FAQs: The Registration Authority

How can I obtain a MAC/Ethernet address?
You must first have an OUI or an IAB, to which you then append 24 or 12 bits respectively, in a way that makes the resulting 48-bit number unique. I.e., your 24 or 12 bits must be unique within your organization, which will require coordination among all the users of your organization's OUI or IAB.

Who can apply for a Standard Group MAC Address Assignment?
The Standard Group MAC Address assignment is for Standards Developers, or a Standards Development group, working to develop a new Standard. This assignment is not for companies that require MAC addresses for their products.

What is the difference between a publicly listed and privately registered OUI, OUI-36 or IAB assignment?
The difference between a public and private assignment is the format of the listing in our public OUI, OUI-36 and IAB listings. A public assignment lists the OUI, OUI-36 or IAB with the company name and address. A private assignment lists the OUI, OUI-36 or IAB with "PRIVATE" next to the number. Requestors of privately registered assignments are sent a renewal invoice annually.

My company wants an additional OUI, OUI-36 or IAB for our new project. Can we receive one?
The Registration Authority requires that you use 95% of the existing assignment's 48-bit numbers before an additional number can be issued to you. You may use a separate subset of the original assignment's 48-bit numbers for your new project.

If this requirement cannot be met, the IEEE can issue an additional assignment to your company providing you send a letter on company letterhead stating that you will not ship product on the new assigned number until 95% of the existing number is used. Your company must use care to ensure that large numbers of identifiers are not left unused. Exceptions to this policy are rarely granted.

What if I my company address or contact information changes after I receive the assignment?
Please complete the Information Change Form. If there is a company name change due to purchase or sale please also fax a press release or some details of the company name change to +1 732-562-1571. The company name change will not be uploaded to the public listing unless the press release or details are received.

How can I obtain the names and ID numbers of those companies who own an assignment?
Please see the public listings available on our web site to view public directories for each active registry.

Who can I contact if I have additional questions?
For further information, contact the IEEE Registration Authority.

What is an Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI)?
An OUI/"company_id" is a 24-bit globally unique assigned number referenced by various standards. For example, the OUI is used in the family of 802® LAN standards: Ethernet, Token Ring, etc. The OUI is usually concatenated with other bits that are assigned by that organization in order to make a globally unique EUI-48 or EUI-64. For example, the Ethernet MAC Address is an EUI-48, unique to one particular Ethernet interface. There are other uses of the OUI however, such as its use as a company identifier in the SNAP protocol.

What is a "company_id"?
The term "company_id" and OUI are equivalent, but the term company_id has been deprecated in favour of OUI.

What is an Individual Address Block (IAB)?
An Individual Address Block is for people who need less than 4097 unique 48-bit numbers (EUI-48) and thus find it hard to justify buying their own OUI. The IAB is a particular OUI belonging to the IEEE Registration Authority, concatenated with 12 additional IEEE-provided bits, leaving only 12 bits for the owners to assign to their (up to 4096) individual devices. Unlike an OUI, which allows the assignee to assign values in various different number spaces (for example, EUI-48, EUI-64, and the various CDI number spaces), the Individual Address Block can only be used to assign EUI-48 identifiers. All other potential uses based on the OUI from which the IABs are allocated are reserved, and remain the property of the IEEE Registration Authority. It should also be noted that, although to this date all Individual Address Blocks have been allocated under a single OUI, at some point in the future that OUI will be exhausted and the IEEE Registration Authority will choose a new OUI value for subsequent IAB allocations. Therefore, applications making use of EUI-48 values assigned under an IAB should make no assumptions about the bit pattern that will be present in the OUI portion of the assigned numbers.

What is a 36-bit Organizationally Unique ID (OUI-36)?
An OUI-36 is a 36-bit identifier that can be used as an Individual Address Block or as an extended OUI. The OUI-36 may be appended with 4 organization-supplied bits to form a 40-bit Context Dependent Identifier (CDI-40), with 12 organization-supplied bits to form an EUI-48, or with organization-supplied 28 bits to form an EUI-64. Applications making use of an OUI-36 should make no assumptions about the bit pattern that will be present in the (24-bit most-significant) OUI portion of the assigned OUI-36.

What is an EtherType Field?
The Type Field provides a context for interpretation of the data field of an Ethernet/802.3™ data frame (protocol identification). Refer to IEEE Std 802.3, clause 3 and especially sub-clauses 3.1.1 and 3.2.6. See also IEEE Std 802® sub-clause 10.4.

What are other names associated with OUI and IAB?
The other names for OUI and IAB are: MAC Address, Vendor Address, Vendor ID, NIC Address, Ethernet Address and others.

How can I obtain an assignment of an OUI, OUI-36 or an IAB?
You can download the OUI application after checking the public OUI, OUI-36 and IAB listings to determine whether your company already has an assignment.

You can download the OUI-36 application after checking the public OUI, OUI-36 and IAB listings to determine whether your company already has an assignment.

You can download the Individual Address Block application after checking the public OUI, OUI-36 and IAB listings to determine whether your company already has an assignment.

If the company already has an assignment, send an e-mail to the IEEE Registration Authority requesting the contact information for the company, and then make arrangements within your company to use your existing OUI, OUI-36 or IAB.

Once the application is completed successfully, the Requestor will receive an e-mail with a tracking number and payment information. The application will be processed within seven days after receipt of payment as long as there are no problems with the information on the application or the payment. The Requestor will receive an e-mail with the assignment information once the application is processed.

What costs are involved with obtaining an OUI, OUI-36, IAB or EtherType Field?
The OUI is $1,885.00 (US), the OUI-36 is $645.00 (US), the IAB is $645.00 (US) and the EtherType Field is $2,825.00 (US). The only other fees that would be involved are a $20.00 bank fee that is only applicable with the wire transfer payment method and an optional fee to secure private status on the public listing. There are no annual fees for publicly listed assignments.

IEEE accepts checks (payable to IEEE Standards Dept.), purchase orders, wire transfers, as well as American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club and Discover Card.

What standards are involved with OUI and IAB?
Such Standards referencing the OUI/Company_id include:

• The OUI defined in IEEE Std 802®-2001 can be used to generate 48 bit Universal LAN MAC addresses to identify LAN and MAN stations uniquely, and Protocol Identifiers to identify public and private protocols. These are used in Local and Metropolitan Area Network applications. The relevant standards include CSMA/CD (IEEE Std 802.3™, ISO 8802-3), Token Bus (IEEE Std 802.4™, ISO 8802-4), Token Ring (IEEE Std 802.5™, ISO/IEC 8802-5), IEEE Std 802.6™ (ISO/IEC DIS 8802-6), FDDI (ISO 9314-2) and WLAN (IEEE 802.11™, ISO/IEC 8802-11). The IAB, which consists of a block of 4096 EUI-48 values, can also be used to generate 48 bit Universal LAN MAC addresses in conjunction with these standards.
• The "company_id" defined in IEEE Std 1212™-1991, IEEE Standard Control and Status Register (CSR) Architecture, is referenced by IEEE Std 896.2™-1991, IEEE Standard for Futurebus+™ Physical Layer Specification and Profiles, and IEEE Std 1596™-1992, IEEE Standard for Scalable Coherent Interface, as well as IEEE Std 1394™-1995, IEEE Standard for a High Performance Serial Bus. In this context, the 24-b company_id value is a portion of the 32-b Module_Vendor_Id ROM location (and related locations) and uniquely identifies hardware vendors and I/O software interface architectures. Also included is ANSI X3.230-1994 Fibre Channel Standard. (Back to top)

My organization is writing a standard or specification that will include the use of the OUI. How do I make sure this is okay with the IEEE RA?
The IEEE Registration Authority requests that any organization that intends to utilize the Organizationally Unique Identifier in the standardization of a technical area that has not previously been reviewed and approved by the IEEE, please contact the IEEE Registration Authority.

Can I resell or distribute a segment of the OUI after I obtain it?
No. A parent company and a subsidiary company can share an OUI and if a company is sold, the OUI may be transferred to the new company. However, the OUI cannot be sold or distributed by anyone other than IEEE.

How can I obtain an Ethertype field registration?
Visit the Ethertype webpage for registration information.

Can my OUI or OUI-36 assignment be used with Bluetooth?
The assignment can be used with Blueooth. Please either refer to the IEEE 802.15.1™-2005 standard or the Bluetooth website for more information.

Is it permissible to use the value of zero (00-00-00) to identify an OUI as a protocol identifier "as identified by the standard" (as opposed to pointing to a proprietary space)?
No. An OUI value is already associated with the standard that should be used. If no such value is available then an OUI value should be obtained from the Registration Authority.

What is IEEE Std 1451.4™-2004, what are its uses and how does it work?
IEEE Std 1451.4 is a member of the IEEE 1451™ family of smart transducer standards. Distinguishing features of IEEE 1451.4 are:

• A mixed-mode communication interface (MMI), which allows digital data and analog waveforms to alternately occupy a single connection, with analog bandwidth not limited by sampling. Also defined are separate data and analog connections for transducer applications not adapted to the shared connection.
• A transducer electronic data sheet (TEDS) definition, adapted to very small memories through the use of templates and containing identification and calibration data.
• A template description language (TDL) allowing ongoing development of templates for diverse transducer types.
• A rich template collection adapting 1451.4 to large family of transducers.
• A transducer block definition allowing 1451.4 to adapt to the 1451.1™ Object Model.

IEEE Std 1451.4 allows self identification of transducers via the internal TEDS, easing bookkeeping in large measurement arrays. Stored sensitivity data allows data acquisition systems to standardize automatically to the installed transducers and track the transducers. A user field may be used to identify the transducer location in human readable format. The mixed-mode interface allows the analog waveform to be utilized in pristine form, without limitations of bandwidth introduced by sampling.

See a detailed description on IEEE Std 1451.4 operation.

What are the benefits of using IEEE Std 1451.4-2004?
The IEEE 1451 family provides a set of common interfaces between sensors or actuators, instruments and networks. With these standard interfaces, interoperability and interchangeability of sensors or actuators across different transducer networks are thus established. These standards reduce the effort needed to develop networked smart transducers. The use of IEEE 1451.4 based transducers offers the potential for simple plug and play operation, simplifying transducer installation and system upgrade.For transducer (sensor or actuator) manufacturers, the need for major redesign of their product for compatibility with a specific instrument or network is eliminated. They can deliver products for multiple instruments and networks based on one set of standard interfaces.

For control network vendors, the availability of a large pool of network-compatible sensors and actuators will likely increase the utilization of control networks, thus creating a push-pull effort.

For system integrators, the standard interfaces will provide a significant reduction in implementation effort.

For end users, IEEE Standard 1451.4-2004 has the potential to significantly reduce the total life-cycle costs of the sensor system or network, which include installation, maintenance, and upgrade.

What is an IEEE 1451.4 manufacturer_ID?
Within a 64-bit section of the 1451.4 TEDS, called basic TEDS, the manufacturer of the transducer is defined with a 14-bit code called the manufacturer ID, along with manufacturer-assigned transducer model number, model letter, model version nember and serial number. (see IEEE Std 1451.4.2004 subclause 5.1.1, Table 2) The IEEE Registration Authority issues the manufacturer ID, to guarantee that it is unique to a manufacturer, and publishes the list of existing IEEE 1451.4 manufacturer ID's. Data acquisition systems may make use of the basic TEDS, including manufacturer ID, and model number data in determining the transducer type and the proper template to be used in unpacking TEDS data, particularly in the case of a transducer manufacturer choosing to use a non-IEEE, or manufacturer, template. Do not confuse manufacturer ID and basic TEDS with URN, as they are two separate and distinct entities.

More details on the 1451.4 manufacturer ID and Basic TEDS.

View the IEEE listing of 1451.4 manufacturer ID codes.

Apply for an IEEE 1451.4 manufacturer ID code.

What is a URN and why is it needed?
The unique registration number is a 64-bit unique identifier contained in the memory devices, or nodes, in which IEEE 1451.4 TEDS data is stored. Because multiple nodes may be arrayed in a multi-drop network format, to allow memory capacity to be increased, or other functions to be added, the URN allows a number of nodes to be individually accessed by the system. (see IEEE Std 1451.4.2004 subclause 5.4, figure 2) See more details on the use of the URN in node devices. Do not confuse the URN with manufacturer ID and basic TEDS, as they are two separate and distinct entities.

IEEE 1451.4 transducer manufacturers using commercially available nodes obtain a URN automatically in each node they purchase. Manufacturers wishing to emulate the IEEE 1451.4 node function with an ASIC or micro-controller, for example, must purchase a URN for each node function produced. For this purpose, the IEEE Registration Authority issues blocks of 4096 URN codes. If you are producing nodes for use with IEEE 1451.4, and wish to purchase a block of URN codes from IEEE-RA fill out our application.

What is a transducer electronic data sheet (TEDS)?
Each of the standards in the IEEE 1451 family defines a storage format for data pertinent to a transducer, to be stored in the transducer. This data is called the transducer electronic data sheet, or TEDS. In general, transducer identification and calibration data are contained in the TEDS. In the case of IEEE 1451.4, the memory is large enough to contain only packed numerical data, without any units, which account for substantial memory usage in the TEDS definitions of the other standards. A template therefore defines the significance of the stored data in a 1451.4 transducer. The template is resident in the system, which reads the TEDS and unpacks the data.

View additional details on IEEE TEDS and templates.

What is a template?
A template is a documented definition of the placement and significance of each piece of data stored within the TEDS memory. (see IEEE Std 1451.4-2004 subclause 5.3) The template is not contained within the TEDS data, but the TEDS data identifies which template is to be referenced in interpreting the TEDS data. Templates must be accessible to the program code, which is used to write and read the TEDS data, allowing that data to be properly packed for writing and unpacked subsequent to reading. Templates are written in the template description language (TDL) and contained in template description files. The template description file is an ASCII text file, written in TDL, and having a file name extension of .tdl. (see IEEE Std 1451.4-2004 subclause 6.1) IEEE Standard 1451.4-2004 annex A contains several examples of the template description file. Typically the template description file is read by an application program which, at the same time, reads and interprets (or generates and writes) the bits from (to) TEDS.

Who writes templates, where may they be obtained and how may I publish one?
Templates, or more precisely template description files, may be written by those having a transducer application not adapted to an IEEE published template. It is advisable that the library of IEEE templates be exhaustively investigated prior to undertaking writing a custom template, since it contains templates adapted to most transducer types. Using a standard template will save considerable effort by the user. The IEEE template description files can be found here.

Should writing a custom template be found necessary, please read and understand Clause 7, Template Description Language, contained in IEEE Std 1451.4-2004. Templates must be written in this language and the rules of the standard followed. More details on using TDL.

As described in the standard, a company or user can create templates for use by all to whom the template description files are distributed. A template description file may be submitted to IEEE for consideration as IEEE template by the manufacturer who developed the template of significant use, under the following condition:

• The submitted template must have been in use for a sufficiently long period and by a sufficient number of users to demonstrate its effectiveness and freedom from defects.

All new templates must conform with the TDL syntax rules and pass the syntax check program located in the TDL programmer's start-up kit described below.

Submit a new template to the IEEE-RA for consideration.

The application form and the template description file must be sent to the IEEE as indicated at the end of the form, for listing as an IEEE template. Manufacturers may elect to use non-IEEE templates for their own 1451.4 compliant products. Manufacturers choosing to use unpublished, manufacturer templates are solely responsible for the distribution and effective usage of these templates. All manufacturer templates must conform with the TDL syntax and template format guide. The format guide and TDL syntax check program are located in the TDL start-up kit.

NOTICE: The attached software is currently undergoing BETA testing. The software has not been verified for any particular purpose. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. The software is intended solely as a tool of convenience. The software does NOT guarantee that a given product is or will be compliant with IEEE-SA Standards and is NOT intended to be used, explicitly or implicitly, to certify or assure such compliance, and you shall NOT represent or imply to others that IEEE-SA has tested, certified or otherwise approved of any product developed through use of this software.

Download (.zip) the programmer's start-up kit for writing templates.

What is the template description language?
A major driving force behind the development of the IEEE 1451.4 standard was the need to minimize the amount of memory required to store a TEDS; with a stated objective of only needing 256 bits, although more are allowed. This requires a method of mapping the bits in a precise fashion. This bit mapping is accomplished through templates which are text based files written in the template description language (TDL). The TDL is a formal language similar to programming languages, but with considerably less looping and conditional control. This is because the entire purpose of the language is to map bits and not to implement general processing or mathematical capabilities.

Additional details on the functionality and syntax of the TDL.

How can I obtain a manufacturer ID?
The IEEE Registration Authority issues IEEE 1451.4 manufacturer ID numbers on a fee basis. Apply for an IEEE 1451.4 manufacturer ID.

How can I obtain an assignment of a URN Block(s)?
The IEEE Registration Authority issues IEEE 1451.4 URNs on a fee basis, in blocks of 4,096 numbers.

Apply for IEEE 1451.4 URN blocks. Note: There is a maximum of 10 assignments that can be issued at one time.

What are the costs involved in obtaining a manufacturer ID or URN block assignment, or in publishing a new template? What is the method of payment?
The IEEE Registration Authority oversees the issuance of IEEE 1451.4 manufacturer ID numbers and URN blocks and keeps a current listing of the IEEE 1451.4 template files. To cover administrative costs, fees are charged for manufacturer ID numbers and URN blocks and to publish new templates. Payment terms are listed with the fees for each of these services.

Determine the fee or to obtain a manufacturer ID number.

Determine the fee or to obtain a URN block.

Determine the fee or to publish a new template.

How may I obtain the names and ID numbers of those companies who own a manufacturer ID or URN block assignment?
The listings of existing IEEE 1451.4 manufacturer ID numbers and URN blocks are available for no charge, from the IEEE Registration Authority.

View existing manufacturer ID numbers.

There are no URN blocks assigned by the IEEE Registration Authority at this time.

May I re-sell or distribute a segment of the URN block after I obtain it?
The IEEE Registration Authority distributes URNs in blocks of 4,096, which is considered to be the smallest practical volume for administration purposes, at a reasonable fee for small volume users. IEEE-RA does not sanction the re-sale of partial URN blocks, due to the danger of loss of uniqueness. Several divisions within a company may share a block of URNs, however.

My company wants an additional manufacturer ID number for our new project. Can we receive one?
Manufacturers may obtain an additional manufacturer ID number only when the original has become exhausted. A statement must be furnished to the IEEE Registration Authority, verifying that 95% of the capacity of the original number has been used. The manufacturer ID occupies 14 bits of a 64-bit transducer identifier called the basic TEDS. The pool of individual transducer model numbers available to each holder of a single manufacturer ID, using the remaining 50 bits of the Basic TEDS as defined in IEEE Standard 1451.4-2004, is therefore in excess of 54.5 million model numbers. Each model may be produced up to a total in excess of 16.7 million serialized copies. By changing the version number or version letter, as defined in the Standard, a larger total of serialized copies of a given model may be supported. The total number of individual units indentifiable using the IEEE Standard 1451.4-2004 basic TEDS, under a single manufacturer ID, is slightly in excess of 9 x 1014.

What if the company address or contact information changes after I have received the Manufacturer ID or URN Block assignment, or have published a new template?
Please complete the Information Change Form. If there is a company name change due to purchase or sale please also fax a press release or some details of the company name change to +1 732-562-1571. The company name change will not be uploaded to the public listing unless the press release or details are received.

What is a Provider Service Identifier?
The Provider service Identifier (PSID) is a four-byte numeric string used by the IEEE 1609™ set of standards to identify a particular application service provider that announces that it is providing a service to potential users of an application or service.

• IEEE Std 1609.1™-2006, Trial-Use Standard for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) — Resource Manager
• IEEE Std 1609.2™-2006, Trial-Use Standard for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) — Security Services for Applications and Management Messages
• IEEE Std 1609.3™-2007, Trial-use Standard for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) — Networking Services
• IEEE Std 1609.4™-2006, Trial-Use Standard for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) — Multi-Channel Operation

The IEEE 1609™ standards represent the upper layers of the ISO communications stack, with IEEE Std. 802.11™-REVma (using the 802.11p™ amendment) as shown in the figure.

Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) is a means of communicating between highway vehicles (cars and trucks) and between roadside systems and vehicles. These standards, together with IEEE Std. 802.1™1-REVma, are used to provide full interoperability between WAVE devices mounted either on the vehicle or the roadside.

A typical implementation would have an application installed on a roadside device that is intended to interact (exchange messages and data) with vehicles as they drive past this device. In this example, the roadside application would be considered to be providing a service to passing vehicles, which would be users of this service. To avoid every car from having to establish a communications link with every roadside device that it passes, the roadside device periodically (e.g., every 100ms) transmits an announcement message, that among other things, identifies all applications that it hosts that are offering services to passing vehicles. Such applications offering services are known as “service providers” The vehicles passing this roadside unit compare the list of services provided with the potential service users installed in the vehicle’s onboard unit. The PSID is the registered four-byte numeric value representing this application or service. The PSID therefore must uniquely identify a particular application for both devices to know if they have matching services. When an unregistered PSID is used, there would be no assurance that the value used was unique to an application or service, and could result in extraneous communications links being formed that could negatively affect the loading of the radio channels and resulting in degraded service.

How can I obtain a Provider Service Identifier (PSID)?
Download a copy of the PSID application.

What standards are involved with the Provider Service Identifier (PSID)?
The Provider service Identifier (PSID) is a number used by the IEEE 1609™ set of standards to identify a particular application entity that wishes to announce that it is providing a service to potential users of this application/service.

The IEEE 1609™ standards consist of:

• IEEE Std 1609.1™-2006, Trial-Use Standard for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) — Resource Manager
• IEEE Std 1609.2™-2006, Trial-Use Standard for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) — Security Services for Applications and Management Messages
• IEEE Std 1609.3™-2007, Trial-use Standard for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) — Networking Services
• IEEE Std 1609.4™-2006, Trial-Use Standard for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) — Multi-Channel Operation

The IEEE 1609™ standards represent the upper layers of the ISO Open System Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model communications stack, with IEEE Std. 802.11-REVma (using the 802.11p amendment) which does not itself use PSID.

What are the limitations, if any, for the use of the Provider service Identifier (PSID)?
PSID must be used in compliance with the IEEE 1609™ set of standards. The only other limitation for PSID is that the value used must be registered by IEEE. The registered values are limited by the four- byte PSID field.

Previously assigned values are not available for new assignment. If they are no longer to be used, the values will remain as “grandfathered” and will not be reassigned.

The IEEE Std 1609.3™-2007 includes in Table 7 a list of assigned values that were valid as of the time of initial publication. Due to the potentially extremely large size that this list could become, it will be impractical to maintain the PSID list in the standard throughout its life. Therefore, users of these standards should refer to the IEEE Registration Authority (RA) web site for an up to date list of assigned values.

How can I find other entities that have obtained PSIDs?
Please see the public registry. This PSID list identifies the PSID, the name of the application that the PSID identifies the organization name and address.

If my company wants multiple PSIDs, how can I apply for additional PSIDs?
There is no limit to the number of PSIDs that any one person or company can have. When multiple PSIDs are desired, submit an application for each PSID that is desired.

What is required of the PSID holder if the names provided on the application, company name, address, or contact name and information changes after having received the PSID assignment?
Please complete the Information Change Form. If there is a company name change due to purchase or sale please also fax a press release or some details of the company name change to +1 732-562-1571. The company name change will not be uploaded to the public listing unless the press release or details are received.

What if I have questions while completing the application form for the PSID?
For additional information, please contact the IEEE Registration Authority.

What if I have questions about the PSID?
If there are questions about any registered PSIDs, contact the company identified as being responsible for this PSID. Contact information can be requested by sending an e-mail to the IEEE Registration Authority. For questions regarding the use of the PSID within the IEEE 1609™ standards, refer to the contacts provided in the standard (either through the Working Group membership list or the contacts provided in Annex B.

What is the cost of obtaining a PSID?
The cost is $1,085.00 per PSID. The only other fees that would be involved are a $20.00 bank fee that is only applicable with the wire transfer payment method. There are no annual fees.

IEEE accepts checks (payable to IEEE Standards Dept.), purchase orders, wire transfers, as well as American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club and Discover Card.

What is an Operator ID (OpID)?
An OpID is a 24-bit number that, per IEEE Std 802.16, is broadcast by each base station as part of its Base Station ID. An 802.16 network consists of one or more base stations operating as a coordinated system, with each base station in the coordinated network broadcasting the same OpID. The IEEE Registration Authority assigns the IEEE 802.16 Operator ID to be used as the Operator ID. See the Operator ID tutorial.

Do I have to apply for an Operator ID to deploy an IEEE 802.16 network?
No. Typical commercial systems providing public service require a globally unique OpID. These may be applied for as an IEEE 802.16 Operator ID or derived from the operator's E.212 MCC-MNC assignment. For networks providing service to a limited group of users where a globally unique OpID is not required by the operator, the OpID may be selected from the public OpID pool. In this deployment scenario, the OpID may be reprogrammed to another OpID from the pool to avoid having different networks in the same geographical area using the same OID or so that a single operator can operate multiple devices with a single OpID.

Why do I need an Operator ID?
See the Operator ID tutorial.

Can I use my OUI as an IEEE 802.16 Operator ID, or vice versa?
No. These are separate identifiers, and must be applied for separately.

What is a Base Station ID?
The Base Station ID is a 48-bit number defined by IEEE Std 802.16 to be broadcast by each base station. The OpID defines the most significant 24-bits of the Base Station ID. An 802.16 network consists of one or more base stations operating as a coordinated system, with each base station in the coordinated network broadcasting the same OpID. By programming unique values in the least significant 24-bits of the Base Station ID for each base station, the Base Station ID then uniquely identifies each and every base station in the coordinated 802.16 network.

How can I obtain the names and ID numbers of those companies who own an IEEE 802.16 Operator ID?
The latest available version of the OpID assignments can be found on the IEEE Registration Authority website.

What if the company name, address or contact information changes after I have received the IEEE 802.16 Operator ID?
Please complete the Information Change Form. If there is a company name change due to purchase or sale please also fax a press release or some details of the company name change to +1 732-562-1571. The company name change will not be uploaded to the public listing unless the press release or details are received.

Can I re-sell the IEEE 802.16 Operator ID after I obtain it?
No. If a company is sold, the OpID may be transferred to the new company. However, the OpID cannot be sold by anyone other than IEEE Registration Authority. See above.

How can I obtain an assignment of an IEEE 802.16™ Operator ID?
Check the public listing to determine whether your company already has an assignment. If not, then complete the OpID application.

Once the application is completed successfully, the Requestor will receive an e-mail with a tracking number and payment information. The application will be processed within seven days after receipt of payment as long as there are no problems with the information on the application or the payment. The Requestor will receive an e-mail with the assignment information once the application is processed.

What are the costs involved in obtaining and IEEE 802.16 Operator ID?
The OpID cost is $1,375.00 (US) each. The only other fee that would be involved is a bank fee that is only applicable with the wire transfer payment method. There are no annual fees.

IEEE accepts checks (payable to IEEE Standards Dept.), purchase orders, wire transfers, as well as American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club and Discover Card.

My company needs multiple IEEE 802.16 Operator ID s for multiple networks. Can we receive them?
Yes. The IEEE Registration Authority will accept an application for an allocation of up to 100 OpIDs. If additional OpIDs are needed, you may complete an additional application. However, users of 802.16 OpIDs are encouraged to make most efficient use of this limited numbering resource. In typical deployment scenarios, the network operator will need only a single OpID, keeping in mind that a single OpID will support over 16 million Base Station IDs.

My regulator requires that I use my E.212 MCC-MNC to identify my network. How can I do this with IEEE Std 802.16 and OpID?
The MCC + MNC combination is a valid, globally unique 802.16 OpID. Specific coding of the MCC + MNC is required in order to be used in an 802.16 network. Coding instructions are included in the Operator ID tutorial .

If my organization already has an E.212 MCC-MNC allocation, are we compelled to use it as the Operator ID with our 802.16 network? Are we disallowed from applying for an 802.16-specific OpID from the IEEE Registration Authority?
No, the formula for conversion of an E.212 MCC-MNC pair to an 802.16 OpID is only provided for those organizations that wish to use their E.212 network ID with 802.16 or are required by their regulator to use the MCC-MNC. Organizations should check with their regulatory authorities as to whether they are required to use their current E.212 MCC-MNC pair to identify their networks using 802.16 standards. Any organization may obtain 802.16-specific OpID(s) from the IEEE Registration Authority, subject to the general terms & conditions covering application.

Are there geographic restrictions on the use of an OpID.?
The OpID is assigned for worldwide use.

Are all of the OpIDs globally unique?
An OpID allocated by the IEEE Registration Authority is assigned to a single applicant. The assignee is guaranteed that the same number is not assigned to any other entity. Furthermore, the set of OpIDs that are assigned is disjoint from the set of OpIDs that may be derived from an E.212 MCC-MNC. The IEEE Registration Authority does not guarantee the MCC-MNC pair is unique, but if all operators respect the rules for generating OpIDs, the OpID will be unique, since the same OpD cannot be derived from two different E.212 MCC-MNC assignments. Any OpID selected from the public pool is not guaranteed to be unique, as two operatpors may coincidently choose the same OpID. An operator that opts for an OpID from the public pool of numbers must assess the consequences of another operator choosing the same OpID. For operators of a home or small enterprise network, the consequences may be insignificant, and chosing an operator ID from the public pool is a viable option.

If we do not apply for our own OpID to program into our base stations, will they all have the same "default" operator ID (e.g. "0" or similar)?
The 802.16 standard requires the use of the OpID, allocated by the IEEE Registration Authority. Each system operator should either apply to the IEEE Registration Authority for a globally unique OpID, use their MCC-MNC as the basis of the OpID (MCC-MNC is assigned by local regulator; see a coding example ), or ensure that the OpID is programmed with one of the public OpIDs. Failure to populate the OpID in one of these ways will result in non-standard deployment and non-standard results. The value of the OpID field in new equipment is manufacturer-specific and should be verified by the operator.

When may a Private OpID be used?
A "Private" network OpID is selected from the range allocated for Private networks. Although a Private network OpID is not guaranteed to be globally unique, it will not cause mis-operation of any 802.16 SS/MS within its coverage or interference zones. Private network OpIDs must not be used on base stations in networks offering public service. Operators of base stations or networks using private IDs should utilize appropriate access security techniques.

What is the probability of duplication of a private network ID?
Although the total range of values is large, calculations of the probability of duplication in making a selection of truly random values from the full range yield the following results:

• Within 10 random selections, there is a probability of duplication of 0.18%
• With 23 random selections, there is a probability of duplication of 1% .
• There is a 10% probability of duplication within a selection of 72 numbers;
• There is a 50% probability of duplication within a selection of 185 numbers;
• There is a 99% probability of duplication within a selection of 476 numbers.

From this it may be concluded that there is, for example, a 10% chance that mis-operation due to OpID duplication may occur if there are 72 (otherwise identical) base stations closely located such that their associated MSs may see signals from all the other BSs.

Who can I contact if I have additional questions?
For further information, contact IEEE Registration Authority.