Request for Information - AERONAUTICAL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

04-Aug-2014

Name: Dennis L. Scanlon
Organization: AAQ-320
Region: FAA Headquarters (ATO-A)
Date: August 4, 2014
Responses due: August 25, 2014, Not Later Than 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time
Solicitation/Contract No.: Not Applicable
Phase: Not Applicable
Procurement Method: Market Analysis
Program Title: AERONAUTICAL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

FAA POINT OF CONTACT:

Dennis L. Scanlon, AAQ-320
FAA Contracting Officer
800 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 506
Washington, DC 20591
Telephone: 202-267-9422
E-mail: dennis.scanlon@faa.gov

ANNOUNCEMENT:

This Announcement is a Request for Information. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requesting information from wireless broadband communication service providers, system developers, and manufacturers as it considers procurement strategies for a possible Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communication System (AeroMACS) to provide wireless broadband communication services on the airport surface. The system would use the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) Forum profile of the existing IEEE802.16-2009 standard and operate in the internationally allocated dedicated aeronautical AM(R)S radio frequency spectrum from 5091-5150 MHz, with optional future expansion to include 5000 to 5030 MHz.

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION / MARKET SURVEY

Purpose:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requesting information from wireless broadband communication service providers, system developers, and manufacturers as it considers procurement strategies for a possible Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communication System (AeroMACS) to provide wireless broadband communication services on the airport surface. The system would use the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) Forum profile of the existing IEEE802.16-2009 standard and operate in the internationally allocated dedicated aeronautical AM(R)S radio frequency spectrum from 5091-5150 MHz, with optional future expansion to include 5000 to 5030 MHz.

Background:
The FAA would use AeroMACS to implement a dedicated wireless broadband aeronautical communication service on airport surface areas to support both flight safety and regularity. In certain circumstances, this technology would supplement or provide an alternative to existing wireline and fiber optics communications systems used on the airport surface. Those communications systems interface with critical airport systems such as Airport Surveillance Radars (ASRs), air/ground voice communication radio systems, and category II and III navigation aids (i.e. Instrument Landing Systems). AeroMACS may also be used to make connections to VHF Omni Directional Radio (VOR), weather stations (ASOS, AWOS, etc.) and other ancillary systems. Any implementation of this technology would include comprehensive test and evaluation to assure a highly reliable and available system.

AeroMACS itself is a broadband wireless communications technology based on the commercial WiMAX Forum profile of the existing IEEE802.16-2009 standard. AeroMACS has a series of completed system standards specification that include the following:

• WiMAX Forum Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS) Proforma
• Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communication System (AeroMACS) Profile, RTCA DO-345
• Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for the Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communication System (AeroMACS), RTCA-346

AeroMACS operates in the internationally allocated protected aeronautical frequency band from 5091 – 5150 MHz, with optional future expansion to include 5000 – 5030 MHz. This spectrum has been designated globally for surface operations at airports. As a Federal user, the FAA was granted NTIA Stage 4 (Operational) Certification of Spectrum Support for AeroMACS in the primary 5091-5150 MHz band in March 2013. However, before non-Federal users (e.g., airlines, airports, etc.) receive authorization to access the 5091-5150 MHz band, they must (1) receive permission from the FCC and (2) the FCC rulemaking process needs to be undertaken with an update to the Code of Federal Regulations Title 47 Part 87 to include rules for these new aeronautical systems for surface applications at airports (i.e., AeroMACS). This rulemaking process was initiated with the publication of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register Vol. 77, No. 248, 27 December 2012. Furthermore, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has plans to draft AeroMACS Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and to produce a Technical Manual. And, EUROCAE plans to draft Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MASPS) and the Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC) also has plans to develop AeroMACS related specifications.

Finally, the FAA, with its research partner NASA, has completed an extensive investigation and standardization of AeroMACS, including simulation and field testing using an AeroMACS prototype network located at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the adjacent NASA Glenn Research Center.

If the FAA determines it is in its best interest to conduct a procurement of an AeroMACS system, the requirement will include a an upgradable system that is reliable, flexible and scalable to make it sustainable through expected technological advancements in wireless broadband over the next ten to fifteen years.

This RFI seeks comment regarding the market viability of AeroMACS using WiMAX specified standards and the mid to long-term (7-15+years) potential for usage of this technology in the protected aeronautical frequency band. In particular, the FAA is interested in availability of current and future products such as: mobile devices, fixed stations, base stations, gateways, and other back-end supporting infrastructure, including security technologies and appliances. The FAA also requests comments regarding the future direction and technological evolution of the WiMAX standard and the wireless broadband market associated with it.

Instructions:
Responses not later than 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time on August 25, 2014. Submittals, including attachments, must be made electronically to the Contracting Officer, Dennis L. Scanlon, at the following email address: dennis.scanlon@faa.gov. Submissions must be in Microsoft Word format. Responders may make one response per company and are to be provided on company letterhead with an identified point of contact that includes: name, mailing address, telephone number and email address. 

Questions concerning this RFI/Market Survey must be directed to the Contracting Officer, Dennis L. Scanlon, at dennis.scanlon@faa.gov. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted.

As mentioned above, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requesting information from wireless broadband communication service providers, system developers, and manufacturers. Responses from other supporting service providers are not requested at this time. Service providers are companies that own, operate, and maintain equipment and infrastructure and provide communication services. System developers are companies that create, integrate, and test fully functional systems for customers. For purposes of this RFI, system integrators are system developers. Manufacturers are makers of wireless broadband equipment and software.

Questions:

1. What is your company or organization’s role in the wireless broadband market? Without limitation please include its size, number of subscriber devices, and systems delivered.
2. What is your company’s experience, if any, with wireless broadband aeronautical communication systems, including AeroMACS?
3. What is your company’s experience, if any, working in the National Airspace System (NAS)? Without limitation please include any experiences with testing and deploying equipment in the NAS.
4. What issues do you foresee for installing systems, testing, and operating in an airport environment that may differ from general commercial environments? Are there any known or anticipated issues that are more likely to more severely affect the FAA than experienced in general commercial environments?
5. What wireless broadband products, systems, or services are offered by your company? Without limitation please include a discussion of your end-user devices, base stations, infrastructure/backend equipment, software (authentication, authorization, accounting, gateways, network management, etc.), and security features and appliances that are routinely offered by your company.
6. For the products, systems, or services you offer, do they comply with the WiMAX standard IEEE802.16-2009 and the other recently published AeroMACS standards (the WiMAX Forum PICS, the AeroMACS Profile RTCA-DO-345, and the MOPS for AeroMACS RTCA-DO-346)? Without limitation please include a discussion of what certifications that your products, systems, or services have that show such compliance?
7. If your products, systems, or services do not comply with the recently published AeroMACS Profile (RTCA DO-345) and MOPS for AeroMACS (RTCA DO-346), what plans and progress, if any, have you made towards attaining conformance with these standards?
8. If any of your products, systems, or services has achieved partial compliance with the standards listed in questions 6 and 7, what is the extent of that progress?
9. What frequency bands do the products, systems, or services you regularly sell use?
10. If your products, systems, or services do not operate in the 5090 – 5150 MHz band, what is required for them to do so? Without limitation please include a discussion of the nature and extent of any technological or regulatory changes that will be needed.
11. How agile are your offered products in responding to WiMAX standards advances? How are the standards advances translated into equipment upgrades?
12. Are your products and systems interoperable with similar other-vendor products and systems? If so, without limitation please describe how that interoperability is accomplished, verified, and certified for other vendor’s end-user devices, gateways, management systems, and authentication, authorization, and accounting systems, including identity access management systems and other monitoring systems
13. To what degree are your products, systems, and services scalable, and if so, how do you accomplish this? Without limitation please include a discussion of the lifecycle of your products and systems and how evolutionary and technological product changes are handled.
14. What security features do you offer with your products, systems, or services provide and are there supplementary architecture changes or additional products the FAA should consider?
15. Do you have experience with FAA security policy and requirements?
16. If your products or components are manufactured overseas, what are the countries of origin?
17. What is your perspective on the future nature of the AeroMACS market using the WiMAX standards? Without limitation please include a discussion of how you envision the technology and the markets evolving in the mid to long term, how your company will meet those changes, and what the market using the aeronautical spectrum must look like to support a viable and sustainable industry over the long term (15+ years).
18. What size market in annualized revenue would trigger your interest in participation? Do you expect significant shifts in current prices in the next several years (e.g. minor decreases, major decreases, static prices, minor increases, major increases) and why do you expect this?

Small Business Set-Aside Determination:
The principle North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) codes applicable to this effort are: 334220 – Airborne Radio Communications Equipment Manufacturing and 517210 – Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except satellite). If you maintain that you meet Small Business Size Standards under Small Business Administration guidelines, state how you meet these standards and complete the attached Declaration. 

Additional Information:
This Request for Information is not an invitation to bid nor is it a Request for Proposal and this Request for Information is not an assurance that a procurement will occur. Information provided in response to this RFI/Market Survey is for the FAA’s informational purposes only and will not be released to the public. Proprietary information submitted must be marked as such. Responders are instructed to NOT submit information that it considers Bid and Proposal Information. 

The Government is not liable for costs associated with the preparation and submittal of inquiries or responses to this announcement and will not reimburse any costs incurred in responding to this public announcement.

Attachments:
Business Declaration Form

END OF ANNOUNCEMENT