Title Ieee Standard 802.16 for Global Broadband Wireless Access Patent Policy and Procedures Ieee Standard 802.16 for Global Broadband Wireless Access*

Global standardization is a key issue for the success of broadband wireless access systems. The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access, with hundreds of participants worldwide, has developed IEEE Standard 802.16, with its WirelessMAN air interface standard for fixed wireless metropolitan area networks operating anywhere in the world in appropriate licensed or license-exempt spectrum between 2 and 66 GHz. The technology is designed to support multiple services simultaneously and so is capable of providing an area’s primary infrastructure for data, voice, and other services, in both residential and commercial applications. At frequencies below 11 GHz, the physical layer specification is designed for non-line-of-sight deployments. The protocol can transfer dozens of megabits per second in a single channel, with multiple channels available in many areas. While the published standard addresses only stationary terminals, the IEEE 802.16 Working Group is currently enhancing the specification to address mobile terminals as well. Purpose To inform the Working Group concerning an address on IEEE 802.16 given by the Working Group Chair at ITU Telecom World 2003, Geneva, October 12-18, 2003. An accompanying slide set is available as IEEE S802.16-03/14. Notice This document has been prepared to assist IEEE 802.16. It is offered as a basis for discussion and is not binding on the contributing individual(s) or organization(s). The material in this document is subject to change in form and content after further study. The contributor(s) reserve(s) the right to add, amend or withdraw material contained herein. Release The contributor grants a free, irrevocable license to the IEEE to incorporate material contained in this contribution, and any modifications thereof, in the creation of an IEEE Standards publication; to copyright in the IEEE’s name any IEEE Standards publication even though it may include portions of this contribution; and at the IEEE’s sole discretion to permit others to reproduce in whole or in part the resulting IEEE Standards publication. The contributor also acknowledges and accepts that this contribution may be made public by IEEE 802.16. Patent Policy and Procedures The contributor is familiar with the IEEE 802.16 Patent Policy and Procedures , including the statement "IEEE standards may include the known use of patent(s), including patent applications, provided the IEEE receives assurance from the patent holder or applicant with respect to patents essential for compliance with both mandatory and optional portions of the standard." Early disclosure to the Working Group of patent information that might be relevant to the standard is essential to reduce the possibility for delays in the development process and increase the likelihood that the draft publication will be approved for publication. Please notify the Chair as early as possible, in written or electronic form, if patented technology (or technology under patent application) might be incorporated into a draft standard being developed within the IEEE 802.16 Working Group. The Chair will disclose this notification via the IEEE 802.16 web site . IEEE STANDARD 802.16 FOR GLOBAL BROADBAND WIRELESS ACCESS* Roger B. Marks, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY (NIST) BOULDER, COLORADO, USA [email protected] Chair, IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access ITU Telecom World 2003 Geneva, Switzerland 12-18 October 2003 Session: “The Future of Wireless” (14 October 2003) Abstract: Global standardization is a key issue for the success of broadband wireless access systems. The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access, with hundreds of participants worldwide, has developed IEEE Standard 802.16, with its WirelessMAN air interface standard for fixed wireless metropolitan area networks operating anywhere in the world in appropriate licensed or license-exempt spectrum between 2 and 66 GHz. The technology is designed to support multiple services simultaneously and so is capable of providing an area’s primary infrastructure for data, voice, and other services, in both residential and commercial applications. At frequencies below 11 GHz, the physical layer specification is designed for non-line-of-sight deployments. The protocol can transfer dozens of megabits per second in a single channel, with multiple channels available in many areas. While the published standard addresses only stationary terminals, the IEEE 802.16 Working Group is currently enhancing the specification to address mobile terminals as well. Global standardization is a key issue for the success of broadband wireless access systems. The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access, with hundreds of participants worldwide, has developed IEEE Standard 802.16, with its WirelessMAN air interface standard for fixed wireless metropolitan area networks operating anywhere in the world in appropriate licensed or license-exempt spectrum between 2 and 66 GHz. The technology is designed to support multiple services simultaneously and so is capable of providing an area’s primary infrastructure for data, voice, and other services, in both residential and commercial applications. At frequencies below 11 GHz, the physical layer specification is designed for non-line-of-sight deployments. The protocol can transfer dozens of megabits per second in a single channel, with multiple channels available in many areas. While the published standard addresses only stationary terminals, the IEEE 802.16 Working Group is currently enhancing the specification to address mobile terminals as well. INTRODUCTION According to the International Telecommunication Union’s September 2003 report Birth of Broadband [1], prepared for ITU Telecom World 2003, broadband networking is still in the early stage of its growth. The document reports that less than 11% of the world’s Internet users had broadband Internet access in 2002. As efforts to expand the reach of broadband continue, new technologies, particular those that can economically reach more of the population, will inevitably blossom. As noted in the report, one of the growing trends in broadband access is broadband wireless access (BWA). BWA offers quick build-out at a low cost, with the opportunity to provide competitive access in some regions and the initial means of broadband access in others. Because of worldwide economic and political trends, reflected by activity within the World Trade Organization (WTO), global standardization is becoming a critical element in world trade [2,3,4]. Standards are critical for the marketplace success of many technological solutions, and standards that are adopted worldwide are especially powerful due to economies of scale. Telecommunication systems are particularly susceptible to global standardization trends because of the inherent need for communications protocols that define a language common to the two ends of a communications link. Global standards distinctly enhance the value of technologies and reduce testing and certification costs. The primary beneficiaries of standards are the users, who experience lower risk with a diversity of suppliers and benefit from the enhanced value and innovation that comes with competition around an interoperable specification. U.S. Government work, not subject to U.S. Copyright.