IEEE eyes 2GHz - 4GHz spectrum sharing for fixed, mobile wireless broadband applications

IEEE has authorized a revision project to add advanced beaconing capabilities to the IEEE 802.22.1-20101 standard, to enable spectrum sharing in the 2 GHz to 4GHz band and facilitate the opening of new spectrum to support a wide variety of wireless applications.

According to a press release, this revision project, IEEE P802.22.1, was introduced to support the United States President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report promoting the sharing and more efficient use of spectrum through new cognitive radio technologies and interference-mitigation techniques, to make 500 megahertz of new spectrum available for fixed and mobile wireless broadband.

Currently, a database service approach has been proposed to communicate information about exclusion zones to protect U.S. Navy coastal operations and other Department of Defense (DOD) test and training areas. Such an approach may deprive significant U.S. population from enjoying this newly available spectrum.

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However, beaconing approaches such as the one developed in IEEE 802.22.1-2010 that were originally designed for interference protection of licensed wireless microphones may be used for these bands. Such an advanced beacon could be transmitted by the primary users in these bands to enable semi-real-time and dynamic spectrum sharing and make this spectrum available nationwide, and especially in the significantly populated coastal areas.

The IEEE 802.22 Working Group, recipient of the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Emerging Technology Award, has completed and published the IEEE 802.22-2011 on cognitive-radio-based Wireless Regional Area Networks that provides broadband access to wide regional areas globally and bring reliable and secure high-speed communications to under-served and un-served rural communities.

“Such a standardized advanced beacon is an innovative way to enable spectrum sharing in many bands and for many innovative applications,” comments Dr. Apurva N. Mody, chair of the IEEE 802.22 Wireless Regional Area Networks Working Group. The IEEE P802.22.1 Task Group calls for contribution from interested participants for the development of this standard. Work on this project will begin following the March 2013 IEEE 802 plenary session in Orlando, Fla.

Additional information on IEEE P802.22.1 can be found here.