Story ID: 
FAA Seeking Bids for Nexcom Deployment
By: Stephen Pope
Caption: The FAA later this year will begin asking avionics makers to submit bids for competitive contracts to produce prototype radio interface units (RIU) and gro
Word Count: 114
The FAA later this year will begin asking avionics makers to submit bids for competitive contracts to produce prototype radio interface units (RIU) and ground network interface units (GNIU) for demonstrations of the next-generation air/ground communications (Nexcom) program. FAA’s Nexcom program office is overseeing the transition to the future digital voice/data VHF radios, paving the way for controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC). The FAA recently selected ITT Industries Aerospace/Communications to provide the radio component for Nexcom in a contract worth at least $21 million. As part of the contract, the company in 2003 will begin installing some 37,000 VDL Mode 2/3 radios at 1,500 remote air-to-ground facilities serving the country’s 21 air route traffic control centers.