Verizon selects Frequentis : under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) FENS contract, Frequentis will collaborate with Verizon to modernize the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) by transitioning it to an advanced IP network.
Verizon selects Frequentis for FAA’s Enterprise Network Services (FENS) contract
The National Airspace System (NAS) serves over one billion passengers annually. As part of the FAA’s commitment to maintaining the world’s safest and most efficient aerospace system, the FENS program is set to enhance the FAA’s nationwide telecommunications network. Verizon recently secured the prime contract, with Frequentis contributing to all program phases.
In adherence to the FENS agreement, Verizon will construct a resilient, highly available, and secure enterprise network for the FAA. This network aims to support the agency’s critical applications throughout the NAS, facilitating Air Traffic Management (ATM) for over 45,000 daily flights and 2.9 million airline passengers traveling across the vast 29 million square miles comprising the NAS.
As per the agreement with Verizon, Frequentis is set to furnish its essential network products, vitalsphere® VCX-IP and NetBroker, to facilitate flexible, contemporary, and network-enabled Air Traffic Management (ATM) operations within the National Airspace System (NAS). These Frequentis solutions will empower Verizon and the FAA to maintain support for voice communications, radar, automation, and other NAS necessities through legacy interfaces during the transition to an IP-based network.
“Frequentis is proud to have been selected by Verizon for the important objective of interfacing the FAA’s operational ATM systems to the FENS backbone. Our VCX-IP and NetBroker have been designed for this exact purpose. We are looking forward to supporting Verizon’s FENS team in its evolution of the FAA’s network infrastructure,” says Dieter Eier, President, Frequentis USA. “Under the contract, Frequentis will also supply enterprise services for configuration and network management, along with architecture and integration support.”
FENS succeeds the 2002 FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) contract, which was established to consolidate telecom services for the National Airspace System (NAS) and the FAA’s mission support functions. FENS is designed to be the primary telecommunications service provider for the FAA and serves as the foundational infrastructure for the Next Generation Air Transportation System, known as NextGen.
Frequentis plays a crucial role in facilitating the FAA’s transition from Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) to Internet Protocol (IP) in the NAS. This migration enhances data communication across diverse locations through adaptable point-to-cloud paths.
Additionally, Frequentis is actively involved in supplying the Interim Voice Switch Replacement (IVSR) to the FAA, which is operational at over 220 towers and Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACONs). It is the sole air traffic control voice switch currently approved for use in the NAS. Frequentis also contributes IP gateways and electronic flight strips to the FAA. Through the FENS program, Frequentis is reinforcing its role in assisting the FAA in modernizing for NextGen capabilities.
