industry
New Maryland Facility to Produce Digital ATC Voice Switches
The FAA recently broke ground on a $40 million Maryland manufacturing plant that will produce digital communication switches for air traffic control. The facility will build Voice over Internet Protocol systems to replace aging analog switchboards nationwide, an upgrade spearheaded by a $5 billion contract with Rohde & Schwarz USA. For pilots, this transition to internet-based communications means a more resilient airspace, as the new technology allows the agency to instantly reassign controllers to handle understaffed sectors or weather events without requiring them to change physical locations.