IP over IEEE 802.16 Networks (16ng)

Last Modified: 2007-10-19

Additional information is available at tools.ietf.org/wg/16ng

Chair(s):

  • Gabriel Montenegro <gabriel_montenegro_2000@yahoo.com>

  • Soohong Daniel Park <soohong.park@samsung.com>

    Internet Area Director(s):

  • Jari Arkko <jari.arkko@piuha.net>
  • Mark Townsley <townsley@cisco.com>

    Internet Area Advisor:

  • Jari Arkko <jari.arkko@piuha.net>

    Technical Advisor(s):

  • Maximilian Riegel <maximilian.riegel@siemens.com>
  • Dave Thaler <dthaler@windows.microsoft.com>

    Secretary(ies):

  • Jihoon Lee <jhlee@mmlab.snu.ac.kr>

    Mailing Lists:

    General Discussion: 16ng@ietf.org
    To Subscribe: https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/16ng
    Archive: http://www1.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/16ng/current/index.html

    Description of Working Group:

    Broadband Wireless Access networks address the inadequacies of low
    bandwidth wireless communication for user requirements such as high
    quality data/voice service, fast mobility, wide coverage, etc. The
    IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards
    develops standards and recommended practices to support the
    development and deployment of broadband Wireless Metropolitan Area
    Networks. Additionally, IEEE 802.16e is an amendment that adds support
    for mobility over the base IEEE 802.16 specification.

    Recently, the WiMAX Forum, and, in particular, its NWG (Network Working
    Group) is defining the IEEE 802.16(e) network architecture (e.g., IPv4,
    IPv6, Mobility, Interworking with different networks, AAA, etc). The
    NWG is thus taking on work at layers above those defined by the IEEE
    802 standards (typically limited to the physical and link layers
    only). Similarly, WiBro (Wireless Broadband), a Korean effort which
    focuses on the 2.3 GHz spectrum band, is also based on the IEEE
    802.16e specification.

    IEEE 802.16(e) is different from existing wireless access technologies
    such as IEEE 802.11 or 3G. Accordingly, while 802.16 defines the
    encapsulation of an IP datagram in an IEEE 802.16 MAC payload,
    complete description of IP operation is not present and can benefit
    from IETF input and specification.

    For example: immediately subsequent to network entry an 802.16
    subscriber station has no capability whatsoever for data (as opposed
    to management) connectivity. The criteria by which the Base Station
    (or other headend elements) set up the 802.16 MAC connections for data
    transport is not part of the 802.16 standard and depends on the type
    of data services being offered (ie. the set up of transport
    connections will be different for IPv4 and IPv6 services).
    Aditionally - as 802.16 is a point-to-multipoint network - an 802.16
    subscriber station is not capable of broadcasting (eg. for neighbor
    discovery) or direct communication to the other nodes in the network.
    While the built-in LAN emulation feature of 802.16 ("802.3 Convergence
    Sublayer") rectifies this, it may involve additional packet overhead.
    As for fast mobility, the characteristics of IEEE 802.16e link-layer
    operation may require an amendment to the Fast Handover Mobile IPv6
    scheme (RFC 4068), something which may be pursued in the MIPSHOP WG.

    The principal objective of the 16ng BoF is to identify what limitations
    and considerations apply to IPv6 adoption over IEEE 802.16(e), and to
    propose available solutions. The working group may issue
    recommendations to IEEE 802.16(e) suggesting protocol modifications
    for better IP support.

    In 2006, WiBro deployment will begin, and the WiMAX Forum is slated to
    specify IPv6 operation over IEEE 802.16(e) in 2006. Accordingly, the
    working group will work and coordinate with the WiMAX Forum and with
    the WiBro efforts.

    Goals and Milestones:

    Done  Working Group Last Call on 16ng problem statement, goal and requirement
    Done  Working Group Last Call on IPv6 over IPv6 CS transmission over IEEE 802.16 networks
    Done  Working Group Last Call on IPv6 subnet model analysis
    Done  Submit IPv6 over IPv6 CS transmission over IEEE 802.16 networks to IESG for publication as Proposed Standard RFC
    Done  Submit IPv6 subnet model analysis to IESG for publication as Informational RFC
    Done  Submit 16ng problem statement, goal and requirement to IESG for publication as Informational RFC
    Done  Working Group Last Call on IP over Ethernet CS transmission over IEEE 802.16 networks
    Done  Review on draft-ietf-mipshop-fh80216e to be ready to IESG in conjunction with MIPSHOP WG
    Jan 2008  Working Group Last Call on IPv4 over IPv4 CS transmission over IEEE 802.16 networks
    Feb 2008  Submit IPv4 over IPv4 CS transmission over IEEE 802.16 networks to IESG for publication as Proposed Standard RFC
    Mar 2008  Submit IP over Ethernet CS transmission over IEEE 802.16 networks to IESG for publication as Proposed Standard RFC
    Apr 2008  Working Group Last Call on IP deployment over IEEE 802.16 networks
    Jul 2008  Submit IP deployment over IEEE 802.16 networks to IESG for publication as Informational RFC

    Internet-Drafts:

    IP over 802.16 Problem Statement and Goals (30173 bytes)
    Transmission of IPv6 via the IPv6 CS over IEEE 802.16 Networks (50095 bytes)
    Transmission of IP over Ethernet over IEEE 802.16 Networks (50877 bytes)
    Transmission of IPv4 packets over IEEE 802.16's IP Convergence Sublayer (21939 bytes)

    Request For Comments:

    Analysis of IPv6 Link Models for 802.16 Based Networks (RFC 4968) (34536 bytes)
    IETF Secretariat - Please send questions, comments, and/or suggestions to ietf-web@ietf.org.

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