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AeroMACS

AeroMACS (Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System) is an airport surface wireless broadband communications system based upon the 802.16e (WiMAX) air interface standard. The system is designed to handle air traffic control, airline and airport operations, safety services, and situational awareness at airport facilities.

AeroMACS will be deployed in protected aeronautical mobile (route) service spectrum (5091-5150 MHz) for airport surface applications that involve safety and regularity of flight, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. It is designed to allow international interoperability.

The expected timeline for AeroMACS includes initial deployments from 2013-2016, and full deployment in 2022 and beyond.

According to the FAA Engineering Brief 97 Draft, dated Feb 1, 2016:

Background

Current ground-to-ground communication at the airport surface uses the aeronautical frequencies (Very High Frequencies (VHF) in the 117.975-137MHz band). However, the aeronautical band is very congested. Moreover, the aeronautical band was designed for the analog voice communication and may not be suitable to introduce Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) NextGen technologies. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) organizations developed the AeroMACS system to address ground-to-ground communication congestion issues and to provide a platform to support the future introduction of NextGen technologies. The FAA, EUROCONTROL, ICAO, Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) are currently working to develop standards for AeroMACS.

AeroMACS is a broadband wireless service operating in a protected aeronautical frequency band for use on the airport surface. In the near future, the FAA, airlines, and airport authorities will be using AeroMACS for some ground-to-ground communication purposes. Broadband wireless communication systems like AeroMACS will also open up opportunities to introduce new technology services for both the airport and aircraft. This wireless communication link will enable the airports to improve their operational efficiency and is less costly to install/maintain than traditional infrastructure.

AeroMACS History

a. The 2007 World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-07) approved the allocation of the 5091-5150 MHz band to the Aeronautical Mobile (Route) Service [AM(R)S], enabling aeronautical safety communication on the airport surface.

b. Based on the WRC-07 decision, ICAO developed the standards and recommended practices (SARPS) for AeroMACS as a broadband wireless communication service operating in a protected aeronautical communications frequency band to allow ground operation safety and air traffic management (ATM)/regularity of flight on the airport surface functions. The protected broadband wireless service may be used by Air Navigation Service Providers, e.g. the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as airlines and airport operators.

c. The Federal use of AeroMACS and its associated frequencies is approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Based on the approval, FAA/NASA performed Federal AeroMACS field trials at the Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport (CLE). The FAA Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) program office will be using AeroMACS at different airports through the US.

d. Currently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is in the process of approving the nonfederal use of AeroMACS by airport operators through the rulemaking process.