. All were passed unanimously.
About IEEE 802.16
The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards has developed and is enhancing the WirelessMANTM Standard for wireless metropolitan area networks. IEEE 802.16 is a unit of the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee, the premier transnational forum for wired and wireless networking standardization. A list of IEEE 802.16 standards and drafts is available on-line, as is a project milestone summary.
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