IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) have announced the formation of two new study groups. The new groups will be focused on advancing the technology and deployment of the IEEE 802.11 standard, commonly referred to as “Wi-Fi”, in two specific areas: vehicular environments and broadcast services. Both study groups are in their initial stage, currently encouraging stakeholder participation to define the scope of IEEE 802.11 standard amendments that address each group’s respective field of expertise.
The IEEE 802.11 Next Generation V2X (NGV) Study Group is exploring ways to leverage more recent 802.11 technologies to address new applications of wireless access in vehicular environments, where new requirements for higher throughput, improved reliability and efficiency, and/or extended range are anticipated.
According to Bo Sun, Chair, IEEE 802.11 Next Generation V2X (NGV) Study Group, to support advancements in driverless car technology, car-to-car and car-to infrastructure connectivity, as well as to enable more robust vehicular infotainment offerings, a higher, more reliable and efficient throughput as compared to IEEE 802.11p is foreseeable. Stakeholders involved in vehicular applications are encouraged to lend their voice in helping advance IEEE 802.11 so that the standard meets all anticipated future requirements in order to increase its adoption in this rapidly expanding market.
The IEEE Broadcast Services (BCS) Study Group is exploring new use cases for simultaneously broadcasting local information over IEEE 802.11 WLAN without recipients needing to actively connect to an access point, and to do so with enhanced security features in place. Applications include broadcast of “local information” at events, shopping malls, tourist attractions, train stations, airports, etc., but are also well suited for the broadcast of more fluid information, such as vehicular traffic updates, parking availability, emergency information, or information from IoT devices.
Marc Emmelmann, chair, IEEE Broadcast Services (BCS) Study Group believes that the ever-increasing data and information demands driven by a broadly-connected and mobile public, as well as IoT devices, offers unique opportunities for new local broadcast applications using IEEE 802.11. While they have seen a good initial response from stakeholders, and an interesting exploration of new use cases, they encourage broader participation so that all can work towards defining a project that addresses all relevant aspects for achieving the most beneficial results for expanding broadcast services utilizing IEEE 802.11.
IEEE 802.11 defines the technology for the world’s premier WLAN products. IEEE 802.11-based products are often branded as “Wi-Fi” in the market. These standards underpin wireless networking applications around the world, such as wireless access to the Internet from offices, homes, airports, hotels, restaurants, trains and aircraft. IEEE 802.11’s relevance continues to expand with the emergence of new applications, such as the smart grid, wireless docking and the “Internet of Things.”