FW: IEEE CS SAB affirms 802 Position Statement on IEEE-ISTO BWIF conflict of interest
fyi.
Jim Carlo(jcarlo@ti.com) Cellular:1-214-693-1776 Voice&Fax:1-214-853-5274
TI Fellow, Networking Standards at Texas Instruments
Chair, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC6 Telecom and Info Exchange Between Systems
Chair, IEEE802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen L. Diamond [mailto:s.diamond@computer.org]
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 11:48 AM
To: sa-bog@ieee.org
Cc: Jim Carlo; Gary Robinson; Lowell Johnson; p3@computer.org
Subject: FYI: IEEE CS SAB affirms 802 Position Statement on IEEE-ISTO
BWIF conflict of interest
Dear IEEE-SA BOG Colleagues:
I am writing to you to provide you with information regarding the recent
IEEE 802 Position Statement on the IEEE-ISTO BWIF conflict of interest. The
IEEE 802 Position Statement is attached below. The Computer Society
Standards Activities Board adopted the following motion:
"Resolved that the IEEE Computer Society Standards Activities Board affirms
the IEEE 802 Position Statement on IEEE 802.16 Broadband Wireless Access
(BWA) Working Group Conflict of Interest with recent IEEE-ISTO announcement
(attached)."
Please feel free to contact me or Jim Carlo, Chair of IEEE 802, if you have
any questions or comments.
Thank you for your attention.
Regards,
Steve Diamond
IEEE CS SAB Chair
IEEE CS VP for Standards Activities
-----
ATTACHMENT
Subject: IEEE 802 Position Statement on IEEE 802.16 Broadband Wireless
Access (BWA) Working Group Conflict of Interest with recent IEEE-ISTO
announcement.
IEEE Standards are highly regarded throughout the world because they are
developed in an open process with rigorous procedures to ensure that all
voices are heard, and heard again, until the quality of the output is fully
accepted. IEEE has shown that, with the support of dedicated teams, this
process can quickly lead to superb results that are immediately accepted in
the global marketplace. As a result of this quality control process, the
name “IEEE Standard” is zealously guarded.
IEEE 802 strongly objects to ISTO’s formation of the Broadband Wireless
Internet Forum (BWIF) and the associated press release because:
1) The press release implies an accredited standards process. The word
“standard” appears 16 times (and “IEEE” 34 times) in the press release. This
confusion cheapens the value of the highly-regarded IEEE Standards process.
The confusion is enhanced by mention three times of affiliation between ISTO
and the IEEE Standards Association. Nowhere does the announcement state the
difference between specification produced by this forum and an authentic
IEEE Standard.
2) Marketplace confusion has resulted because of the direct conflict with
the scope of an IEEE-SA Standards Board Approved Project (802.16.3) that has
been authorized to develop a broadband wireless access (BWA) standard
according to accredited IEEE-SA rules and due process. The IEEE 802.16
Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access developing these standards is
open to full public participation. To date, well over 400 individuals from
well over 100 companies have participated in the Working Group. The ISTO
announcement of a “single, unified broadband wireless access industry
standard” is in direct conflict (See Addendum for details)
IEEE 802 makes the following requests:
1) The IEEE Executive Director should act to ensure that the ISTO
dissociates itself with the BWIF prior to the BWIF’s July 26, 2000 meeting.
2) The ISTO policies should be modified to avoid projects competitive with
IEEE Standards projects unless requested by the IEEE Standards Sponsor.
3) The terms “IEEE Industry Standard” and “IEEE-ISTO Industry Standard”
should be eliminated in favor of the term “ISTO Industry Standard.”
4) IEEE policy and procedures should clarify the difference between an
ISTO-generated “Industry Standard” and an authentic IEEE Standard with a
statement such as “ISTO is not accredited to write standards. It is separate
from, and its actions do not affect programs in, the IEEE Standards
Association.” IEEE should issue a press release clarifying these issues with
regard to the BWIF announcement.
IEEE 802 will submit this position statement to the IEEE Executive Director,
the IEEE-SA Board of Governors, IEEE-SA Standards Board, the IEEE Computer
Society SAB, and the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society for their
information and action.
Contact Information:
Roger Marks (r.b.marks@ieee.org) - Chair, IEEE 802.16 Broadband Wireless
Access
Jim Carlo (j.carlo@ieee.org) - Chair, IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee
ADDENDUM
The ISTO press release mentions the following concepts that conflict/overlap
with Project 802.16.3:
“…cost-effective, broadband wireless access”
The 802.16.3 PAR (entitled “Telecommunications and Information Exchange
Between Systems - LAN/MAN Specific Requirements - Air Interface for Fixed
Broadband Wireless Access Systems in Licensed Bands from 2 to 11 GHz”)
includes the following in its purpose statement: “To enable rapid worldwide
deployment of innovative, cost-effective and interoperable multi-vendor
broadband wireless access products.”
“…streaming audio and video content and voice”
The 802.16.3 PAR scope says: “The specification enables access to data,
video, and voice services with a specified quality of service.”
“Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS) solutions”
The term “MMDS” refers to the U.S. FCC spectrum allocations within the “MDS”
bands designated for public network access. These bands are all between 2
and 3 GHz.
According to its scope statement, the 802.16.3 PAR “applies to systems
operating
between 2 and 11 GHz” “in licensed bands designated for public network
access.”
“Vector OFDM”
The 802.16.3 Task Group has received a contribution explaining the
applicability of OFDM technology to its interoperability standard.