Standard sets stage for growth of metropolitan area networks using fixed broadband wireless. (News Briefs).

On Dec. 6, 2001, the Standards Board of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) Standards Association approved the publication of IEEE Standard 802.16, Air Interface for Fixed Broadband Wireless Access Systems. The standard was created by the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access, initiated and chaired by a NIST scientist who also served as technical editor of the 355-page document, which specifies an advanced 10 GHz to 66 GHz radio system to provide interoperability between systems from various manufacturers. Details are available at http://WirelessMAN.org.

The 802.16 air interface standard is expected to form the basis of a global industry connecting buildings to public networks for data, voice, and video access without cables. Press coverage and company announcements of support have followed approval of the standard. One announcement stated, "The approval of the IEEE standard represents a turning point for the broadband wireless industry. Now, component, radio and systems suppliers can begin to implement the standard, and as this activity accelerates, the industry overall will benefit from more manufacturers entering the market, lower-cost designs and higher volumes. Ultimately, the number of businesses with access to broadband services will increase substantially around the world."

IEEE Standard 802.16 is primarily oriented toward business applications. However, the 802.16 Working Group, with 130 members, continues progress on extending its work to 2 GHz to 11 GHz with its 802.16a amendment project. At these lower frequencies, residential applications are the primary target.

CONTACT: Roger Marks, [phone]; marks@ boulder.nist.gov.