TETRA  |  2013-09-25

Arinc partners with PowerTrunk to upgrade GLOBALink ground radio technology at Los Angeles International Airport

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

The partnership represents the first North American deployment of TETRA technology in the aviation market. Through its partnership with PowerTrunk, ARINC intends to offer TETRA-based solutions to other American airports as well.

ARINC Incorporated today announced that it has partnered with PowerTrunk to install a terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) platform as part of a key GLOBALink upgrade for mission critical airline and aviation ground-based communications at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  The partnership represents the first North American deployment of TETRA technology in the aviation market.  Through its partnership with PowerTrunk, ARINC intends to offer TETRA-based solutions to other American airports as well.

ARINC’s customers at LAX have been using ARINC’s GLOBALink ground radio services since 2001 to ensure crisp, clear connectivity to communicate vital information to airline ramp area personnel, airline passenger services, ground handlers, terminal security teams, and all airport ground support staff.

Implementing the TETRA platform offers many advantages over alternatives including improved voice clarity for radio communication, improved RF spectrum efficiency with multiple simultaneous conversations, rugged radio products and accessories, and an open standard that optimizes total cost of ownership.

“We are pleased to provide our valued customers at LAX with the latest technology which is currently deployed for airports and airlines globally,” said John Monto, Director, radio Technology Solutions at ARINC.  “We believe this upgrade, and the associated benefits it brings for ground communications, will enable ARINC’s customers at LAX to get their jobs done in a more timely and efficient manner.”

TETRA is deployed worldwide as the next-generation standard for digital land mobile radio and has only recently been approved for use in the US by the FCC.  ARINC now has a fully functional demonstration environment for the TETRA platform.  ARINC will test new products, validate operational behavior, determine ease of deployment, assess long-term manageability and most importantly, go beyond compliance testing to implement a world-class system for customers in the 4th quarter of 2013.

“TETRA is an ideal communications technology for airport and airline use,” said Carlos Fernandez, Vice President of Business Development for PowerTrunk.  “It uniquely combines telephone-like voice and data services with dynamically configurable group call capability in a single, privately operated radio network platform.”

Source: Powertrunk