ion to another access point with a higher signal strength. Service availability The QoS available at the current access point may either deteriorate or may be inadequate for a new service requirement, for example if a VoWLAN application is started. Load balancing An access point may redirect some associated clients to another available access point in order to maximize the use of available capacity within the network. Wireless LAN Standards defining radio and network information gathering and reporting mechanisms to aid the management and maintenance of wireless LANs. The 11k supplement will be compatible with the 802.11 MAC as well as implementing all mandatory parts of the 802.11 standards and specifications, and targets improved network management for all 802.11 networks. The key measurements and reports defined by the supplement are as follows; Beacon reports Channel reports Hidden station reports Client station statistics Site reports. IEEE 802.11k will also extend the 802.11h TPC to cover other regulatory requirements and frequency bands. Stations will be able to use these reports and statistics to make intelligent roaming decisions, for example eliminating a candidate access point if a high level of non-802.11 energy is detected in the channel being used. The 802.11k supplement only addresses the measurement and reporting of this information and does not address the processes and decisions that will make use of the measurements. The three roaming scenarios described above will be enabled by the TGk measurements and reports, summarised in Table 6-13. For example, a mobile station experiencing a reduced RSSI will request a neighbour report from its current access point that will provide information on other access points in its vicinity. A smart roaming algorithm in the mobile station will then analyse channel conditions and the loading of candidate access points and select a new access point that is best able to provide the required QoS. Once a new access point has been selected, the station will perform a 