The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded AT&T an initial $74.3 million task order to begin building a new nationwide telecommunications network for its air traffic control modernisation programme. The work sits under the FAA Enterprise Network Services initiative, which will replace legacy systems and form part of the agency’s broader plan for a brand new air traffic control system.
The first phase covers programme management, engineering, network design, transition planning from existing services, and testing and implementation support. The FAA expects the effort to grow into a multibillion-dollar indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with a possible term of up to 15 years, pending finalisation of longer-term terms.
The new network is designed to provide a secure, resilient IP platform linking more than 4,600 FAA facilities and about 30,000 services nationwide. The accelerated award is intended to keep the overhaul on schedule for completion by the end of 2028 and to support a smooth transition away from the current network architecture.