Architecture and institutional issues for AeroMACS

Institutional issues for AeroMACS Network architecture (basic requirements and operational/technical/physical considerations) However, because of operational constraints on the international frequency spectrum allocated for AeroMACS, only those services that can directly impact the safety and regularity of flight are candidates for provision by AeroMACS. The potential services and applications provided by AeroMACS can be grouped into three major categories: ATC/ATM, Airline operations, Airport and/or port authority operations (as shown in Slide 4). The three main categories can be further broken down into i) safety and advisory and then ii) mobile and fixed communications. Ground-Based, end-user facilities may be located remotely from the aerodrome. This will apply to most airlines. Infrastructure can be owned by various parties, i.e.; ANSPs, Service Providers, Airlines. One or more networks (operated by different entities) can be operational at a given aerodrome HOWEVER Aircraft can only access one network at a time. Therefore safety services, regardless of source, must be available over all networks operating at an aerodrome.

Institutional issues for AeroMACS Assumptions and Constraints (commercial/policy considerations) Given the points on the previous page: At an aerodrome, AeroMACS services may be provided by an ANSP, an airline or a (communication) Service Provider. Alternatively, the AeroMACS service may be provided by multiple airlines or Service Providers. In the case where multiple Service Providers or airlines provide service at an aerodrome, individual airlines or even the ANSP may contract with a particular SP but safety-related traffic must be internetworked with the other SPs. This sharing of traffic between SPs is known as internetworking. The issues related to fixed communication are largely spectrum-related and hence, this will be treated the same as mobile traffic in this paper. Where an ANSP provides the AeroMACS service at an aerodrome, SPs may re-sell the service to airlines and others. In this case the terrestrial network connection and any switching/routing will be provided by the SP. Such switching/routing may also include internetworking. If internetworking is not supported, then safety services must be supported via a connection to all providers of AeroMACS service at an aerodrome. These points provide various AeroMACS scenarios for consideration!

Figure 1-ANSP owns AeroMACS Service Provider ATC ANSP-owned AeroMACS Service Airline #1 Airline #2 Airport Authority

Figure 2 – CSP or Airline owns AeroMACS AeroMACS Service #1 AeroMACS Service #2 ANSP Airline #1 Airline #2 Airport Service Provider #1Service Provider #2 safety traffic

Potential AeroMACS Service Categories in U.S. Potential AeroMACS Services Air TrafficAirlinesAirport Mobile Fixed Mobile Fixed Mobile Fixed ATC Advisory Services Surface CNS Services TBD AOC Services AAC Services Advisory Services Port Authority Ops Safety Services Port Authority Ops Security Services