IEEE 802.16 Session #75 Report
Overview
IEEE 802.16's Session #75 was held on 19-22 September 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand. The host was Kitti Wongthavarawat of sponsor National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC). The IEEE 802.21 Working Group interim session was co-located.
Attendance
The attendance list includes 55 individuals.
Maintenance Task Group
The Maintenance Task Group (TG) reviewed input in response to calls for comment regarding the P802.16Rev3 revision project and the P802.16.1 project, which is creating a new standalone standard based on the WirelessMAN-Advanced radio interface currently specified in IEEE Std 802.16m. The Working Group adopted a draft for each of these projects, and it initiated Working Letter Ballots on each in preparation for IEEE Sponsor Ballot. IEEE P802.16.1/D2 is under review in Working Letter Ballot #32, and IEEE P802.16Rev3/D2 is under review in Working Letter Ballot #35. The TG drafted a liaison statement to the WiMAX Forum. The TG closing report and minutes will follow.
GRIDMAN Task Group
The GRIDMAN Task Group met to discuss activity under the P802.16n project. The project is amending IEEE Std 802.16 to provide for "Higher Reliability Networks." The TG drafted two project authorization requests (PARs) intended to the divide the P802.16n activity into two projects, to amend, respectively, the upcoming revision of IEEE Std 802.16 and the future IEEE 802.16.1. The proposed P802.16n PAR modification and the proposed new P802.16.1a PAR will be discussed at during Session #76 and will be presented there to the IEEE 802 Executive Committee. Comment resolution led to changes in the Amendment Working Document (AWD), which, in accordance with the proposed PARs, was divided into an 802.16-based AWD and an 802.16.1-based AWD. Comments were also resolved regarding the System Requirements Document (SRD). Editorial preparations of the AWD and SRD documents are in progress. The TG issued a closing report, with minutes to follow.
Machine-to-Machine Task Group
The Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Task Group met to address the P802.16p project, which is amending IEEE Std 802.16 to provide "Enhancements to Support Machine-to-Machine Applications." The TG addressed a PAR split issue parallel to that considered in the GRIDMAN Task Group. The proposed P802.16p PAR modification and the proposed new P802.16.1b PAR will be discussed at during Session #76 and will be presented there to the IEEE 802 Executive Committee. Based on comment resolution, updates to the 802.16p System Requirements Document were completed and posted. The TG split its AWD into two parts, in accordance with the proposed PARs. The Working Group agreed to adopt IEEE P802.16p/D1 as a WG Draft and initiate Working Letter Ballot #33 in preparation for sending it to IEEE Sponsor Ballot. Because P802.16.1b PAR is not yet approved, the WG took a more cautious approach with the corresponding AWD content. Working Letter Ballot #34 addresses the issue of adopting the document as a Working Group Draft, contingent on the approval of the P802.16.1b PAR. A closing report and minutes were issued.
M2M Task Group Chair Ron Murias announced his resignation. The WG Chair expects to name a replacement at the end of Session #76. Candidates for the position are requested to notify him of their interest. In the interim, Erik Colban has agreed to serve as Acting Chair through Session #76.
Project Planning Committee
The WG's Project Planning Committee met, reviewed contributions, and prepared a report. Updates were made to the Hierarchical Network Study Report. Discussions took place regarding possible contributions toward ITU-R Working Party 5A work on cognitive radio; followup is planned for Session #76.
The ITU-R Liaison Group met through the week. It drafted administrative input to ITU-R in finalization of the WirelessMAN-Advanced technology specifications in IMT-Advanced. It also organized a ITU-R Cognitive Radio Tutorial for the WG. For details, see the ITU-R Liaison Group Report.
Working Group Minutes
The Working Group Session #75 minutes are available as IEEE 802.16-11/0034.
Documents
The Session #75 Document Guide includes references to all session documents. Draft standards are available with a working group password or by purchase from IEEE-SA. Most IEEE 802.16 standards are available for free download via the Get IEEE 802® program. See the 802.16 publication list for details of published standards and drafts.
About IEEE 802.16
The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards has developed and is enhancing the WirelessMAN® Standards 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 an archive of previous Session Reports. The WirelessMAN Interactive Calendar includes sessions and deadlines.
"802.16 News" Mailing List
The "802.16 News" mailing list ("stds-802-16-news") has the sole purpose of distributing major announcements related to the Working Group. Those interested in following the progress of the group but not in the day-to-day details may wish to subscribe. Only the Working Group Chair is eligible to post to the list, and mailings will be rare: once after each bimonthly session and additionally for major news, such as the approval of a new standard. Those subscribing to the stds-802-16 mailing list, for active Working Group participants, need not subscribe to stds-802-16-news since the postings will be redundant.