New communications technology for Colombia’s ATC towers

The Civil Aviation Authority of Colombia (Aerocivil) is to install Rohde & Schwarz’s IP based voice communications system (VCS), CERTIUM, systems at 36 airports across the country.

The VCS technology will complement the over 1,000 CERTIUM air traffic control (ATC) radios Rohde & Schwarz has aleady installed in more than 80 Colombian airports.

CERTIUM VCS will be deployed in six main clusters, with each cluster covering several airports throughout a region.

Centralised monitoring and management is provided at each regional headquarters, via an Aerocivil wide area network. Uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) at each airport provide additional redundancy for each controller working position.

“We have a long lasting, successful relationship with our Colombian administration,” enthuses Rohde & Schwarz’s general manager for Colombia, Mauricio Samudio.

“This allows us to support Aerocivil’s digitalisation roadmap with solutions that allow them to continue safe operations and reliably meet future challenges.

“Covering the area from the Colombian Caribbean all the way to the Amazon rainforest, this contract is a milestone for ATC in the region.”