Quick Guide to IEEE 802.11 Activities
Types of IEEE 802.11 activities
| Activity | Tag | Description |
|---|---|---|
Working Group | WG | The Working Group is comprised of all of theStanding Committees, Task Groups, StudyGroups, and Ad-Hoc Groups. Membership is at the WG level. All WGmembers may participate in any of thesesub-groups. |
Task Group | TG | The committee(s) that are tasked by the WGas the author(s) of the Standard orsubsequent Amendments via an approved PAR |
Study Group | SG | A committee responsible for researching apossible future amendment. The outputof the SG is usually a project authorizationrequest (PAR). Study groups are authorized by the IEEE 802executive committee (EC) and are expected tohave a relatively short lifetime (~6months). The SG terminates when it has submitted aPAR, or failed to gain approval for aPAR, or when the IEEE 802 EC declinesto approve an SG extension. |
| Topic Interest Group | TIG | A committee that gathers together interestedmembers to work together on a specific topic. This might be used before a study group todetermine technical feasibility and initialrequirements before deciding to request a studygroup. The TIG is formed by WG motion anddissolved by the WG chair. It typically lasts 6months. |
Standing Committee | SC | A committee with a determined role/task,that does not modify the IEEE 802.11standard. These committees are created bythe 802.11 chair and are relativelylong-lived. |
Ad-hoc Committee | AHC | A committee with a determined role/task,that does not modify the IEEE 802.11standard. These committees are created bythe 802.11 chair and are relativelyshort-lived. |
Active Task Groups
| Name | Tag | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task Group mf | TGmf | P802.11 Revision mf - maintenance actions androll-in of approved amendments | Approved September 2024 |
| Task Group bf | TGbf | WLAN Sensing | Approved September 2020 |
| Task Group bi | TGbi | Enhanced Data Privacy (EDP) | Approved February 2021 |
| Task Group bk | TGbk | 320 MHz Positioning | Approved November 2022 |
| Task Group bn | TGbn | Ultra High Reliability | Approved February 2024 |
| Task Group bp | TGbp | Ambient Power IoT Devices | Approved March 2024 |
| Task Group bq | TGbq | Integrated mmWave | Approved December 2024 |
| For details of Task Group reflectors seehere. | |||
Standing Committees (SC) and Ad-hoc committees (AHC)
| Name | Tag | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless Next Generation | WNG SC | To provide an opportunity for all new or updatedideas to be presented for immediate 802.11 peerreview. This committee acts as a clearing housefor the wireless next generation of features tothe plus refinements to the existing 802.11Standard |
| Architecture | ARC SC | The Architecture SC engages senior membersof 802.11 to discover, analyze, codify andpromote a common understanding of 802.11architecture; provides an interface pointfor architectural topics from other 802groups; and advises the WG Chair rearchitecture interactions between 802.11task groups. |
| Coexistence | Coex SC | The Coexistence SC was formed from the PDEDAd-hoc on 2017-05-12. The scope is:
|
| Artificial Intelligence / MachineLearning | AIML SC | The Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AIML) standing committee explores the use ofartificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in IEEE 802.11 systems and devices. |
| Editors | Editors SC | The editors SC is formed from the technicaleditors of the WG and its subgroups. Itmeets during 802.11 sessions to addresseditorial topics, such as style,consistency, numbering, publication processestools. It generally meets onTuesday at 07:00 during a session.These meetings are open to all interestedparties. |
Study Groups and Topic Interest Groups
| Name | Tag | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Light Communications | ELC SG | Enhancements to light communications introduced with IEEE Std 802.11bb™-2023 |
| Automitive TIG | AUTO TIG | Investigating the use of 802.11 in automotive use cases |
Inactive Task groups
| Name | Tag | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAC Task Group | MAC | The scope of the project is to develop onecommon MAC for Wireless Local Area Networks(WLANs) applications, in-conjunction withthe PHY Task Group work | Work has been completed on the ISO / IECversion of the original Standard - Publishedas IEEE Std. 802.11, 1999 (ISO/IEC 8802-11:1999) |
| PHY Task Group | PHY | The scope of the project is to develop threePHY's for Wireless Local Area Networks(WLANs) applications, using Infrared (IR),2.4 GHz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum(FHSS), and 2.4 GHz Direct Sequence SpreadSpectrum (DSSS), in-conjunction with the onecommon MAC Task Group work | Work has been completed on the ISO / IECversion of the original Standard - Publishedas IEEE Std. 802.11, 1999 (ISO/IEC 8802-11:1999) |
| Task Group a | TGa | The scope of the project is to develop a PHYto operate in the UNII band. | Work has been completed on the ISO / IECversion of the original Standard as anamendment - Published as IEEE Std.802.11a-1999 (ISO/IEC 8802-11: 1999 (E)/Amd1: 2000 (ISO/IEC) and is now part of theIEEE 802.11 Standard - Published as IEEEStd. 802.11-2007 |
| Task Group b | TGb | The scope of the project is to develop astandard for a higher rate PHY in the 2.4GHzband | Work has been completed and is now part ofthe Standard as an amendment - Published asIEEE Std. 802.11b-1999 |
| Task Group b-Cor1 | TGb-Cor1 | The scope of this project is to correctdeficiencies in the MIB definition of802.11b | Work has been completed and is now part ofthe IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published as IEEEStd. 802.11-2007 |
| Task Group c | TGc | This amendment adds a subclause under 2.5Support of the Internal Sub-Layer Service byspecific MAC Procedures to cover bridgeoperation with IEEE 802.11 MAC. Thissupplement to ISO/IEC 10038 (IEEE 802.1D)will be developed by the 802.11 WorkingGroup in cooperation with the IEEE 802.1Working Group. | Work has been completed and is now part ofthe ISO/IEC 10038 (IEEE 802.1D) Standard andpart of the IEEE 802.11 Standard - Publishedas IEEE Std. 802.11-2007 |
| Task Group d | TGd | This amendment defines the physical layerrequirements (channelization, hoppingpatterns), new values for current MIBattributes, and other requirements to extendthe operation of 802.11 WLANs to newregulatory domains (countries) | Work has been completed and is now part ofthe IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published as IEEEStd. 802.11-2007 |
| Task Group e | TGe | This amendment enhances the 802.11 MediumAccess Control (MAC) to improve and manageQuality of Service. | Work has been completed and is now part ofthe IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published as IEEEStd. 802.11-2007 |
Task Group F | TGF | This is a recommended practice for anInter-Access Point Protocol (IAPP) whichprovides the necessary capabilities toachieve multi-vendor Access Pointinteroperability across a DistributionSystem supporting IEEE P802.11 Wireless LANLinks. | Work has completed and was Published as IEEEStd. 802.11F-2003, which was withdrawn as ofFebruary 2006. |
Task Group g | TGg | This amendment provides a higher speed(s)PHY extension to the 802.11b standard. | Work has been completed and is now part ofthe IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published as IEEEStd. 802.11-2007 |
Task Group h | TGh | This amendment enhances the 802.11 MediumAccess Control (MAC) standard and 802.11aHigh Speed Physical Layer (PHY) in the 5GHzBand supplement to the standard; adds indoorand outdoor channel selection for 5GHzlicense exempt bands in Europe; and enhanceschannel energy measurement and reportingmechanisms to improve spectrum and transmitpower management (per CEPT and subsequent EUcommittee or body ruling incorporating CEPTRecommendation ERC 99/23) | Work has been completed and is now part ofthe IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published as IEEEStd. 802.11-2007 |
Task Group i | TGi | This amendment enhances the 802.11 MediumAccess Control (MAC) to enhance security andauthentication mechanisms | Work has been completed and is now part ofthe IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published as IEEEStd. 802.11-2007 |
Task Group j | TGj | This amendment enhances the 802.11 standardto add channel selection for 4.9 GHz and 5GHz in Japan to additionally conform to theJapanese rules for radio operation | Work has been completed and is now part ofthe IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published as IEEEStd. 802.11-2007 |
TGk | This amendment defines Radio ResourceMeasurement enhancements to provideinterfaces to higher layers for radio andnetwork measurements | Completed with the publication of IEEE Std802.11k-2008. The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2012. | |
This group provides maintenance of theIEEE 802.11 standardby rolling published amendments intorevisions of the 802.11 standard. Note that Mentor and Email reflectors referto "TGm". References in WG officialdocumentation to "TGmc" or "REVmc" aresynonyms for TGm. | IEEE Std 802.11™-2012 published March 2012. IEEE Std 802.11™-2016 published December 2016. IEEE Std 802.11™-2020 published February 2021. IEEE Std 802.11™-2024 expected to be published January 2025 | ||
TGn | This amendment provides improvements to the802.11 standard to provide high throughput(>100Mbps) | Published as IEEE Std 802.11n-2009 The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2012. | |
TGp | This amendment supports communicationbetween vehicles and the roadside andbetween vehicles while operating at speedsup to a minimum of 200 km/h forcommunication ranges up to 1000 meters. Theamendment supports communications in the 5GHz bands; specifically 5.850-5.925 GHz bandwithin North America with the aim to enhancethe mobility and safety of all forms ofsurface transportation, including rail andmarine. | Published as IEEE Std 802.11p-2010 The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2012. | |
TGr | This amendment provides enhancements to the802.11 Medium Access Control (MAC) layer tominimize or eliminate the amount of timedata connectivity between the Station (STA)and the Distribution System (DS) is absentduring a Basic Service Set (BSS) transition,limited to the state necessary for theoperation of the MAC. | Completed with the publication of IEEE Std802.11r-2008 The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2012. | |
| Task Group s | TGs | This amendment provides a protocol forauto-configuring paths between APs overself-configuring multi-hop topologies in a WDSto support both broadcast/multicast and unicasttraffic in an ESS Mesh using the four-addressframe format or an extension. | Completed with the publication of IEEE Std802.11s-2011 The amendment has been superseded as it is nowpart of the IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published asIEEE Std. 802.11-2012. |
TGT | This recommended practice was intended toprovide a set of performance metrics,measurement methodologies, and testconditions to enable measuring andpredicting the performance of 802.11 WLANdevices and networks at the component andapplication level as a recommended practice. | Work abandoned without achieving WG approvalof a draft. | |
TGu | This amendment to the IEEE 802.11 MAC andPHY supports InterWorking with ExternalNetworks. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11u-2011 The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2012. | |
TGv | This amendment provides Wireless NetworkManagement enhancements to the 802.11 MAC,and PHY, and extends prior work in radiomeasurement to effect a complete andcoherent upper layer interface for managing802.11 devices in wireless networks. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11v-2011 The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2012. | |
TGw | The amendment enhances the IEEE 802.11Medium Access Control layer to provide,mechanisms that enable data integrity, dataorigin authenticity, replay protection, anddata confidentiality for selected IEEE802.11 management frames. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11w-2009 The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2012. | |
TGy | This amendment supports use of 802.11 basedsystems in the 3650-3700 MHz band in the USA(FCC 05-56). | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11y-2008 | |
TGz | This amendment defines a Tunneled DirectLink Setup (TDLS) mechanism to allowoperation without access point support forthis feature and allow stations with anactive TDLS session to enter power savemode. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11z-2010 The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2012. | |
This amendment specifies enhancements to the802.11 MAC (Medium Access Control) forrobust audio video streaming, whilemaintaining co-existence with other types oftraffic. It also supports interworking with relevant802.1AVB mechanisms (802.1Qat, 802.1Qav,802.1AS) | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11aa-2012 The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2016. | ||
This amendment specifies enhancements to the802.11 MAC and PHY to support very highthroughput (500-1000 Mbps) in the 5 GHzbands. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11ac-2013 | ||
This amendment defines standardizedmodifications to both the 802.11 physicallayers (PHY) and the 802.11 Medium AccessControl Layer (MAC) to enable operation inthe 60 GHz frequency band (typically 57-66GHz) capable of very high throughput (>=1Gbps). It also enables fast sessiontransfer between 802.11 PHYs . | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11ad-2012 | ||
This amendment defines mechanisms forprioritizing IEEE 802.11 management framesusing existing mechanisms for medium access. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11ae-2012 | ||
An amendment that defines modifications toboth the 802.11 physical layers (PHY) andthe 802.11 Medium Access Control Layer(MAC), to meet the legal requirements forchannel access and coexistence in the TVWhite Space. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11af-2013 | ||
An amendment that defines operation in Sub 1GHz frequencies. Supportsapplications that benefit from rangeextension, such as smart meters. | Completed and published as IEEE Std 802.11ah-2016 The amendment has been superseded as it isnow part of the IEEE 802.11 Standard -Published as IEEE Std. 802.11-2020. | ||
An amendment that supports Fast Link Setup,i.e., to reduce time to set up anassociation. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11ai-2016 | ||
| Task Group aj | TGaj | An amendment that supports very high throughputin the China millimetre-wave bands | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11aj-2018 The amendment has been superseded as it is nowpart of the IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published asIEEE Std. 802.11-2020. |
| Task Group ak | TGak | An amendment that supports General Links (i.e.,bridging using 802.1 mechanisms across an 802.11link) | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11ak-2018 The amendment has been superseded as it is nowpart of the IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published asIEEE Std. 802.11-2020. |
| Task Group aq | TGaq | An amendment that supports Pre-AssociationDiscovery. Pre-Association Discovery relates tothe problem of how a Station - STA (e.g., aMobile Device) discovers the availability ofservices within the network to which another STA(e.g., an Access Point) is connected. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11aq-2018 The amendment has been superseded as it is nowpart of the IEEE 802.11 Standard - Published asIEEE Std. 802.11-2020. |
| Task Group ax | TGax | An amendment that supports High EfficiencyWLANs, and adds support for 6GHz operation. | Completed and published as IEEE Std802.11ax™-2021 on May 19, 2021. |
| Task Group ay | TGay | An amendments that supports enhanced throughputfor operation license-exempt bands above 45 GHz. | Completed and published as IEEE Std 802.11ay™-2021 on July 28, 2021. |
| Task Group ba | TGba | An amendment that supports Wake-up RadioOperation. | Completed and published as IEEE Std 802.11ba™-2021 on October 8, 2021. |
| Task Group az | TGaz | Next Generation Positioning - improvedaccuracy, scalability and addingdirectionality . | Completed and published as IEEE Std 802.11az™-2022 on March 3, 2023 |
| TaskGroup bb | TGbb | Light Communications | Completed and published as IEEE Std 802.11bb™-2023 on November 10, 2023 |
| TaskGroup bc | TGbc | Enhanced Broadcast Service | Following completion, an error was found and corrected in IEEE Std 802.11-2020/Cor 2-2024.This correction was incorporated into the version published as IEEE Std 802.11bc™-2023 onFebruary 28, 2024 |
| TaskGroup bd | TGbd | Enhancements for Next Generation V2X | Completed and published as IEEE Std 802.11bd™-2022 on March 10, 2023 |
| Task Group bh | TGbh | Randomized MAC Addresses (RCM) | Completed with publication expected January 2025 |
| Task Group be | TGbe | Extremely High Throughput (EHT) | Completed with publication expected January 2025 |