Operator ID for WMAN

IEEE Std 802.16 defines a 24-bit Operator ID to identify the operator of an IEEE 802.16 base station. The 24-bit Operator ID shall be assigned as an IEEE 802.16 Operator ID by the IEEE Registration Authority. The IEEE Registration Authority is the sole authorized number space administrator for this function. This Operator ID (OpID) is combined with an additional 24-bit programmable field to define the 48-bit Base Station ID. Provided that the operator assigns unique numbers to the least significant 24 bits of the Base Station Identifier, this results in a globally unique Base Station Identifier, as long as the OpID is globally unique.

IEEE 802.16 Operator ID & Base station ID
The IEEE 802.16 Operator ID is a sequence of 24 bits. It is administered by the IEEE Registration Authority. A Base Station ID is defined as a sequence of 48 bits. The first 24 bits take the values of the 24 bits of the Operator ID.

Operator ID Usage
The Operator ID referenced in the assignee's IEEE Registration Authority Assignment is described as a 24-bit globally assigned Operator ID and as an integral part of a 48-bit globally assigned Base Station ID. An Operator ID assignment allows the operator to generate approximately 16 million Base Station IDs, by varying the last three octets.

The method that an operator uses to ensure that no two of its Base Stations carry the same ID will, of course, depend on the assignment process and the operator's philosophy. However, the network selection algorithms may expect Base Stations to have unique IDs. The ultimate responsibility for assuring that expectations and requirements are met, therefore, lies with the operator of the Base Station.