Inmarsat SwiftBroadband: Capability to Support Aeronautical Safety Services

1
Inmarsat SwiftBroadbandCapability to Support
Aeronautical Safety Services

• Nikos Fistas, Phil Platt
• ACP Working Group C
• 10th Meeting,
• 13-17 March 2006, Montreal

European Organisation for the Safety of Air
Navigation
2
EUROCONTROL Study

• EUROCONTROL launched study at end 2004 with the
  aim ...
• of helping the aviation community to assess how
  Aero-BGAN could improve its communication
  infrastructure in fulfilling the aviation
  requirements, what would be the resulting concept
  of operation in different world regions, what are
  the expected associated cost, and how major
  institutional and business issues would be
  solved.
• AeroBGAN now called SwiftBroadband

3
Study Consortium

• Contract awarded to a consortium with key
  industry partners to carry out the study
• QinetiQ - leader
• Inmarsat
• SITA
• Thales Avionics
• EADS Astrium
• Consultation with Stakeholders e.g. through
  NexSAT SG, AEEC and ANASTASIA

4
Study Overview

• WP1 Technical Characteristics of SwiftBroadband
  and its potential to support ATS applications
• WP2 Institutional Issues
• WP3 Airborne Architectures
• WP4 Cost and Charges
• WP5 Executive Summary

5
WP1 Report Overview

• Overview of BGAN described
• SwiftBroadband features described
• Key points Edge of coverage performance, beam
  and satellite transition capabilities, narrow
  spot beam activation
• Potential for investigation into fall-back
  service in event of SwiftBroadband outage
• Comparison with NexSAT HLMR, COCR
• Identify shortcomings in SBB
• Possible upgrades described
• Priority, pre-emption and precedence
• Party line using 3G multicast
• Note
• Performance programme with production standard
  equipment now completed, SwiftBroadband avionics
  data available circa. mid 2007 data not available
  during the course of the project BGAN Beta test
• Annex with more detail on channel and coding
  rates supplied

6
WP1 - Packet Switched Service

• Data rates up to 432kbit/s
• High Speed internet access available globally
  from small terminals for all mobiles
• Based on IPv4
• Performance enhanced by TCP/IP accelerator to
  compensate for satellite delay
• DSL-class internet access
• Radio Resource Management (RRM) to maintain
  minimum data rates as required

7
WP1 - Circuit Switched ServicesVoice and Data

• Direct Dial Voice Service
• Optimised 4 kb/s AMBE2 codec
• global access and mobility (870 77)
• Voicemail Services
• Standard UMTS Supplementary Services
• ISDN Bearer Services (same as Swift64)
• 64 kb/s UDI Service to terrestrial ISDN networks
• 3.1kHz Audio Service for PCM voice, fax, and
  V-series modem support
• Text Messaging
• send to or receive from any SMS-capable device

8
WP1 - Terminal Types
SwiftBroadband
BGAN Mode
Existing mode
Existing mode
Aero high gain BGAN
Swift 64
-
regional
High gain (Class 6 UT)
Swift 64
-
regional

266

422
kbit
/s rx

64kbit/s ISDN MPDS

232

492
kbit
/s rx

64kbit/s ISDN MPDS

332

492
kbit
/s
tx

225

492
kbit
/s
tx
Aero H/H
-
global
Aero H/H
-
global
Voice, fax, PM data

Voice, fax, PM data

Voice, fax, PM data
Potential for Safety services
Safety services

Safety services

Aero I BGAN
Aero I
-
regional
Aero I
-
regional
Int. gain (Class 7 UT)

200

344
kbit
/s rx

2.4
kbit
/s fax and data

200

344
kbit
/s rx

2.4
kbit
/s fax and data

192

332
kbit
/s
tx

4.8
kbit
/s X.25

192

332
kbit
/s
tx

4.8
kbit
/s X.25
Voice, fax, PM data

Safety services

Safety services
Potential for Safety services
Aero low gain BGAN
Aero L
-
global
Low gain (Class 4 UT)
Aero L
-
global

tbd kbit
/s rx

1.2
kbit
/s PMD


1.2
kbit
/s PMD
36 - 50 kbit
/s rx
21 - 55 kbit
/s
tx

tbd kbit
/s
tx

Safety services


Safety services
Voice,PM data
Potential for Safety services

• Low gain (Class 4 UT) is a possible future
  service. It is being studied as part of Anastasia
  project

9
WP1 - IOR narrow spot beam coverage of ECAC

The map depicts Inmarsats expectations of
coverage but does not represent a guarantee of
service. The availability of service at the edge
of coverage areas fluctuate depending upon a
variety of conditions.
10
WP1 AOR(W) narrow spot beam coverage of ECAC
The map depicts Inmarsats expectations of
coverage but does not represent a guarantee of
service. The availability of service at the edge
of coverage areas fluctuate depending upon a
variety of conditions.
11
WP1 Additional features required for Safety
Service In Oceanic Airspace

• Priority and pre-emption (in aircraft, in RAN, in
  CN).
• Redundancy (in event of major satellite failure)
• Two approaches
• More SBB capable satellites
• If so must probably wait until next generation of
  Inmarsat satellites are available.
• Use Swift64 or classic as fallback
• Need redundant ground segment
• BGAN already provides this
• Mechanisms to switch quickly to redundant
  satellite
• Addressing is SIM addressing acceptable (as is
  today in SBB) or does it need to use ICAO
  address?
• Data connection
• Integration of IP bearer within ATS
  infrastructure

12
WP1 Additional features required for Safety
Service In Enroute Airspace

• As before plus
• Confirmation that Party line is needed
• Multiple SBB directional antennas needed
• Single antenna cannot meet availability criteria
  due to antenna key hole effects e.g. during
  banking
• Will need an omni service to allow operation to
  all aircraft in sector
• Capacity of SBB needs to be confirmed

13
WP1 ATS Requirements

• Requirements are key to assessing technology
  capability
• ATS communications requirements are complex
• need understood operational concept from which
  communication requirements can be drawn
• Comparison with COCR
• COCR timescale spans up to at least 2030 in two
  Phases
• Phase 1 completion is around 2020 with
  implementation starting now
• Phase 2 is beyond 2020
• SwiftBroadband is relevant to Phase 1 only as
  this is nearing the end of the planned satellite
  lifetime

14
WP1 - ATS Capacity Requirements

• Capacity - air/ground addressed - per service
  volume in kbps for Phase 1
• APTairport, ENR Enroute, ORP
  Oceanic/Remote/Polar
• HD high density, LD low density

15
WP1 Latency, Integrity and Availability
 
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WP1 - Potential use of SwiftBroadband for ATS

• Initial assessment of SBB not clear
• C,I, A figures needs to be confirmed

17
WP2 - Institutional Issues

• The business model has changed significantly
• LESOs are no longer in the supply chain
• Inmarsat continues to be a focussed wholesaler

18
WP2 Business model

• Inmarsat business model
• Classic aero service is supported on the I-4
  satellites and accessed under the existing
  arrangements
• BGAN is based on a different business model to
  classic aero services
• Service is operated through Inmarsat owned
  facilities
• Distribution Partners provide access to the
  service to end-users
• possibility that ANSPs in the future could have
  direct arrangement with Inmarsat

19
WP2 - Commercial Issues

• Existing CSPs will continue to offer Classic Aero
  services but cannot offer BGAN services without
  serving a cooling off period of 1 year.
• Inmarsat has negotiated agreements with 10 Land
  BGAN DPs.
• None yet for aero services, hence pricing
  undecided.
• SLAs yet to be defined.
• Inmarsat only liable for acts of gross
  negligence, wilful misconduct or fraud.
• Damages limited to US1M or previous 12 months
  wholesale charges
• Not clear yet if this will apply to aero
• Whatever arrangement is in place will flow on to
  ANSPs.

20
WP2 - Competitive Issues

• Two types of competition need to be considered.
• Inter-Service Competition
• Competition for satellite service provision
• Intra-Service Competition
• Competition within the supply chain between DPs,
  CSPs, etc.

21
WP 2 Risk Safety and Technical

• Can be broken down to Operational and Technical
  Risk
• Operational effect of failures, certification
  levels, SLAs
• Technical obsolescence, refurbishment,
  life-cycle planning.
• Conclusions
• Operational
• CNS systems must remain the tools of ATM
• Increased certification levels will make costs
  prohibitive
• Even with the highest availability levels
  failures will happen, hence workarounds are
  needed
• Commercial pressures will force DPs, CSPs to be
  more responsive.
• SLAs must cover more than techical performance
• Notification procedures, thresholds, escalation
  procedures, fault handling.

22
WP 2 Risk Safety and Technical

• Conclusions (contd)
• With no backup satellite, satellite failure is
  the biggest risk
• SwiftBroadband , as currently planned, can only
  be a supplementary means of communication for
  critical communications
• Additional satellites can remedy this
• Technical
• Life-Cycle Planning essential (for Inmarsat, DPs,
  CSPs)
• Plans for technological obsolescence needed
• Regular capacity planning
• Satellite Datalink traffic has doubled recently
• Avoidance of proprietary system components
• Alternatives needed for spares/upgrades

23
WP2 Risk Financial/Commercial

• Financial/Commercial Risk could affect both
  Service Providers and end-users.
• First the Service Providers
• Financial returns need to be adequate to fund
  capacity expansion.
• Experience with the Classic service has been
  that Inmarsat and SITA have funded capacity
  improvements for Earth Stations that they neither
  own nor operate.
• Change in Inmarsat business model will help
  overcome this issue
• Flat Price pricing models will hamper growth.
• These can be used if reviewed regularly or
  limited to specialised or niche services.
• Charges must bear some relationship to traffic
  levels.

24
WP2 Risk Financial/Commercial

• For End-Users
• Safety-related services longevity, stability
• A monopoly position would provide this however
  end-users would not enjoy the benefits of
  competition
• Competitive Price Pressure
• Improved Customer Service
• Rapid service introduction
• Most importantly, alternatives should a provider
  fail financially
• ICAO Acceptability Criteria require AMS(R)S
  providers to commit to provide service for six
  years.
• what happens when/if that provider fails
  financially?

25
WP2 Risk Financial/Commercial

• End-Users (contd)
• However we shouldnt have too much of a good
  thing!
• Why?
• Erosion of profit margins limits future
  investment.
• Instability providers entering and leaving
  market.
• Modest competition is the solution
• Benefits forthcoming without loss of financial
  incentives.
• The solution
• Strict enforcement of standards
• Natural barrier to entry
• Ensures portability.
• Guaranteed minimum service lifetime
• ICAO acceptability criteria a good start, needs
  to apply to all providers
• Reduced barriers to entry for non-performance/safe
  ty related issues.
• COTS not proprietary solutions.

26
WP 3 - Aircraft Architecture

• Target is to achieve significant equipage levels
  for both long-haul and short-haul/smaller
  aircraft to be useful as complementary system
• Long-haul aircraft are more likely to be equipped
  with High Gain Antenna SwiftBroadband system
• Short-haul/smaller aircraft unlikely unless small
  physical size and significantly cheaper
• Low gain system can be considered the common
  denominator
• Main issue to overcome is interruption of service
  due to manoeuvring of aircraft because of antenna
  keyholes
• Less of an issue for oceanic operation

27
WP3 - Interfaces To Cockpit-Data

• Current interface is
• Data2/Williamsburg/Arinc 429 (FANS 1/A)
• Data3/Williamsburg/Arinc 429 (ATN compatible)
• Key question is how this will migrate to the IP
  environment supported by SwiftBroadband
• Tunnel existing Data2/3 over IP
• Migrate to pure IP environment
• ICAO ACP is considering accommodating IP
• Where will this function reside
• In SDU?
• In another unit?
• Industry will need to consider this

28
WP4 - Costs and Charges

• Infrastructure costs -
• SwiftBroadband service support will be more
  complex (and expensive) due to
• Higher traffic levels, higher data rates
• A much broader range of services

29
WP4 - Capital Investments

• Avionics costs
• Long haul aircraft systems essentially paid for
  by passenger/airline applications
• Typical costs around 200-300K
• Short haul aircraft system justification may be
  more difficult - more cost attributable to ATS
  applications
• low cost solution needed - target cost around
  high end VHF radio
• Target figure identified in earlier NexSAT
  Steering Group meeting was in the order of 50k

30
WP4 - Recurring Costs

• Satellite Operator - space segment and ground
  station operating costs, service support systems
• DPs/CSPs network support costs, performance
  reporting, accounting/billing, customer support,
  help-desk
• Both entities also incur GSA costs as well as
  the costs to promote and market the respective
  services
• For DPs/CSPs, ATS represent premium services
• Higher performance levels and reporting
• Stricter SLAs
• More customer support
• More industry support required

31
WP4 Market Size

• Market Size somewhat uncertain uptake of new
  services will determine success or otherwise.
• Likely evolutionary paths are as follows
• New aircraft will be equipped with SBB (or
  equivalents)
• Existence of new passenger services will
  encourage greater use
• Web-surfing, streaming applications, VPN, e-mail
• New services may encourage airlines to equip
  short-haul and even regional aircraft
• An ATS mandate will increase penetration further
• We believe that this progression will occur in
  sequence

32
WP4 - Scenarios
33
WP4 Traffic Projections

• Inmarsat traffic projection model populated
  during the study gives the results for the
  scenarios
• Some observations
• The wide variation in outcomes means that
  providers must assume a large amount of risk.
• Providers are optimistic however this is based on
  three key provisions
• Low-cost avionics will support equipage on
  Short-Haul and Regional aircraft.
• Surveys reveal that a large proportion of
  business travellers would use their own
  cell-phone if they could.
• By 2015 a whole generation of travellers will
  have grown up with cell-phones and the internet.
  They will want to stay in touch!

34
WP4 Charging Models

• A range of possibilities
• the pay as you go model
• the fixed-price model
• DPs/CSPs prefer schemes where revenue is linked
  to usage
• Automatically helps fund capacity/service
  improvements
• End-Users prefer the all-inclusive fixed price
  model
• Predictable costs, ease of budgeting
• The likely outcome will be.

35
WP4 Future Charging Schemes

• Indications are that most airlines will make use
  of fixed-fee, multilink agreements
• Fee will be related to fleet size for airlines
• Stepped traffic allowances (to protect DPs, CSPs)
• Multilink means that the same fee will apply
  regardless of the link used
• ATS services will still be considered premium
  services

36
WP4 - Way ahead

• As mentioned under Institutional Issues,
  distribution agreements for SwiftBroadband have
  yet to be negotiated
• Until DPs know the wholesale price that they will
  be charged it is impossible to determine a
  realistic final user charge
• These are all subject to negotiation and hence
  are confidential
• What can be said is that unit prices will be
  significantly lower
• Usage will affect charge significantly

37
WP4 - Price Determination Process
38
WP4 - Communication Service pricing

• Various price models have been explored
• Factors that will finally determine the
  SwiftBroadband pricing policy include, but will
  not be limited to
• several pricing options and rates - finalised six
  months before the service launch
• Pricing of ATS messaging will have to take into
  account the specialised and significant
  infrastructure and support facilities needed for
  an aeronautical service

39
WP4 Enterprise (land) pricing

• Charging for BGAN land-mobile services is volume
  sensitive. When purchased in bulk by way of a
  package- plan, prices for the background IP
  service can vary between US3.75 to US6.95 per
  Megabyte.
• Voice services are not categorised according to
  traffic types and typically carry a charge of
  around a US1.00 per minute for regular circuit
  switched traffic.

40
Conclusions (1/2)

• Initial SwiftBroadband services aimed at
  passenger and some airline applications
• SwiftBroadband appears to have potential for ATS
  provision
• Meets capacity requirements in COCR Phase 1
• Will not meet availability requirements as a
  primary means
• Lack of satellite redundancy
• Aircraft antenna coverage key holes when
  manoeuvring
• Current lack of priority and pre-emption
• IP versus ATN
• Offers potential as complementary system
• could have indirect benefit for ATS by handling
  more capacity consuming AOC applications

41
Conclusions (2/2)

• Enhancements to BGAN infrastructure to enhance
  performance to meet ATS requirements possible
• but investments need to be justified throughout
  supply chain
• More information of the performance of
  SwiftBroadband will emerge as the service is
  introduced
• Unresolved issues will probably be addressed
  through the ANASTASIA project