Technical corrections and clarifications to IEEE Std 802.11 for wireless local area networks (WLANs) as well as enhancements to the existing medium access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) functions are specified in this revision. Amendments 1 to 5 published in 2012 and 2013 have also been incorporated into this revision.

The scope of this standard is to define one medium access control (MAC) and several physical layer (PHY) specifications for wireless connectivity for fixed, portable, and moving stations (STAs) within a local area.

The purpose of this standard is to provide wireless connectivity for fixed, portable, and moving stations within a local area. This standard also offers regulatory bodies a means of standardizing access to one or more frequency bands for the purpose of local area communication.