Future Communication Study Technology Investigations

One goal of the Future Communication Study (FCS) cooperative research program is the investigation of candidate communications technologies to identify those that can support the long-term aeronautical mobile air-ground communication operating concept. The FCS was initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and EUROCONTROL to support the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Aeronautical Communication Panel (ACP) Working Group C (WG-C) (for aeronautical communications) activities to investigate technologies to meet emerging concepts of operation and communication requirements for the future [air/ground] radio system (FRS). The study is in its third and final year (due to complete later in 2007). The FAA requested NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to conduct the FCS technology investigation task for the U.S. GRC has contracted with ITT Corporation to perform the task which includes the development of evaluation criteria derived from requirements, screening of candidate technologies, in-depth technology studies and evaluation to identify most promising technology candidates for all airspace domains. This paper provides and overview of the FCS technology investigation progress, providing results and status on the topic areas noted above. The paper concludes a description of on-going and future work that will be conducted to conclude the FCS and support development of technology recommendations.