Aeronautical mobile airport communications system development status

This paper summarizes recent activities to understand and establish technical standards for a C-Band airport surface communications system based on the IEEE 802.16e standard for mobile broadband data communications. This system is referred to as the Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS). Activities include system studies that establish the need for and utility of, AeroMACS as well as studies that lay the groundwork for development of a technical system parameter profile. The work also includes construction of a C-Band AeroMACS data network within the NASA Glenn Research Center (Glenn) Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) Test Bed located in Cleveland, OH to validate concepts and verify technical requirements. This paper describes the development process that leads to establishment of technical standards, describes the physical implementation of an AeroMACS network in the Glenn-Cleveland CNS Test Bed, and presents early results from the Test Bed.