IEEE 802.16 MAC Layer Working Simplified

International audienceThe interest in WMAN/IEEE 802.16 solutions is on new heights as a result of irrefragable efforts of WiMAX alliance. The present article is written within the framework of an on-going research project in which we are investigating the interworking between IEEE 802.16 and IEEE 802.11 networks. This paper, which is still a work in progress, in the first step, investigates and presents simplified explanation of the intricate concepts in IEEE 802.16 Standard. The functioning of IEEE 802.16 MAC layer is presented in traditional telecommunications approach by defining Management Plane, Command Plane, and Transfer Plane