[Scan-DC] Are ATC comms going digital?

[Iain McFadyen]

SITA in Europe sees this being a transformation from ACARS to CPDLC and
then to VDL Mode 2, with an eventual move to the ARINC-touted "IPS" (
Internet Protocol Suite).

I don't think there are any plans to eliminate the AM air interface for
voice comms. The move to 8.33kHz spacing of Airband channels was done to
free up more space for CPDLC and VDL.

Iain

On Wed, 10 Dec 2025, 02:10 Alex Fraser, <beatnic50 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hmmm....
>
>
> -------- Forwarded Message --------
> Subject: [Scan-DC] Are ATC comms going digital?
> Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2025 00:29:43 +0000
> From: Andrew Clegg <andrew_w_clegg at hotmail.com>
> <andrew_w_clegg at hotmail.com>
> To: Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net <Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net>
> <Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net>
>
> Peraton was recently announced as the prime integrator for the FAA's
> "Brand New Air Traffic Control System" (BNATCS) funded by the One Big
> Beautiful Bill Act. One of the many tasks is converting analog radios to
> digital, according to the Request for Solutions issued this past August. I
> can't immediately find a lot of specifics, but general AI inquiries
> indicate that ATC communications will be transitioning to digital in the
> coming few years, and a DoT fact sheet quotes 27,625 new radios will be
> installed by the end of 2028. Is ATC going digital? Will some or all of it
> be encrypted? How are we coordinating with the rest of the world? Or am I
> misunderstanding what's going on?
>
>
> https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/d000f013f40944acb523460a474e4270/view
> https://www.faa.gov/FlightCommand
>
> https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2025-12/Brand%20News%20Air%20Traffic%20Control%20System%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
> https://avweb.com/aviation-news/dot-names-prime-integrator-new-atc-system/
>
>
> 73,
> W4JE
>
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