Rohde & Schwarz (News - Alert) Topex SA, a provider of wireless test solutions, has commissioned an ATC communications system at Al Massira International Airport in Agadir, Morocco. The system encompasses a fully IP-based R&S VCS-4G voice communications system.

The Office National des Aeroports or ONDA, which is Morocco’s national airport authority, revealed that the new voice communications system (VCS) deployed by Rohde & Schwarz includes a new IP-based system. This leverages gateways to interconnect to existing radio stations and to PSTN, PBX (News - Alert) or telephones.

Also the VCS is based on a fully redundant architecture encompassing 14 controller working positions that are distributed across the airport covering different locations such as the tower, approach and technical room.

The new system is also integrated with the two existing VCSs used by ONDA in the control tower to share the radio resources by using special line switching devices. This enables the radio resources to be used from any of the three VCSs at Al Massira Airport.

Rohde & Schwarz Topex also delivered a bypass device as last resource which will ensure optimum radio communications always.

Officials explained that the all-IP approach of the R&S VCS-4G facilitates the deployment of  VPN-based communications with Casablanca and Inezgane airports. The presence of dedicated media gateways which have been installed at three locations will in turn provide secure voice over IP (VoIP) communications.

Rohde & Schwarz have ensured maximum standards compliance with VoIP in line with EUROCAE ED-137 which is the upcoming communications technology for ATC.

The fully IP-based R&S VCS-4G voice communications system was delivered by Rohde & Schwarz as an addition to the ATC portfolio in the spring of 2011. The R&S VCS-4G is designed according to a fully redundant design system. It features several interfaces to external systems including voice recording system and telephone lines. In addition the scalable system is expandable.

Recently Cetecom, a test laboratory picked Rohde & Schwarz to enhance their over-the-air testing capabilities with a new test system that includes LTE (News - Alert) multiple-input, multiple-output and 802.11n functionality.