Rohde & Schwarz has deployed its Certium IP-based voice communications system at Airways New Zealand’s Auckland and Christchurch centres
The voice communications system (VCS), which was commissioned at the end of October last year has a quad-redundant, distributed architecture that enables voice communications to operate seamlessly across multiple locations.
Gareth Evans, managing director of Rohde & Schwarz Australia said, “Certium VCS is enhancing Airways’ flexibility to manage their operations consistently across the country.
“Being based both in the North and the South Islands, the system is highly resilient, with the capacity to transfer airspace control between a control centre and its local contingency centre.”
Tranche two of the project will see Rohde & Schwarz and Airways extend the new system to towers across the New Zealand ATC network, and Rohde & Schwarz Australia will continue to provide support and maintenance under a 15-year contract.
Airways chief information officer Geoff Peck said the Rohde & Schwarz system will be extended to cover all of New Zealand’s airspace on any radio or console across the country.
“This was a very collaborative relationship, with the Airways technical team working very closely with Rohde & Schwarz developers and engineers to deliver a system tailored to meet our specific needs,” he said.
Rohde & Schwarz Australia’s head of ATC programs Daniel Wang noted the achievement of the successful ‘go-live’ was all the more rewarding given the project’s scale, complexity and circumstances.
“A globally distributed engineering team ensured the meticulous design, integration, verification and validation of the system against approximately 1,000 requirements, with 20% needing software adaptations,” Wang said.
“Pulling this together, while working across three time zones and coping with over 20 months of COVID-related travel restrictions is a testament to the success of the innovative approach we implemented and the trusted, collaborative working relationship Rohde & Schwarz and Airways have developed.”
Marius Münstermann, vice president ATC at Rohde & Schwarz said, “Certium IP-based VCS is a flexible, cost-effective and innovative solution for all ATC voice communications needs, meeting established requirements for availability, reliability and safety.
“These attributes, coupled with the growing need for dynamic ATC scenarios with network-based sharing and distribution of operational resources across multiple locations also known as Virtual Center make it a very attractive proposition for other air navigation service providers operating in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.”
Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its voice communication solutions both for civil and military use cases at Singapore Airshow (20 – 25 February 2024).