IEEE 802.16 Session #24 Report

Summary
Session #24 of the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access took place on 10-13 March 2003 at the Hyatt Regency DFW in Dallas, TX, USA along with the IEEE 802 Plenary Session. 76 people attended.

IEEE Standard 802.16a, Extending WirelessMAN™Air Interface to 2-11 GHz, Receives Final Approval; System Profiles Advance
On 29 January 2003, IEEE Standard 802.16a™ was approved by the IEEE-SA Standards Board. The standard, a non-line-of-sight extension of the global IEEE 802.16 WirelessMAN™ standard for 10-66 GHz published in April 2002, provides for fixed broadband wireless access (BWA) in both licensed and license-exempt 2-11 GHz bands.

Task Group d met for the second time to develop the 802.16d project, which is creating system profiles to support compliance testing related to 802.16a. Draft 1 of the 802.16d amendment was adopted, and the Working Group agreed to open a Letter Ballot on that draft. 

Recommended Practice P802.16.2a™ Nears Final Approval
Draft 5 of the IEEE 802.16.2a Recommended Practice on Coexistence, including recommendations for 2-11 GHz, completed its IEEE Sponsor Ballot, passing unanimously. The 802 Sponsor Executive Committee (SEC) approved the Working Group's request to forward the draft for approval as an IEEE Standard; approval is expected in May. The comment resolutions were developed in a meeting of Task Group 2.

Mobile Wireless MAN (802.16e) Project Holds Second Meeting
Task Group e met for the second time to develop the 802.16e project, which will enhance the WirelessMAN air interface for fixed/mobile support. The group discussed comments received on its initial Mobile System and Proposal Evaluation Requirements and also responses to a Call for Proposals. The results of a MAC Handoff Ad Hoc Committee were reviewed and updated. The group completed a revised Mobile System and Proposal Evaluation Requirements and intiated a formal Task Group Review of a Working Document. The schedule still calls for completing a ballotable 802.16e draft by July 2003.

Interoperability Documentation for 10-66 GHz Proceeds Rapidly
Task Group C continued its progress toward interoperability documentation for the 10-66 GHz WirelessMAN-SC™ air interface. Work progressed on three projects:

1. The initial round of the IEEE Sponsor Ballot of the 1802.16.1 Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS) draft passed unanimously, with comments. During Session #24, the Working Group resolved the comments and will initiate a recirculation of the new Draft 3. The 802 SEC granted conditional approval to forward Draft 3 for IEEE-SA Approval if the resolutions are accepted by the ballot group.
2. The Working Group adopted a draft of the 1802.16.2 Test Suite Structure and Test Purposes document and agreed to open a Working Group Letter Ballot on the topic.
3. The 802 SEC agreed to forward a Project Authorization Request 1802.16.3 requesting that the IEEE-SA Standard Board open a new project on Radio Conformance Tests. The IEEE-SA Standards Board subsequently approved that PAR, creating the project.

Working Group Liaison Activities
The Working Group developed a draft letter to the IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization and a request that it be issued by IEEE 802. The IEEE 802 SEC approved the request and issued the letter.

802.16 Requests Approved at SEC Meeting
All 802.16 motions were approved at the 802 SEC meeting of 15 March 2003. A summary is available.

802 Issue: 802 Handoff Framework and Mechanisms
Roger Marks (802.16 Chair) organized an IEEE 802 Call for Interest on 802 Handoff. The meeting, with approximately 150 attendees, led to a proposal to the IEEE 802 SEC to initiate an Executive Committee Study Group on Handoff. David Johnston was named to chair the Study Group.

Documents
The Session #24 document list indexes the session documents.

Future Meetings

• IEEE 802.16's Session #25 will take place in Dallas, Texas, USA on 12-15 May 2003 in conjunction with meetings of the other 802 wireless groups.
• IEEE 802.16's Session #26 will take place in San Francisco, CA, USA on 21-24 July 2003 in conjunction with the IEEE 802 Plenary Session.
• IEEE 802.16's Session #27 will take place in Colorado on 8-11 September 2003.
• IEEE 802.16's Session #28 will take place in Albuquerque, NM, USA on 9-14 Nov 2003 in conjunction with the IEEE 802 Plenary Session.

About IEEE 802.16
The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards has developed and is enhancing the WirelessMAN^TM 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. 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