Asia Pacific ICAO Region COM Implementation Seminar 19/11/03

Asia Pacific ICAO Region COM Implementation Seminar 19/11/03

1© 2003 EUROCONTROL

EUROCONTROL‘One Sky for Europe’

European initiativesfor a new generation of global

satellite communication services

Phillipe Renaud and Nikos Fistas

Communications and Surveillance Management EUROCONTROL




Outline of presentation

The potential of satellite communication services

Limitations with current satellite systems

Options for new satellite communication systems

Business and institutional aspects

Timescale

Summary - Conclusions




Need for a complementary system

The Aeronautical Mobile Communication Infrastructure needs to evolve to: Accommodate Traffic growth Need for additional

capacity outside the VHF band saturation anticipated in Europe even with new VHF technologies

Accommodate new ATS functions increasing flight safety, security and efficiency. These data exchanges will increasingly complement voice communication, which will still be required for immediate emergency and non-routine exchanges.




Satellite communication technology

Among the candidate systems, satellite-based technologies are being considered due to: their ability to offer near-global coverage

they can be used where it is difficult or costly to implement a ground infrastructure

spot or regional beams can offer greater capacity where needed (e.g. in high density airspace)

they are suited to air-ground communications and broadcast applications

their capability to complement terrestrial systems (thus reducing pressure on the VHF spectrum)




Eurocontrol NexSAT Project

Mission Statement: to review the capability of satellite systems to complement around 2015+ the existing communications infrastructure

Main objectives

to review existing and emerging technologies and identify candidates

to work with industry to assist understanding the requirements and to offer appropriate solutions

to co-ordinate with other activities underway in other regions of the world through direct contact

to contribute to the ICAO work on future communication technologies

to meet with Stakeholders to ensure their views direct this work




Research and developmentof new techniques

ID 1.1

Emerging orexisting systems

ID 1.2

Early trials/demo

activityID 1.3

Assessment of satellite technologies ID 1

Consensuson

NexSAT(s)ID 7

Alternativesolutions

(if any)ID 6

Standardisation ProcessID 5

Pre-operationalService

ID 13

Initial Business and Institutional reviewsID 3

Initial Safety considerationsID 4

Establish commercialarrangements

ID 8

Equipment development/modification (Ground and

Aircraft)ID 9

OperationalService

ID 14

In-Service SupportID 15Safety provisions

ID 12

Finalise institutionalarrangements

ID 11

Confirm RequirementsID 2

StakeholderRequirements ID2.1

MissionRequirements ID 2.2

Initial deploymentincluding flight trials

ID 10.1

Validation ID 10

From concept to implementation




Current AMSS

The current AMSS meets its design goals by -

offering safety and non-safety services to a full range of users sharing the L-band spectrum

However, there is limited deployment due to -

The cost of aircraft installation and avionics

The need to use Large Ground Earth Stations (GES) leading to limited options for communications service provision

Therefore currently AMSS is being used only in low-density and oceanic type airspace

New generation satellite communication systems could offer a higher quality of communication service for use in both low and high density airspace




Required Communications Services

High levels of availability, reliability and continuity required for safety and regularity of flight communications ATS Service

Voice - generally decreasing in use

Data - generally increasing in use

needs to support future ATM operational concepts from ICAO ATMCP in each type of airspace

AOC Service Voice - meet continuing need for voice communications

Data - support increasing exchange of data messages




*Eurocontrol Report ‘Operating Concept for the future mobile communication infrastructure - D2’

Capacity Requirements

ATM concepts seem to need modest instantaneous throughputs - can be met by a medium rate highly reliable communication system (approx. ~1 kb/s* for data exchanges on average)

Flexibility to increase the communications capacity in specific high density areas through use of regional or spot beams

AOC voice requirements are still being considered but airlines foresee a large increase in data communications




Reuse and improve

A good infrastructure has been built up so let’s re-use it

GEO Satellites

GESs

Spectrum in L-band

Terrestrial networks

Institutional arrangements

but improve on it by overlaying it with a system with new features.




Example regional beam coverage

ARTEMIS




New Generation Satellite System

Some possible new features - Low cost avionics

Use of advanced access and modulation techniques

Option to use Ku-band feeder links enabling small GESs

Design in high levels of availability, reliability and continuity required for safety and regularity of flight communications

These features are being investigated in the ESA Satellite Data Link System (SDLS), a project demonstrating the capabilities of satellite com system and investigating issues




ESA Satellite Data Link System

The ESA SDLS project has been underway for several years

Key features of SDLS include design to meet to safety and regularity of flight communications

Code Division Multiple Access e.g. to allow multiple access and increase overall efficiency

Ku feeder link

Party-line voice service

support for repetitive short messages

A demonstrator has been developed by Alcatel Space in Toulouse




Other technologies

Existing AMSS (i.e. Aero H and I) are being used today for safety and regularity of communication applications (ATS and AOC) and also for non-safety airline administrative (AAC) and passenger communications (AAC and APC)

Other satellite communication systems that are also being used or are planned include: Inmarsat aeronautical systems - Swift64, BGAN

Connexion by Boeing

Iridium




Inmarsat systems

Aero H,I and L these are being used to offer ATS (and other services) in several regions

of the world

Swift64 introduced to make better use of Aero H infrastructure for non-safety

applications e.g. passenger services

BGAN high data rates (up to 432kb/s) but not designed for safety services

All systems operate in AMSS L-band

Global infrastructure in place now and will continue




Connexion by Boeing

Service was designed to offer a high-speed Internet in the sky

Only targeted at non-safety communications I.e. passenger (APC) and non-safety related airline use (AAC)

Does not operate in ‘protected’ frequency band obtained a global allocation at WRC03 on a secondary basis

Trials/service underway by several airlines e.g. Lufthansa, British Airways, SAS, All-Nippon Airways,……




Iridium

Iridium offers a truly global coverage with 66 Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites

Iridium is being used by aviation mainly for non-safety applications e.g. AAC and APC

However the FAA is planning to use Iridium to augment its terrestrial UAT network in its Capstone project in Alaska

Iridium offers a voice and data service




Business Aspects

A ‘new’ Satellite communications system could bring benefits to aviation but it has to be at an ‘acceptable cost’

Need ‘buy-in’ from a range of Stakeholders airspace users

ATS providers

Communications Service providers

Satellite Service providers

Manufacturing Industry




Cost and benefits

Traditional C-B analysis will be needed to give indicative figures but may not be sufficient

Need to identify additional business drivers e.g. benefits of early equipage, better operational control, marketing benefits, etc

A range of business options

Single or Multiple ATSPs contract directly with SSP

Airlines contract directly with SSP

ATSPs and Airlines contract directly with CSP

CSP contract directly with SSP and offer service primarily to support airline operation




Institutional Aspects

A number of issues have been identified including - standardisation - ICAO, EUROCAE/RTCA, AEEC, etc

AMS(R)S spectrum availability - guaranteed amount of spectrum needed at the right time

Service level agreements with providers of satellite and communication services

Arrangement between satellite service providers needed if provided by several providers e.g. global and regional spots

Certification and approval




Spectrum availability (1/2)

The currently AMS(R)S operates in the L-band (1.5 / 1.6 GHz) where aviation is a privileged user Radio Regulations give AMS(R)S priority in use of spectrum

The amount of AMS(R)S spectrum needed is dependent on applications (ATS - Voice & Data; AOC Voice & Data)

The L-band is attractive for all mobile communication propagation characteristics




Spectrum availability (2/2)

Important considerations more non-safety related communications could put

pressure on safety users

obtaining a world-wide AMS(R)S allocation and deploying systems globally may take some time

important for aviation to use the spectrum




Next steps

We are finalising the Mission Requirements for the NexSAT service take into account European AND other region

requirements

contributing to the ICAO activity through the Aeronautical Communications Panel

we need inputs from all ICAO regions on future ATS requirements

future airline operational control communications requirements

input is invited from this region - see Eurocontrol NexSAT web page for contact details




Summary

Satellite communication systems are already providing benefits to airspace users and ATSPs in several areas of the world - usually low density oceanic

New satellite systems could have better performance which may be used to support ATM in higher density airspace such as Europe and in other regions of the world

Spectrum to support new safety-related applications of satellite communications must be protected

EUROCONTROL is refining the requirements and will match these to emerging technologies

Co-ordination and involvement with all regions of the world is vital to achieve a globally harmonised system




Useful websites

Eurocontrol - World AeronauticalCommunications via Satellite

www.eurocontrol.int/wacs

Eurocontrol www.eurocontrol.int

European Space Agency www.esa.org

ICAO Aeronuatical MobileCommunications Panel

www.icao.int/anb/panels/amcp/index.html

INMARSAT www.inmarsat.com

Iridium satellite corporation www.iridium.com

Connexion by Boeing www.boeing.com/connexion

Alcatel Space www.alcatel.com/space

QinetiQ communications www.qinetiq.com/homepage/technologies/communications.html

Asia Pacific ICAO Region COM Implementation Seminar 19/11/03

Business

aircraft id

confirmrequirements

nexsats id

validation id

existing systems id

safety provisions id

institutional arrangements

mission requirements