The Need for AeroMACS Is Confirmed

The Demand for Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communication System (AeroMACS) Grows

A half-day AeroMACS Symposium, hosted by the WiMAX Forum® at World ATM Congress this month, demonstrated the growing need for AeroMACS not only in Europe, but also worldwide.

At the Symposium on the future of AeroMACS, we shared the results of a survey carried out by EUROCONTROL, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, which showed the interest in AeroMACS among European stakeholders. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) have recommended AeroMACS as the solution to support airport surface communication for the safety and regularity of flight.

Also at the Symposium, Aviation Data Communications Corporation (ADCC) of China presented an ambitious plan to connect 30 airports in China between now and 2019 with AeroMACS systems to support D-Taxi and other safety-critical applications. Speaker companies included: ADCC, Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC), EUROCONTROL, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Leonardo Company, Powertech Labs, Siemens, and Telrad Networks.

EUROCONTROL Communications, Navigation, & Surveillance (CNS) and Aircraft Operator (AO) teams successfully surveyed over 50 stakeholders about their interest and implementation plans for airport surface communication in general and AeroMACS in particular. These stakeholders include Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP), Airport Operators, Airspace Users, National Aviation Authorities, COM Service Providers, and Manufacturers.

The majority of stakeholder survey respondents reported currently using Very High Frequency (VHF) and/or Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) with the main drawbacks reported as throughput, cost, coverage, and interference. Within the next 10 years, ANSPs plan to implement AeroMACS and VHF as communications platforms, while Airports and Airspace Users plan to go with a diversified implementation, consisting of AeroMACS, Wi-Fi, and/or commercial networks. In spite of different implementation plans, 77% of ANSPs and Airports and 86% Airspace Users share the desire to deploy a technology that supports all applications with cost, security, and integrity being the key factors in their choice. Additionally, 84% expressed general interest in learning more about AeroMACS and its applications such as voice communication, D-Taxi, moving maps, weather services, and more.

“Today’s airport communication system is a patchwork of different technologies that has significant safety and bandwidth limitations and is unable to meet the current and future needs of the aviation industry,” said Declan Byrne, WiMAX Forum President. “AeroMACS streamlines the communication system on the airport surface, is cost-effective, and supports most, if not all, applications for all stakeholders. Along with our member companies, the WiMAX Forum will roll out AeroMACS full certification and a security solution this year to guarantee that AeroMACS networks are interoperable and secure.”

Jacky Pouzet, Head of Communication and Frequency Coordination Unit at EUROCONTROL, noted, “The EUROCONTROL survey attests to the interest in AeroMACS in Europe and the capability of the technology to address the aviation community’s needs. EUROCONTROL will continue to raise awareness about AeroMACS and the activities surrounding the evolution of the technology in conjunction with SESAR.”

The report on the survey results will be available in late April at www.eurocontrol.int/articles/airport-surface-data-link-aeromacs.

For questions regarding AeroMACS or the WiMAX Forum, please contact Alessandra Rocha at Alessandra.Rocha@WiMAXForum.org.

About the WiMAX Forum
The WiMAX Forum is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization that certifies and promotes the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products based upon IEEE Standard 802.16. The WiMAX Forum’s primary goal is to accelerate the adoption, deployment and expansion of WiMAX, AeroMACS, and WiGRID technologies across the globe while facilitating roaming agreements, sharing best practices within our membership and certifying products. WiMAX Forum and WiGRID Certified® products are interoperable and support broadband fixed, nomadic, portable, and mobile services. The WiMAX Forum works closely with service providers and regulators to ensure that WiMAX Forum Certified systems meet customer and government requirements. For more information, visit www.wimaxforum.org.

About EUROCONTROL
EUROCONTROL is an intergovernmental organization with 41 Member and 2 Comprehensive Agreement States. EUROCONTROL is committed to building, together with their partners, a Single European Sky that will deliver the air traffic management (ATM) performance required for the twenty-first century and beyond. Over 1,900 highly qualified professionals spread over four European countries work at EUROCONTROL, deploying their expertise to address ATM challenges. Their expertise is unrivalled: covering both operational and technical elements, advising on both civil and military aspects of ATM, and having experience at bringing States with different needs together for a common goal. For more information, visit: www.eurocontrol.int.

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This release was published on openPR.