The IEEE 802 Local and Metropolitan Area Networks Standards Committee (LMSC), at its 11-15 March plenary, approved the formation of a new technical advisory group (TAG) dedicated to addressing radio regulations as they impact the committee's groups developing wireless standards.


As IEEE 802-11 (Wireless LANs), IEEE 802-15 (Wireless Personal Area Networks) and IEEE 802-16 (Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks) standards gain worldwide acceptance, and as each group continues to address evolving needs of the wireless industry, coordination and knowledge of radio regulations are a vital part of the IEEE 802 LMSC's work.

The overarching objective of the IEEE 802-18 Advisory Group is to act as the 802 radio regulatory expert and interface with national regulatory bodies, such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as well as with international regulatory bodies, such as the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Because the group will operate by seeking a balanced consensus position in an open technical environment, its advice is expected to be carefully considered by regulatory bodies.

The Advisory Group will be meeting with the IEEE 802-11 and IEEE 802-15 groups at its interim meeting on May 13-17, in Sydney, Australia. Further, it is in the process of developing its charter that will be presented for approval at the next Plenary, July 8-12, in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

The IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee develops Local Area Network standards and Metropolitan Area Network standards. Its most widely used standards are for the Ethernet, Token Ring, Wireless LAN, Bridging and Virtual Bridged LANs. An individual Working Group provides the focus for each area. More information about each group can be found at http://grouper.ieee.org/group/802/dots.html.