OGC requests comments

29 August 2016. The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC®) seeks public comment on the draft OGC Spectrum Model Language Domain Working Group (SpectrumML DWG) Charter.

The OGC SpectrumML DWG Charter defines the role of a group of OGC members representing the interests of multiple communities that would benefit from having a common international standard data model and derived encoding(s) for environmental electromagnetic fields. Those communities include the remote sensing, electromagnetic compatibility, wireless communications communities, and others.

These different domains all have in common a set of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) data definitions, structure, and syntax that are almost universally accepted and that are based on well-known laws of physics. The domains also share a set of primary and derived SI units for communicating measurements of the various properties of electromagnetic fields. All these domains need to share, assess, aggregate, integrate, and analyze spectral data that includes the spatial and other properties of electromagnetic field sources and sensors, and also the spatial and other properties of environmental features and phenomena that impact, are impacted by, or interact with, electromagnetic fields.

GEO Secretariat Director, Barbara Ryan, has expressed her support: "On behalf of the Group on Earth Observations, I very much welcome the establishment of the proposed OGC Working Group focused on the Radio Frequency Spectrum with the intent of developing a common international standard data model. The OGC SpectrumML Domain Working Group will provide an important coordination and harmonization function for future studies of frequency interference. Protecting selected frequency bands for Earth observations is essential for public safety, and hence, of key importance to GEO.”

The proposed OGC SpectrumML DWG will provide an open forum for the discussion and presentation of EMF data workflows, interoperability requirements, use cases, and non-OGC EMF standards, as well as OGC standards, best practices, pilots, testbeds, and other work and work products that may help resolve EMF data interoperability issues. The DWG is expected to charter a Standards Working Group that will develop the proposed standard. This DWG Charter is to be presented to the OGC’s Technical and Planning committees for their consideration and approval.

The initiators of the SpectrumML DWG invite comments from the public. They encourage interested parties to learn more and become involved in this important standards activity.