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IEEE Approves Revision of Wireless LAN Standard
An anonymous reader writes "IEEE announced the publication of IEEE 802.11-2012, which defines the technology for the world's premier wireless LAN products. The new IEEE 802.11-2012 revision has been expanded significantly by supporting devices and networks that are faster and more secure, while offering improved Quality of Service and improved cellular network hand-off. The standard's relevance continues to expand with the emergence of new applications, such as the smart grid, which augments the facility for electricity generation, distribution, delivery and consumption with a two-way, end-to-end network for communications and control."
Yeah, however will you afford the 5 dollars to buy the pdf. Woe is you...
This is just a wrap-up standard formalizing a bunch of extensions to the previous standard, such as 802.11.n, so the patent situation is roughly the same as what it's been for 802.11 for the past years. Which is that, yes, there are patents on various things, though the situation is not 100% clear.
There is a semi-standard licensing pool, the Via WiFi license pool, that claims to hold most of the relevant patents. But Netgear at least partly won its case after they shipped some products that didn't pay to license the Via pool. But balancing that win, Australia's national research organization seems to be successfully claiming relevant patents.
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
Actually, all IEEE 802 stadanrds are freely available. The reason you have to pay $5 right NOW is if you want it right now. If you want, you can wait 6 months and get it for free.
The IEEE, like many other orgnaizations (including ISO) have paid standards, and most stndards require payment. It was just the popularity of 802.11 that the IEEE decided to open access to the 802 standard track for everyone. Of course, since the people who want the standard early are all the manufacturers trying to get a leg up on each other, the IEEE offers a brief exclusionary period so those who pay for early access get it. Everyone else too cheap to pay can wait (and delay their product by 6 months).
Nothing at all unusual - Google does it with Android - want access to the latest Android code, and license "with Google"? You gotta join the OHA and sign a ton of agreements.
About the only truly open standard spec I can remember is USB. Everything else is paywalled. IEEE's Get802 program is probably one of the few times the IEEE has opened up standards to public viewing - most other standards are closed paywall only.
Heck, the PCI spec was supposed to be free and open (but paywalled) and some guy went to post them online under that thought. He was forced to remove it.
Of course, just because it's in the standard doesn't make it free of patent agreements. 802.3 (Ethernet) is still patented, and implementing GigE means having to pay HP for use of auto-MDIX patents. And that's really what happens in standards committees - a lot of back and forth over who can get their patents in the spec. It's why Apple has trouble with nano-SIM (Nokia, RIM oppose it, because it means Apple would pay less in FRAND, even if Apple gives away nano-SIM for free). The best technical stuff rarely comes out of standards - it's all politicking on who can get their patents in, backroom deals, etc.
It's not worth it. It's a high level overview, and it's only 38 pages. I care deeply about the changes in it, and this doesn't mention ANY of the new important things that was meant to happen (eg, better adhoc). So, it's a bit of a let down, actually.
--Rob
Schlock Mercenary.