Editing IEEE 802.11 (section)

==Standards and amendments==
Within the IEEE 802.11 Working Group,<ref name="80211timeline">{{cite web |url=https://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11/Reports/802.11_Timelines.htm |access-date=2016-04-20 |date=2016-03-23 |title=Official IEEE 802.11 working group project timelines |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407191026/http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11/Reports/802.11_Timelines.htm |archive-date=2016-04-07 }}</ref> the following [[IEEE Standards Association]] Standard and Amendments exist:

<!--Please do not add a standard to this list unless it is an IEEE standard and you have a reference back to IEEE's website. -->
* [[IEEE 802.11-1997]]: The WLAN standard was originally 1&nbsp;Mbit/s and 2&nbsp;Mbit/s, 2.4&nbsp;GHz RF and [[infrared]] (IR) standard (1997), all the others listed below are Amendments to this standard, except for Recommended Practices 802.11F and 802.11T.
* '''[[IEEE 802.11a]]''': 54&nbsp;Mbit/s, 5&nbsp;GHz standard (1999, shipping products in 2001)
* '''[[IEEE 802.11b]]''': 5.5&nbsp;Mbit/s and 11&nbsp;Mbit/s, 2.4&nbsp;GHz standard (1999)
* [[IEEE 802.11c]]: Bridge operation procedures; included in the [[IEEE 802.1D]] standard (2001)
* [[IEEE 802.11d]]: International (country-to-country) roaming extensions (2001)
* [[IEEE 802.11e]]: Enhancements: [[Quality of service|QoS]], including packet bursting (2005)
* [[IEEE 802.11F]]: [[Inter-Access Point Protocol]] (2003) <sub>Withdrawn February 2006</sub>
* '''[[IEEE 802.11g]]''': 54&nbsp;Mbit/s, 2.4&nbsp;GHz standard (backwards compatible with b) (2003)
* [[IEEE 802.11h]]: Spectrum Managed 802.11a (5&nbsp;GHz) for European compatibility (2004)
* [[IEEE 802.11i]]: Enhanced security (2004)
* [[IEEE 802.11j]]: Extensions for Japan (4.9-5.0&nbsp;GHz) (2004)
* IEEE 802.11-2007: A new release of the standard that includes amendments a, b, d, e, g, h, i, and j. (July 2007)
* [[IEEE 802.11k]]: Radio resource measurement enhancements (2008)
* '''[[IEEE 802.11n]]''': Higher Throughput [[WLAN]] at 2.4 and 5&nbsp;GHz; 20 and 40&nbsp;MHz channels; introduces [[MIMO]] to {{nowrap|Wi-Fi}} (September 2009)
* [[IEEE 802.11p]]: WAVE—Wireless Access for the Vehicular Environment (such as ambulances and passenger cars) (July 2010)
* [[IEEE 802.11r]]: Fast BSS transition (FT) (2008)
* [[IEEE 802.11s]]: Mesh Networking, [[Extended Service Set]] (ESS) (July 2011)
* IEEE 802.11T: Wireless Performance Prediction (WPP)—test methods and metrics Recommendation <sub>cancelled</sub>
* [[IEEE 802.11u]]: Improvements related to HotSpots and 3rd-party authorization of clients, e.g., cellular network offload (February 2011)
* [[IEEE 802.11v]]: Wireless [[network management]] (February 2011)
* [[IEEE 802.11w]]: Protected Management Frames (September 2009)
* [[IEEE 802.11y]]: 3650–3700&nbsp;MHz Operation in the U.S. (2008)
* [[IEEE 802.11z]]: Extensions to Direct Link Setup (DLS) (September 2010)
* IEEE 802.11-2012: A new release of the standard that includes amendments k, n, p, r, s, u, v, w, y, and z (March 2012)
* IEEE 802.11aa: Robust streaming of Audio Video Transport Streams (June 2012) - see [[Stream Reservation Protocol]]
* '''[[IEEE 802.11ac]]''': Very High Throughput [[WLAN]] at 5&nbsp;GHz;{{efn|Operation in the 2.4&nbsp;GHz band is specified by [[802.11n]].}} wider channels (80 and 160&nbsp;MHz); [[Multi-user MIMO]] (down-link only)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/business/guides/2009/12/wifi-looks-to-1-gigabit-horizon.ars/1 |title=The future of WiFi: gigabit speeds and beyond |website=Ars Technica |last=Fleishman |first=Glenn |date=7 December 2009 |access-date=2009-12-13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213033437/http://arstechnica.com/business/guides/2009/12/wifi-looks-to-1-gigabit-horizon.ars/1 |archive-date=13 December 2009 }}</ref> (December 2013)
* '''[[IEEE 802.11ad]]''': Very High Throughput 60&nbsp;GHz (December 2012) — see also [[WiGig]]
* IEEE 802.11ae: Prioritization of Management Frames (March 2012)
* [[IEEE 802.11af]]: [[White spaces (radio)|TV Whitespace]] (February 2014)
* IEEE 802.11-2016: A new release of the standard that includes amendments aa, ac, ad, ae, and af (December 2016)
* [[IEEE 802.11ah]]: Sub-1&nbsp;GHz license exempt operation (e.g., sensor network, smart metering) (December 2016)
* [[IEEE 802.11ai]]: Fast Initial Link Setup (December 2016)
* [[IEEE 802.11aj]]: China Millimeter Wave (February 2018)
* IEEE 802.11ak: Transit Links within [[Bridging (networking)|Bridged Networks]] (June 2018)
* IEEE 802.11aq: Pre-association Discovery (July 2018)
* IEEE 802.11-2020: A new release of the standard that includes amendments ah, ai, aj, ak, and aq (December 2020)
* '''[[IEEE 802.11ax]]''': High Efficiency [[WLAN]] at 2.4, 5 and 6&nbsp;GHz;{{efn|6&nbsp;GHz operation only between {{nowrap|'''Wi-Fi 6E'''}} devices.}} introduces [[OFDMA]] to {{nowrap|Wi-Fi}}<ref name="atutorial" /> (February 2021)
* [[IEEE 802.11ay]]: Enhancements for Ultra High Throughput in and around the 60&nbsp;GHz Band (March 2021)
* IEEE 802.11az: Next Generation Positioning (March 2023)
* [[IEEE 802.11ba]]: Wake Up Radio (March 2021)
* [[IEEE 802.11bb]]: Light Communications (November 2023)
* IEEE 802.11bc: Enhanced Broadcast Service (February 2024)
* [[IEEE 802.11bd]]: Enhancements for Next Generation V2X (see also [[IEEE 802.11p]]) (March 2023)
* IEEE 802.11-2024: A new release of the standard that includes amendments ax, ay, az, ba, bb, bc and bd (September 2024)

===In process===
* '''[[IEEE 802.11be]]''': ''Extremely High Throughput'' (see also [[IEEE 802.11ax]]) (May 2024)
* IEEE 802.11bf: ''WLAN Sensing''
* IEEE 802.11bh: ''Randomized and Changing MAC Addresses''
* IEEE 802.11bi: ''Enhanced Data Privacy''
* IEEE 802.11bk: ''320 MHz Positioning''
* '''[[IEEE 802.11bn]]''': ''Ultra High Reliability''
* IEEE 802.11bp: ''Ambient Power Communication''
* IEEE 802.11mf: 802.11 Accumulated Maintenance Changes

802.11F and 802.11T are recommended practices rather than standards and are capitalized as such.

802.11m is used for standard maintenance. 802.11ma was completed for 802.11-2007, 802.11mb for 802.11-2012, [[802.11mc]] for 802.11-2016, 802.11md for 802.11-2020, and 802.11me for 802.11-2024.

===Standard vs. amendment===
Both the terms "standard" and "amendment" are used when referring to the different variants of IEEE standards.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials|volume=PP|issue=99|pages=162–183|date=4 December 2014|publisher=IEEE|doi=10.1109/COMST.2014.2377373|title=MU-MIMO MAC Protocols for Wireless Local Area Networks: A Survey|arxiv=1404.1622|bibcode=2014arXiv1404.1622L|last1=Liao|first1=Ruizhi|last2=Bellalta|first2=Boris|last3=Oliver|first3=Miquel|last4=Niu|first4=Zhisheng|s2cid=8462498}}</ref>

As far as the IEEE Standards Association is concerned, there is only one current standard; it is denoted by IEEE 802.11 followed by the date published. IEEE 802.11-2024 is the only version currently in publication, superseding previous releases. The standard is updated by means of amendments. Amendments are created by task groups (TG). Both the task group and their finished document are denoted by 802.11 followed by one or two lower case letters, for example, [[IEEE 802.11a]] or [[IEEE 802.11ax]]. Updating 802.11 is the responsibility of task group m. In order to create a new version, TGm combines the previous version of the standard and all published amendments. TGm also provides clarification and interpretation to industry on published documents. New versions of the '''IEEE 802.11''' were published in 1999, 2007, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11/Reports/802.11_Timelines.htm|title=IEEE 802.11, The Working Group Setting the Standards for Wireless LANs|website=IEEE Standards Association Working Group Site & Liaison Index|access-date=8 January 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122035132/http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11/Reports/802.11_Timelines.htm|archive-date=22 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |publisher=[[IEEE-SA]] |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9442429 |date=19 May 2021 |doi=10.1109/IEEESTD.2021.9442429 |isbn=978-1-5044-7389-7 | title=IEEE Standard for Information Technology--Telecommunications and Information Exchange between Systems Local and Metropolitan Area Networks--Specific Requirements Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications Amendment 1: Enhancements for High-Efficiency WLAN }}</ref>