Voice over IP interfaces for the ATS Ground Network

Next generation ICAO 9896 Voice over IP interfaces for the Air Traffic Service Ground Network: The introduction of Voice over IP Telephone, Radio and Recorder interfaces to ATS Ground Networks is starting to cause a gradual evolution with plans being set for the migration from analogue/TDM digital circuit switched communication infrastructures in operation today towards a future converged common multimedia IP network infrastructure for both voice and data services.

A series of initial interoperability events hosted by ETSI with the scope of testing VoIP interoperability directly between Voice Communication System (VCS) as well as with Ground Radio Stations (GRS) was progressed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who later hosted the first Global Interoperability event in Washington DC, USA with participation of VCS, GRS, Recorder and Radio Gateway suppliers performing product interoperability tests over an 8 day period. These interoperability events have demonstrated that IP Technology has the capability to fulfil operational and technical ATM communication requirements.

Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), VCS, Radio and Recorder vendors have confirmed that the VoIP protocol as defined by the EUROCAE WG67 ED documents is now the strategic direction for ATM Voice communications. Recently published ED-137B documents now include the FAA Override call type as well as the Remote Radio Node Gateway specification to satisfy the FAA National Airspace System (NAS) Voice System (NVS) Program requirements. Further enhancement to the ED documents defined by the EUROCONTROL VOTE Sub-groups to aid the migration towards VoIP include a Dynamic delay compensation mechanism for Multi-carrier Offset (Climax) configurations and a common set of SNMP Monitoring & Control messages between VCS and Radios.

The ICAO Aeronautical Communication Panel (ACP) WG-I are citing EUROCAE ED documents within the Manual for the Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) using Internet Protocol Suite (IPS) Standards & Protocols (Doc9896), implying that the way is clear for global adoption of the VoIP interfaces.

While the majority of companies have now developed the common SIP interfaces, all players are dedicated to achieve the objective of moving towards a VoIP ground network. A European Single Sky Implementation (ESSI) objective foresees migration of the Ground Telephone networks towards VoIP within the 2013 to 2016 timeframe closely followed by the migration of their Ground Radio networks within the 2014 to 2020 timeframe.

The SESAR JU work programme that ran from 2010 to 2013 defined a comprehensive test programme for IP based Ground communications (voice/signalling) over a Pan European Network in its Work Package 15. Effort to validate the use of VoIP performance over the Network backbone has recently been completed.

The use of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for creating sessions makes the process of accessing Radio Stations within Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) from multiple VCS’s easier to implement and works as an enabler for the Dynamic resectorization and Role handover concepts while also improving the safety of last resort communications in case of system failure/outages.

Course Description:

Day 1 of this 3-day course has the scope of providing the broad picture of VoIP technology and its application to ATS Ground Voice Networks starting with a technology and functionality overview of today's operational telephone and radio networks followed by an explanation of work performed by the EUROCAE Working Group 67 in the definition of documents for VoIP in ATM. The course progresses to explain the basics of Voice over IP functionality followed by a high level description of how VoIP will be used in aeronautical ground telephone and radio communications. EUROCONTROL VoIP initiatives followed by an overview of the Network and SESAR WP15.2.10 work for VoIP validation are then reported.

Day 2 will provide in-depth details about the Added benefits and functionality that VoIP brings to ATS Ground Telephone/ Radio network, while Day 3 will examine the added benefits VoIP brings to Recorder equipment, network performance aspects, VoIP network architecture and security. An overview of the EUROCONTROL Test Tool (Conformance +Performance measurements) and Interoperability Event activities completes the course.

During the course practical examples of SIP Telephone calls using Soft phones through a WAN emulator, allow network impairments to be introduced, while examining SIP signalling and RTP audio using a wireshark

Course suitable for: 

Professionals within various sectors of the aeronautical industry who need to develop a greater understanding of the functionality expected from the next generation of Voice Communication Systems, Ground Radio Stations, Telephone and Radio Gateways, Voice Recorders and how the core and edge network designs will be configured to ensure a high voice call performance and voice quality over a secure network.

These past 2 years have seen over 500 participants globally attend this course, making it one of the most popular courses in the field being delivered today.

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