N-WEST News #18
National Wireless Electronic Systems Testbed (N-WEST)

September 24, 1999 [updated October 7]

Topics:


IEEE 802.16 SESSION DEFINES PROCESS FOR BWA STANDARDIZATION

October 29 Deadline for First-Round Input to Air Interface Selection

At its Session #3 (September 13-17 in Boulder, Colorado, USA) the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access took concrete steps toward the rapid development of a standard air interface for broadband wireless access networks. These steps are embodied in the following documents:

(1) Development Plan for 802.16.1 Air Interface Standard (802.16-99/05)

This document details the plan for the development of the IEEE Standard "Air Interface for Fixed Broadband Wireless Access". A detailed timeline is accompanied by descriptions of the meeting inputs and outputs as well as selection and revision processes. The plan describes a strongly contribution-driven scheme which encourages contributors to supply documentary information in increasing detail as the process proceeds. It establishes a cooperative approach in which improvements to and mergers of contributions are anticipated and encouraged. The plan is centered around meetings held approximately every two months. According to the plan, selections will be made at Session #7 (May 1-5, 1999) and the draft standard will be finalized at Session #10 (November 6-10, 2000).

802.16-99/05 is presently being affirmed in a letter ballot review by the voting members. As of October 1, the tally was unanimously in favor.

(2) Call for Contributions on PHY and MAC; October 29 Deadline
PHY: 802.16p-99/01
MAC: 802.16m-99/01

In accordance with the 802.16.1 Development Plan, both the PHY and MAC Task Groups will make their initial evaluations of proposals at 802.16 Session #4 (November 8-11, 1999 in Kauai, Hawaii, USA). Both groups have called for all interested parties to submit initial descriptions of complete or partial solutions by the October 29 deadline. The groups are requesting a rather low level of detail, suitable for a 15 minute presentation. After evaluation by the voting members based on criteria itemized in the Call for Contributions, many or all of the proposers will be invited to prepare a more detailed description for Session #5 (see below).

NOTE: ONLY CONTRIBUTORS TO SESSION #4 ARE ELIGIBLE FOR INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO SESSION #5!

(3) (Tentative) Invitations to Contribute to PHY and MAC; December 24 Deadline
PHY
MAC

These tentative announcements outline the detail expected by invited contributions submitted by December 24 for Session #5 (January 10-14, 2000 in Richardson, Texas, USA). They refer to the Draft Outline of the 802.16.1 Air Interface Standard (see below).

(4) Outline of the 802.16.1 Air Interface Standard (Draft) [802.16-99/06d0]

This is the first draft outline of the 802.16.1 Air Interface Standard.

IEEE 802.16 MAKES PROGRESS IN BWA COEXISTENCE

The 802.16 Coexistence Task Group, meeting at Session #3, produced a document outline and assigned responsibility for each section to a group member. A total of 10 members accepted responsibility for at least one section. The outline, in the form of a Call for Contributions on the outline topics, is available. The deadline for input is October 14. The Task Group also adopted a timeline for completion of its work by the June 2000 target date.

UPCOMING TALKS

October 27, 1999, 5:30 pm
Roger Marks will discuss broadband wireless access standards in an MTT Distinguished Microwave Lecture to the Portland MTT/ED Chapter of the IEEE. The location is the Old Spaghetti Factory at Tanasborne and 185th in Beaverton, Oregon. Contact Ed Godshalk.
October 28, 1999, 6:30 pm
Roger Marks will address broadband wireless access standards in an MTT Distinguished Microwave Lecture to the Seattle IEEE MTT and Communications Society Chapters. The location is Metawave Communications Corp., 10735 Willows Road NE, Redmond, WA. Contact Tom Raschko. The 7 pm presentation will be preceded by a 6:30 pm pizza dinner.
November 12, 1999
Roger Marks will address broadband wireless access standards in an Electrical Engineering Department Seminar at the University of Hawaii in conjunction with the Honolulu Section of the IEEE. The talk is at 4:00 pm in Marine Sciences 100. Contact Michael DeLisio.
November 18, 1999
Roger Marks will address broadband wireless access standards in a Distinguished Microwave Lecture during a 6:30 pm dinner meeting of the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Section of the IEEE. The location is PEIS, 5131 Council St. N.E. in Cedar Rapids. Contact Jim Cozzie.

NEW N-WEST SUPPORTING COMPANY

We now have 75 N-WEST Supporting Companies as we welcome: - MentorData Ltd.
Dr. Roger Marks (marks@nist.gov)