In recent years, we have seen the integration of air traffic management (ATM) and uncrewed traffic management (UTM) begin to disrupt traditional airspace management. In the very near future, UTM will have to support drones and urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles flying beyondvisual- line-of-sight (BVLOS). How do we communicate with these vehicles during the course of their flight? As we all know from dropped phone calls as we traverse different cell towers in our daily movements, there needs to be assurance the same won’t happen when communicating with flying vehicles. This highlights the need for test and measurement functionality to be incorporated into these solutions.
Q - Regarding the combination of critical infrastructure and test and measurement, why has Rohde & Schwarz taken this decision?
Today, the technology in use for these two topics is separate, but in the future we believe they will be integrated. This is getting closer and closer as the technology become more compatible. Critical infrastructure must always be kept secure and reliable. Air traffic control (ATC) functionality is considered critical infrastructure at some levels in most countries. The exact categorisation shifts from region to region but, at the simplest level, ATC must keep working. For example, in the Netherlands, ATC functionality has been categorised as critical infrastructure, while in Germany the federal government considers various areas of critical infrastructure and their associated level of threat to this functionality.
Within Rohde & Schwarz we have formed a dedicated business unit to work on these topics in an integrated fashion. The team members are learning from each other in order to bring the various topics together. This will enable us to enter new markets, such as maritime/ coastal communications, and reach more customers with existing or new solutions. One example of a cross-market scenario could be a private 5G network deployed in support of critical infrastructure.
Q - How do you leverage the product sets into a combined portfolio?
Let me provide a few examples of what is happening today. Airports are using counter-drone solutions based on spectrum monitoring. This technology actually identifies where drones are moving, as well as the drone’s pilot’s location based on the remote control’s signal. As more 5G private networks are installed at airports, the possibility for spectrum interference increases, not only between these networks but related to the communications with aircraft. In the US, concerns were raised by the Federal Aviation Authority in the last year that 5G could interfere with an aircraft’s altimeter. While spectrum measurements are performed to detect interference, this does not address all aspects. Hence, we are looking at bringing all the puzzle pieces together through active contribution to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standardisation working groups and by working closely with relevant regulation authorities worldwide.
Q - What does this mean to your target customers?
Given our volatile times, the definition and importance of critical infrastructure will expand. A very interesting case for communication testing from Rohde & Schwarz’s point of view is the use of private networks in critical infrastructures. There could also be technologies and lessons learned being transferred across industries. Cybersecurity is also a key topic as industries evolve, moving toward more software-based communications, integrating IT/OT functionality and the connection of more IoT devices. For our critical infrastructure customers, we aim to be their trusted technology partner, offering a one-stop shop for all their communication, monitoring and testing needs.
Q - How will you leverage your mobile experience into critical infrastructure markets?
It’s surprising how close the mobile network and ATC networks are correlated. As a result, it’s relatively easy for us to connect the dots in these networks and ensure they are ready for the future. While mobile networks are typically ahead in terms of technology adaptation, we can utilise the lessons learned and apply them in more safety-focused ATC networks.
Q - And your test and measurement experience?
Rohde & Schwarz is a leading test and measurement vendor and I have been fortunate enough to contribute to this over the last 20 years. We can leverage this expertise and technology when developing new ATC solutions. This isn’t only focused on voice-over-IP communications, but includes radios and antennas to provide a complete end-to-end solution based on in-house competencies. For example, voice quality is a crucial KPI in mobile and fixed networks and we have adopted this technology for the specific needs of ATC. As a result, voice quality in mission critical networks can be monitored and instantly visualised by our Advanced Voice Quality Assurance (AVQA) system.
Q - Let’s talk about what is happening in your organisation related to drones, UTM and UAM?
We have done coverage measurement for the communications network for drones at a large containership harbour. Utilising a drone equipped with our mobile network scanner, we performed flight tests close to the ground, at 25m and 70m altitude. At 25m we found many weak spots and at 70m there were areas with no coverage. We provide this information to network providers, drone operators and authorities so they can determine the best solution. We are confident that this will pave the way to establish the first flight corridors for UAM.
We also worked with Skyguide in Switzerland to develop a drone-based system for testing the performance of instrument landing systems (ILS) at airports. This solution significantly reduces the time and cost of conducting regular tests in comparison to traditional methods.
Q - Are telecoms showing interest in this area?
During 2022 there wasn’t much visible activity here, but since the beginning of the year and especially at Mobile World Congress and Airspace World the topic had a lot of interest. This is from the perspective of communications networks for drones, testing the performance of their mobile networks in order to support drones and using them for internal purposes. The last of these could include network infrastructure inspection or natural disaster mobile base station provisioning.
Article originally published in Air Traffic Management magazine, issue 2, 2023. Want to receive all of the latest stories as soon as they are published? Register now for your free digital subscription.
