Spectral requirements of wireless broadband networks for the airport surface

Abstract

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering the use of the 5091-5150 megahertz (MHz) band for the future potential implementation of wireless broadband networks for the airport surface, denoted as Airport Network and Location Equipment (ANLE). These wireless broadband networks could be used to address the increasing demand for data transmissions in the airport environment.The Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) implementation of the IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard is used in this paper to evaluate the spectral requirements of an ANLE network at a large airport.A methodology is developed to estimate approximate upper bounds on spectral requirements needed to support a set of potential applications that may participate in such networks. This methodology takes into account the physical layer characteristics of the OFDMA implementation of the IEEE 802.16e standard by evaluating physical layer data rates for the various modulation and coding schemes described in the standard. The upper bounds on spectral requirements described in this paper will provide a basis for estimating the total amount of radio spectrum that may be needed by an operational ANLE system.

Progress on the development of future airport surface wireless communications network

“…Studies by NASA GRC, Mitre CAASD, and others have defined a spectrum requirement for airport surface wireless communications in the range of 60 to 100 MHz [2,3]. One spectrum band considered was the MLS Extension Band, 5091-5150 MHz.…”

Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS)

“…A later study conducted by NASA Glenn estimated additional bandwidth requirements to accommodate wake vortex sensing (to potentially enable closer spacing between arriving aircraft), and the overhead associated with security provisioning features of the IEEE 802.16 standard (Kerczewski, 2006). In a series of studies conducted for the FAA from 2004 to 2008, MITRE CAASD established and refined estimates of the aggregate data rate requirements for a high-data-rate surface wireless network called airport network and location equipment (ANLE) (Gheorghisor, 2008). In alignment with the COCR, these studies addressed potential requirements through 2020 (Phase 1) and beyond 2020 (Phase 2).…”

Vehicle health management communications requirements for AeroMACS

“…AeroMACS can also be used for communications with a variety of service vehicles and airport infrastructure that directly support safety and regularity of flight [1]. In 2009, MITRE updated this analysis, including more detailed analysis of the OFDMA implementation of the IEEE 802.16e standard that is the basis of AeroMACS, to evaluate the bandwidth requirements at a large airport [5]. The analysis took into account long-term bandwidth requirements as envisioned under the Eurocontrol/FAA Communications Operating Concept and Requirements (COCR) for Future Radio System, which defines an initial future communications Phase 1 through the year 2020 and Phase 2 occurring beyond 2020 [6].…”