SITTI at Arica, Atacama Desert

Arica is a medium size city in Northern Chile, close to the border with Peru. Arica is an important harbor where goods are shipped for the inland and neighboring countries and is also the end station of the Bolivian oil pipeline. The strategic position of this city is enhanced by being served by a busy international airport.

COMSA Instalaciones y Sistemas Industriales, a big (Spanish) infrastructure company, in the frame of large modernization activities at the airport, awarded SITTI a contract for the supply of a new Voice Communication System (VCS) at the local Aeropuerto Chacalluta de Arica (ARI), including Controller Working Positions (CWP), Radio and Intercom facilities.

The system being provided by SITTI belongs to the MULTIFONO® M800IP® family of Voice Communication Systems that has already been installed at many other aeronautical sites in Chile, from North to South.

A large number of analogue and hotline telephone lines are interfaced to the VCS by means of 32 dedicated modules that allow connection to the system’s VoIP internal network. Another 12 SIP telephone lines are connected through 3 dedicated boards that make it possible for ATCOs (Air Traffic Control Operators) to seamlessly  communicate through all kinds of available links.

Similarly, both analogue and native VoIP radios are interfaced to the M800IP® system by means of a total of 14 radio interface boards for the connection of 28 analogue radios, plus another 4 VoIP cards to get access to up to 16 VoIP radios. Best Signal Selection facilities are also included in the system.

ATCOs access all provided communication features through  touchscreen Controller Working Positions (CWP) that are also equipped with GPS-synchronized IP clock displays manufactured by SITTI.

The Arica system is expected to get final operational approval in the first months of next year.