stds-802-16: published: invited 802.16.1 MAC and PHY contributions

["Roger B. Marks" <marks@boulder.nist.gov>]

In response to the 802.16.1 Invitation to Contribute to Session #7 
<http://ieee802.org/16/docs/00/80216-00_08.pdf>, we have received two 
MAC and two PHY contributions, as listed below. According to the 
802.16.1 Development Plan, 
<http://ieee802.org/16/docs/99/80216-99_05.pdf>, this was the final 
Invitation to Contribute. These invited documents are therefore the 
culmination of a process of development and refinement that began 
back in September 1999 with a Call for Contributions to Session #4. 
During this stage, we have put the proposers in the driver's seat and 
encouraged them to lead, providing them feedback to steer their 
direction. On behalf of all the participants in 802.16, I send my 
thanks to all of the contributors for their diligence and many months 
of dedicated effort. We appreciate it!

It is now time for the Working Group to come to grips with the fact 
that the current stage of the development process, led by the 
proposers, has come to a close. The Group itself is taking over the 
leadership role. Fortunately, we have some strong assets. First of 
all, we now have two very impressive sets of documents as a 
foundation. We also have reached a certain level of maturity and 
comfort in how we work together.

One problem that arose during the contributor-led process was that 
divisions developed. We need to now remind ourselves that we are all 
here to achieve a product (a standard) which, by definition, cannot 
be achieved without consensus. Our goal now is not to win an argument 
but to find a way to agree with each other. This may require that we 
first develop a basis on which to agree. The heroes will be the ones 
who help forge that agreement.

Here is how you can help:

(1) READ THE PROPOSALS! Understand them and the differences. Talk 
about them with your colleagues before Session #7.

(2) Take advantage of one of the most important tools available to 
Working Group members by responding to the Call for Evaluations, 
Improvements, and Mergers 
<http://ieee802.org/16/docs/00/80216-00_11.pdf>. This is your chance 
to make a contribution to building our consensus. Look for solutions, 
and write them up. Keep in mind that documents submitted under this 
announcement could themselves become the basis of our draft standard, 
provided that a motion to accept them passes with a 75% majority. 
Therefore, if you make such a submission, please think about how to 
give it broad appeal. We will not be rigid about the April 24 
deadline and will publish whatever documents we receive, up to and 
even during the Session. On the other hand, keep in mind that 
proposals are more effective when your audience has time to study 
them.

Regarding the range of possibilities you can consider, I have only 
one comment: Multiple PHY options are an 802 tradition that may well 
make sense if justified. On the other hand, multiple MACs are very 
difficult to justify.

(3) Come to Session #7 with an open mind, a flexible attitude, and a 
willingness to roll up your sleeves and participate in a construction 
process.


Here are the contributions. They were due last Friday, but 
publication was delayed while we awaited final approval of the Patent 
Policy and Procedures:

Title: Media Access Control Layer Proposal for the 802.16 Air 
Interface Specification
Document Number: IEEE 802.16.1mc-00/14
URL: <http://ieee802.org/16/mac/contrib/802161mc-00_14.pdf>
Source: Glen Sater <mailto:G.Sater@motorola.com>, Arun Arunachalam, 
George Stamatelos, Farid Elwailly, Jeff Foerster, Jung Yee, Scott 
Marin, Bill Myers, Leland Langston, Wayne Hunter, Phil Guillemette, 
Chet Shirali, Menashe Shahar, Karl Stambaugh, George Fishel, Ray 
Sanders, Moshe Ran, Andrew Sundelin, Yonatan Manor, Mark Vogel

Title: MAC Proposal for IEEE 802.16.1
Document Number: IEEE 802.16.1mc-00/15
URL: <http://ieee802.org/16/mac/contrib/802161mc-00_15.pdf>
Source: James F. Mollenauer 
<mailto:jmollenauer@TechnicalStrategy.co>, Ken Standwood, Jay Klein, 
Carl Eklund, Juha Pihlaja, Kari Rintanen, Brian Petry, Naftali 
Chayat, Leonid Shousterman, Vladimir Yanover, Paolo Baldo, Paul A. 
Kennard, Andrea Nascimbene, Doug Gray, Demosthenes J. Kostas

Title: Physical Layer Proposal for the 802.16 Air Interface Specification
Document Number: IEEE 802.16.1pc-00/19
URL: <http://ieee802.org/16/phy/contrib/802161pc-00_19.pdf>
Source: Jeff Foerster <mailto:foerster@newbridge.com>, Arun V. 
Arunachalam, George Stamatelos, Phil Guillemette, Moshe Ran, Wayne 
Hunter, Leland Langston, William Myers, Scott Marin, George Fishel, 
Ray W. Sanders, Karl Stambaugh, Glen Sater, Chet Shirali, Menashe 
Shahar, John Liebetreu, Yonatan Manor

Title: PHY layer proposal for BWA
Document Number: IEEE 802.16.1pc-00/20
URL: <http://ieee802.org/16/phy/contrib/802161pc-00_20.pdf>
Source: Jay Klein <mailto:jay@ensemblecom.com>, Lars Lindh, Carl 
Eklund, Petri Bergholm, Naftali Chayat, Paolo Baldo, Paul A. Kennard, 
Andrea Nascimbene, Doug Gray

As always, the contributors are responsible to look at the posted 
documents and let me know of any errors.

Best regards,

Roger

-- 

Dr. Roger B. Marks  <mailto:marks@nist.gov>
Chair, IEEE 802.16 WG on Broadband Wireless Access <http://WirelessMAN.org>
National Wireless Electronic Systems Testbed (N-WEST) <http://nwest.nist.gov>
National Institute of Standards and Technology/Boulder, CO 
<http://www.nist.gov>
tel: +1 303 497 3037  fax: +1 303 497 7828