HiperLAN2 (for High Performance Radio Local Area Network Type 2) is a new
high-performance 5GHz radio networking technology, specifically suited for
operating in LAN environments. HiperLAN2 is being developed by the European
Telecommunications Standardisation Institute (ETSI) Broadband Radio Access
Networks (BRAN) project.
HiperLAN2 allows interconnection into almost any type of fixed network
technology. This makes it suitable, for example, to connect mobiles,
portables and laptops to a fixed access point.
HiperLAN2 supports different Quality of Service (QoS) for different
connections. QoS support allows the transmission of a mix of different types
of information ( e.g. voice, video or other data). HiperLAN2 also provides
unicast, multicast and broadcast transmissions.
The specifications address the physical (PHY) layer as well as the data link
control (DLC) layer (with medium access and logical data link control
sublayers as appropriate). Interoperability with existing wired networks,
including ATM and TCP/IP, are also being developed.
Close relationships have been or are being established by ETSI with the
ATM Forum, the IEEE Wireless LAN Committee P 802.11a and 802 N-WEST, the
Internet Engineering Task Force, the MMAC-PC High Speed Wireless Access
Systems Group, the International Telecommunication Union Radio sector
(ITU-R) and a number of internal ETSI Technical Bodies to ensure overall
coherence with other existing and emerging technologies.
HiperLAN2 Global Forum is an open
industry forum. Its objective is to provide common connectivity for mobile
communications in corporate, public environments and home to ensure
interoperable products are produced under the standard. in September 1999
Bosch, Dell, Ericsson, Nokia, Telia and Texas Instruments joined to formed
this consortium to promote the HiperLAN2 standard worldwide and to ensure
the completion of the standard.
