Volpe Center Highlights - March 2001
Economic Growth and Trade
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Advance America's economic growth and competitiveness domestically and internationally through efficient and flexible transportation.
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Volpe Completes Telecommunications Network Upgrade (FAA)
In support of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Spring 2001 Air Traffic Management initiative, the Automation Applications Division recently implemented a telecommunications upgrade for the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS). ETMS is the real-time, operational computer system developed and supported by the Volpe Center that the FAA uses to detect, predict, and handle airspace congestion problems.
Mr. Neil Stone and Mr. Ray Goulet of the Telecommunications Division and Mr. Bruce Ressler of the Automation Applications Division led the Volpe team. The upgrade was performed one site at a time over a period of six weeks; the work required close coordination between telecommunications specialists at the Volpe Center ETMS hub site and technicians at the field sites during the evening and early morning hours. On February 15, 2001, the field site conversion was complete at all 75 FAA operational sites, successfully concluding four months of planning and implementation.
The network upgrade significantly changed the underlying telecommunications infrastructure of ETMS, quadrupling bandwidth capacity from 56 - 64kb to 256kb for each site. As a result, ETMS will support aircraft-position updates every minute; previous updates were at intervals of only one to four minutes. More frequent updates help provide more accurate traffic-position information to air traffic managers, enhancing safety and efficiency. A high priority for the FAA, this accomplishment will enhance the FAA's ability to manage air traffic during the upcoming severe weather season, the spring and summer months of thunderstorm activity.
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