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Ekram Hossain, Editor in Chief
| Giancarlo Fortino | Andreas Molisch | Linda Shafer |
| David Alan Grier | Saeid Nahavandi | Mohammad Shahidehpour |
| Donald Heirman | Ray Perez | Sarah Spurgeon |
| Xiaoou Li | Jeffrey Reed | Ahmet Murat Tekalp |
This edition first published 2019
© 2019 the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
ISBN: 9781119281108
This book is dedicated to the memory of my father,
Abdul Hossain Kamali (1915–1973),
who was taken away from me unexpectedly,
but his quest for knowledge, his enthusiasm for technology,
and his insistence on the independent search for truth
have remained with me and inspired me.
Civil aviation plays a major role in driving sustainable global and national economic and social development. During the year 2015, civil aviation created 9.9 million jobs inside the industry, and directly and indirectly supported the employment of 62.7 million people around the world. The total global economic impact of civil aviation was $2.7 trillion (including the effects of tourism). In the same year, approximately 3.6 billion passengers were transported through air. The volume of freight carried via air reached 51.2 million tons. Today, the value of air-transported goods stands at $17.5 billion per day. Accordingly, in the year 2015, approximately 3.5% of global GDP was supported by civil aviation. Research conducted in the United States suggests that every $100 million dollars invested in aerospace yields an extra $70 million in GDP year after year1. In addition to economic prosperity, civil aviation brings about a number of social and human relation benefits, ranging from swift delivery of health care, emergency services, and humanitarian aid, to the promotion of peace and friendship among various groups of people through trade, leisure, and cultural experiences and exchanges.
The global air transportation system is a worldwide network, consisting of four components of airport and airport infrastructures, commercial aircraft operators, air navigation service providers, and the manufacturers of aircraft and associated components. The airport component plays a central role in air traffic management, air traffic control, and the management of national and global airspace systems. From the technical point of view air transportation operation is centered around three elements of communications, navigation, and surveillance. The safety of air transportation is critically linked to the availability of reliable aeronautical communication systems that support all aspects of air operations and air traffic management, including navigation and surveillance. Owing to the fact that flight safety is the highest priority in aviation, extreme measures must be taken to protect the aeronautical communication systems against harmful interference, malfunction, and capacity limitation.
In the early days of commercial aviation, the 1940s, analog AM radio over VHF band was adopted for aeronautical communications. This selection was made mostly for the reason that analog AM was the only fully developed and proven radio communications technology at the time. However, by the late 1980s, spectrum congestion in aeronautical VHF band, due to rapid growth in both commercial and general sectors of civil aviation, became a concern for the aviation community in the United States and in Europe. The concerns about inability of the legacy system to safely manage future levels of air traffic, called for modernization of air transportation systems. This in turn led to the initiatives of Next Generation Air Transportation System Integrated Plan (NextGen) in the United States, and European Commission Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) in Europe. A joint FAA-EUROCONTROL technology assessment study on communications for future aviation systems had already come to the conclusion that no single communication technology could satisfy all physical, operational, and functional requirements of various aeronautical transmission domains. Based on recommendations made by that study, a broadband wireless mobile communications technology based on IEEE 802.16e (Mobile WiMAX) was selected for airport surface domain, leading to the advent of aeronautical mobile airport communications system, AeroMACS, the subject of focus in this book.
Over the past few years AeroMACS has evolved from a technology concept to a deployed operating communications network over a number of major U.S. airports. Projections are that AeroMACS will be deployed across the globe by the year 2020. It is worth noting that AeroMACS, as a new broadband data link able to support the ever-expanding air traffic management communications requirements, is emerging out of the modernization initiatives of NextGen and SESAR, and therefore should be considered to be an integral and enabling part of both NextGen and SESAR visions.
The main feature of this book is its pioneering focus on AeroMACS, representing, perhaps, the first text written entirely on the technology and how it relates to its parental standards (although book chapters on the subject have been published previously). The text is prepared, by and large, from a system engineering perspective, however, it also places emphasis on the description of IEEE 802.16e standards and how they can be tied up with communications requirements on the airport surface. A second contribution that this book aspires to make; when viewed on the whole, is to provide a complete picture of the overall process of how a new technology is developed based on an already established standard, in this case IEEE 802.16e standards. AeroMACS, like its parent standards, mobile WiMAX and IEEE 802.16-2009 WirelessMAN, is a complex technology that is impossible to fully describe in a few hundred pages. Nonetheless, it is hoped that this book will be able to provide an overall understanding of several facets of this fascinating technology that will be a key component of modern global air transportation systems. Another feature of this text is the simplicity of the language that is used for the description of complicated concepts. Efforts have also been made, to the extent possible and despite all the challenges, to make this book self-contained. To this end, review chapters are included and a large number of footnotes are provided in each chapter.
This book, for the most part, reflects the results of the author's research activities in the field of aeronautical communications in conjunction with several summer research fellowships at NASA Glenn Research Center. The book consists of eight chapters. Chapter 1 presents an introduction to the applications of wireless communications in the airport environment. The chapter portrays a continuous picture of the evolution of airport surface communications techniques from the legacy VHF analog AM radio, to the appearance of digital communications schemes for various airport surface functionalities, and to the making of the AeroMACS concept. The rationales and the reasons behind the emergence of AeroMACS technology are described. The large arenas over which AeroMACS will operate, that is, the National Airspace System (NAS) and the International Airspace System, are concisely overviewed. The Federal Aviation Administration's NextGen and European SESAR programs, planned to transform and modernize air transportation, are discussed as well. Auxiliary wireless and wireline systems for airport surface communications, including airport fiber optic cable loop system, are briefly covered in the conclusion.
In modern wireless communication theory, a formidable challenge is the integration of an astonishing breath of topics that are tied together to provide the necessary background for thorough understanding of a wireless technology such as AeroMACS. It is no longer possible to separate signal processing techniques, such as modulation and channel coding, from antenna systems (traditionally studied as a topic in electromagnetic theory), and from networking issues involving physical layer and medium access control sublayer protocols. To this end, Chapter 2 is the first of the three review chapters in which two topics of cellular networking and wireless channel characterizations are addressed. The main objective for this and other review chapters is to ensure, as much as possible, that the text is self-contained. This approach is conducive to the understanding of the cellular architecture of the network and the challenges posed by airport surface radio channel in design, implementation, and deployment stages of AeroMACS systems.
Chapter 3, authored by Dr. David Matolak of the University of South Carolina, is dedicated to the airport surface radio channel characterization over the 5 GHz band. The chapter commences with describing the motivation and the need for this topic, followed by some background on wireless channels and modeling, and specific results for the airport surface channel. An extensive airport surface area channel measurement campaign is summarized. Example measurement results for RMS delay spread, coherence bandwidth, and small-scale fading Rician K-factors are provided. Detailed airport surface area channel models over the 5 GHz band, in the form of tapped-delay lines, are then presented.
Chapter 4 is the second review chapter, focusing on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), coded OFDM, orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA), and scalable OFDMA (SOFDMA). OFDMA is an access technology that offers significant advantages for broadband wireless transmission over its rival technologies such as CDMA. Accordingly, it is shared by a number of contemporary wireless telecommunication networks, including IEEE 802.16-Std-based networks such as WiMAX and AeroMACS. The primary advantage of OFDMA over rival access technologies is the ability of OFDM to convert a wideband frequency selective fading channel to a series of narrowband flat fading channels. This is the mechanism by which frequency selective fading effects of hostile multipath environments, such as the airport surface channel, are mitigated or eliminated altogether. Performance of channel coding in OFDM, that is, modulation–coding combination, is explored in this chapter, providing some background for understanding of adaptive modulation coding (AMC) scheme discussed in later chapters. Scalable OFDMA, which presents a key feature of mobile WiMAX networks, is covered in some detail.
Chapter 5 provides a brief review on IEEE 802.16-2009 and IEEE 802.16j-2009 standards as well as an overview on Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX); an IEEE 802.16-standard-based broadband access solution for wireless metropolitan area networks. AeroMACS mandatory and optional protocols are a subset of those inherited by mobile WiMAX from IEEE 802.16e standards. The main purpose of this review chapter is to provide technical background information on various algorithms and protocols that support AeroMACS networks. A high point of WiMAX technology is the fact that only physical (PHY) layer and medium access control (MAC) sublayer protocols have been defined while the higher layer protocols and the core network architecture are left unspecified to be filled by other technologies such as IP network architecture. The backbone of WiMAX technology is formed by OFDMA, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) concept, and IP architecture, all inherited by AeroMACS networks.
Chapter 6 is entirely dedicated to AeroMACS, providing an introduction to information related to the creation, standardization, and test and evaluation (through test beds) of this aviation technology. The core of this chapter is the AeroMACS standardization process that starts with technology selection. In contrast with assembling a proprietary dedicated technology, AeroMACS is constructed based on an interoperable version of IEEE 802.16-2009 standards (mobile WiMAX). The advantages of using an established standard are listed in the chapter. The IEEE 802.16e standard brings with itself a large number of PHY layer and MAC sublayer optional and mandatory protocols to select from for any driven technology. The WiMAX Forum System Profile Version 1.09, which assembles a subset of the IEEE standard protocols together, is such a technology that was selected as the parent standard for AeroMACS. Based on this selection, RTCA has developed a profile for AeroMACS. An overview of AeroMACS profile is presented in Chapter 6. Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) was developed almost simultaneously with the AeroMACS Profile by RTCA and EUROCAE. The last pieces of standardization process for AeroMACS to follow, as the chapter explains, were Minimum Operation Performance Standards (MOPS) and Minimum Aviation System Standards (MASPS). Finally, the AeroMACS standardization documents became a source for developments of an AeroMACS technical manual and an installation guide document. Potential airport surface services and functionalities that may be carried by AeroMACS are also addressed in Chapter 6. The chapter elaborates on AeroMACS test bed configuration and summarizes the early test and evaluation results, as well.
Chapter 7 explores AeroMACS as a short-range high-aggregate-data-throughput broadband wireless communications system, and concentrates on the detailed characterization of AeroMACS PHY layer and MAC sublayer features. AeroMACS main PHY layer feature is its multipath resistant multiple access technology, OFDMA, which allows 5 MHz channels within the allocated ITU-regulated aeronautical C-band of 5091–5150 MHz. The duplexing method is TDD, which enables asymmetric signal transmission over uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) paths. Adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) is another key physical layer feature of AeroMACS network. AMC allows for a proper combination of a modulation and coding schemes commensurate with the channel conditions. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and smart antenna systems are another PHY layer feature of AeroMACS networks. The chapter also discusses AeroMACS MAC sublayer. In particular, scheduling, QoS, ARQ system, and handover (HO) procedure are described. AeroMACS network architecture and Network Reference Model (NRM) are discussed. It is explained that AeroMACS is planned to be an all-IP network that supports high-rate packet-switched air traffic control (ATC) and Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC) services for efficient and safe management of flights, while providing connectivity to aircraft, operational support vehicles, and personnel within the airport area. Finally, the chapter highlights the position and the role of the AeroMACS network within the larger contexts of the Airport Network and the global Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN).
The core idea of Chapter 8 is the demonstration of the fact that the IEEE 802.16j Amendment is highly feasible to be utilized as the foundational standard upon which AeroMACS networks are developed. This amendment enables the network designer to use the multihop relay as yet another design option in their device arsenal set. The chapter contains a great deal of information regarding the applications and usage scenarios for multihop relays in AeroMACS networks. Since the C-band spectrum allocated for AeroMACS is shared by other applications, interapplication interference (IAI) becomes a critical issue. It is shown, through a preliminary simulation study, that deployment of IEEE 802.16j AeroMACS poses no additional IAI to coallocated applications. An important consideration, given the AeroMACS constraints in both bandwidth and power, is how to increase AeroMACS capacity for accommodation of all assigned existing and potential future fixed and mobile services. This chapter demonstrates that gains that can be derived from the addition of IEEE 802.16j multihop relays to the AeroMACS standard can be exploited to improve capacity or to extend radio outreach of the network with no additional spectrum required. Hence, it is shown that it would make sense to allow the usage of relays, at least as an option, in AeroMACS networks. Furthermore, it is pointed out that it would always be possible to incorporate IEEE 802.16j standards into AeroMACS networks, even if the network is originally rolled out as an IEEE 802.16-2009-based network. The chapter introduces the key concept of “multihop gain” with a detailed analysis that quantifies this gain for a simple case. The chapter concludes with a strong case made in favor of IEEE 802.16j-based AeroMACS networks.
This book can serve as a professional text assisting experts involved in research, development, deployment, and installation of AeroMACS systems. It can also be used as an academic textbook in wireless communications and networking, with case study application of WiMAX and AeroMACS, for a senior level undergraduate course or for a graduate level course in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science programs.
The specific list of professional groups and individuals who may benefit from this text includes engineers and technical professionals involved in the R&D of AeroMACS systems, technical staff of government agencies working in aviation sectors, technical staff of private aviation firms all over the world involved in manufacturing of AeroMACS equipment, engineers and professionals who are interested or active in the design of standard-based wireless networks, and new researchers in wireless network design.
Although composed by a single author (or few authors), technical texts are drawn from the contributions of a large number of experts and the immense quantity of literature that they have created. I would like to acknowledge the groundbreaking research and development efforts of many researchers and engineers in the aviation industry, research institutions, academia, and national and international standardization bodies, whose contributions were instrumental in creating the groundwork for this book. In particular, I am appreciative to NASA Glenn Research Center's Communication, Control, and Instrumentation group.
I am deeply grateful to Robert J. Kerczewski of NASA Glenn Research Center for introducing me to AeroMACS technology and providing me with the opportunity to conduct research in AeroMACS area during my several summer research fellowships at NASA Glenn, and for being so generous with his time for discussion and exchange of ideas. Special thanks and appreciation is extended to Dr. David W. Matolak of the University of South Carolina for contributing Chapter 3 on the key topic of airport channel characterization over the 5 GHz band. I would also like to thank my NASA colleagues Rafael Apaza and Dr. Jeffery Wilson for sharing their insights on AeroMACS technology.
Special note of gratitude goes to John Wiley & Sons, Inc. publishing team, in particular to my editor, Mary Hatcher, for her continuous assistance and support for this book from proposal to production. I am also grateful to anonymous reviewers for their careful reading of the manuscript and their insightful comments and suggestions that have improved the quality of this book.
I would also like to recognize and appreciate the assistance that I have received from my former graduate student Laila Wise, who meticulously plotted some of the curves that I have included in Chapter 2. Last but not the least, I wish to express my appreciation to my life partner, Angela J. Manson, for her nonstop encouragement, patience, affection, and constructive editorial suggestions throughout the preparation of this book; without her support and love this book would not have been completed.
Behnam Kamali
| A | |
| AAA | Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting |
| A/A | Aircraft-to-Aircraft or Air-to-Air |
| AAS | Adaptive Array System |
| ABS | Advanced Base Station |
| ACARS | Aircraft Communications and Addressing Reporting System |
| ACAST | Advanced CNS Architectures and Systems Technologies |
| ACF | Area Control Facility |
| ACI | Adjacent Channel Interference |
| ACK | ARQ/HARQ positive acknowledgement |
| ACM | ATC Communications Management |
| ACP | Aeronautical Communications Panel |
| ACSP | Aeronautical Communication Service Provider |
| ADS | Automatic Dependent Surveillance |
| ADS-B | Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast |
| ADSL | Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Links |
| AeroMACS | Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System |
| AES | Advanced Encryption Standard |
| A/G | Air-to-Ground |
| AI | Aeronautical Information |
| AIP | Airport Improvement Program (Plan) |
| AIP | Aeronautical Information Publication |
| AIRMET | Airmen's Meteorological Information |
| AIS | Aeronautical Information Services |
| AM | Amplitude Modulation |
| AMC | Adaptive Modulation Coding |
| AMC | ATC Microphone Check |
| AMPS | Advanced Mobile Phone Services |
| AM(R)S | Aeronautical Mobile Route Services |
| AMS | Advanced Mobile Station |
| ANC | Air Navigation Conference |
| ANSP | Air Navigation Service Provider |
| AOC | Airline Operational Control |
| AP | Action Plan |
| APN | Airline Private Networks |
| APCO | Association of Public Safety Communications Officials-International |
| ARINC | Aeronautical Radio Incorporation |
| ARQ | Automatic Repeat Request |
| ARTCC | Air Route Traffic Control Center |
| ASA | Adjacent Subcarrier Allocation |
| ASA | Airport Surface Area |
| ASBU | Aviation System Block Upgrade |
| ASDE | Airport Surface Detection Equipment |
| ASN | Access Service Network |
| ASN-GW | Access Service Network Gateway |
| ASP | Application Service Provider |
| ASR | Airport Surveillance Radar |
| ASSC | Airport Surface Surveillance Capability |
| ATC | Air Traffic Control |
| ATCBI | Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator |
| ATCT | Air Traffic Control Tower |
| ATIS | Automatic Terminal Information Service |
| ATM | Air Traffic Management |
| ATN | Aeronautical Telecommunications Network |
| AWG | Aviation Working Group |
| AWGN | Additive White Gaussian Noise |
| B | |
| BBC | British Broadcasting Company |
| BC | Boundary Coverage |
| BE | Best Effort |
| BER | Bit Error Rate |
| BFSK | Binary Frequency Shift Keying |
| BFWA | Broadband Fixed Wireless Applications |
| BGP | Border Gate Protocol |
| BPSK | Binary Phase Shift Keying |
| BR | Bandwidth Request |
| BS | Base Station |
| BSID | Base Station ID |
| BSN | Block Sequence Number |
| BTC | Block Turbo Code |
| BTS | Base Transceiver Station |
| B-VHF | Broadband VHF |
| BWA | Broadband Wireless Access |
| C | |
| CC | Convolutional Code |
| CCI | Co-Channel Interference |
| CCM | Counter with Cipher-block chaining Message authentication code |
| CCRR | Co-Channel Reuse Ratio |
| CCTV | Close Circuit Television |
| CDM | Collaborative Decision Making |
| CDMA | Code Division Multiple Access |
| CE | Cyclic Extension |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulation |
| CID | Connection Identifier |
| CINR | Carrier to Interference and Noise Ratio |
| CIR | Channel Impulse Response |
| CLCS | Cable Loop Communications Systems |
| CLE | Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport |
| CM | Context Management |
| CMAC | Cipher-based Message Authentication Code |
| CNR | Carrier-to-Noise Ratio |
| CNS | Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance |
| COCR | Communications Operating Concept and Requirements |
| COFDM | Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing |
| CO-MIMO | Cooperative MIMO |
| COST | European Cooperation for Scientific and Technical Research |
| COTS | Commercial Off of The Shelf |
| CP | Cyclic Prefix |
| CPDLC | Controller–Pilot Data Link Communications |
| CPE | Customer Premises Equipment |
| CPS | Common Part Sublayer |
| CQI | Channel Quality Indicator |
| CQICH | Channel Quality Indicator Channel |
| CRC | Cyclic Redundancy Check |
| CRD | Clearance Request and Delivery |
| CRSCC | Circular Recursive Systematic Convolutional Code |
| CS | Convergence Sublayer (Service Specific Convergence Layer) |
| CSA | Commercial Service Airports |
| C-SAP | Control-Service Access Point |
| CSI | Channel State Information |
| CSMA | Carrier Sense Multiple Access |
| CSN | Connectivity Service Network |
| CTC | Convolutional Turbo Code |
| CTF | Channel Transfer Function |
| CWG | Certification Working Group |
| D | |
| DAB | Digital Audio Broadcasting |
| DAL | Design Assurance Levels |
| D-ATIS | Digital Automatic Terminal Information System |
| D-AUS | Data Link Aeronautical Update Service |
| DBFSK | Differential Binary Phase Shift Keying |
| DCL | Departure Clearance |
| DFF | D (Delay) Flip-Flop |
| D-FIS | Digital Flight Information Services |
| DFT | Discrete Fourier Transform |
| DHCP | Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol |
| DHS | Department of Homeland Security |
| DIUC | DL Interval Usage Code (DIUC) |
| D-LIGHTING | Active Runway Lighting Systems |
| DME | Distance Measuring Equipment |
| D-NOTAM | Digital Notice to Airmen |
| DOCSIS | Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification |
| DOC | Department of Commerce |
| DOD | Department of Defense |
| DOT | Departments of Transportation |
| D-OTIS | Downlink (DL) Operational Terminal Information Service |
| DPSK | Differential Phase Shift Keying |
| DRNP | Dynamic Required Navigation Performance |
| DRR | Deficit Round-Robin |
| D-RVR | Download Runway Visual Range |
| DSB | Double Side Band |
| DSB-TC | Double Sideband Transmitted Carrier |
| D-SIG | Digital (or DL) Surface Information Guidance |
| DSP | Digital Signal Processing |
| DSSS | Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum |
| D-TAXI | Data Link Taxi |
| 4DTRAD | 4-D Trajectory Data Link |
| D-WPDS | Data Link Weather Planning Decision Service |
| E | |
| EAP | Extensible Authentication Protocol |
| ECC | Error Correction Coding |
| EDF | Earliest Deadline First |
| EDS | Evenly Distributed Subcarrier |
| EFB | Electronic Flight Bag |
| ERIP | Effective Isotropic Radiated Power |
| ertPS | Extended Real-Time Polling Services |
| ESMR | Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio |
| EUROCAE | European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment |
| EUROCONTROL | European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation |
| F | |
| FAA | Federal Aviation Administration |
| FAR | Federal Aviation Regulations |
| FBSS | Fast Base Station Switching |
| FCH | Frame Control Header |
| FCI | Future Communications Infrastructure |
| FCS | Future Communications Studies |
| FDD | Frequency Domain (Division) Duplexing |
| 4DTRAD | 4D Trajectory Data Link |
| FDM | Frequency Division Multiplexing |
| FDMA | Frequency Division Multiple Access |
| FEC | Forward Error Correction |
| FER | Frame Error Rate |
| FFR | Fractional Frequency Reuse |
| FFT | Fast Fourier Transform |
| FH | Frequency Hopping |
| FIFO | First-In-First-Out |
| FirstNet | First Responder Network Authority |
| FIS | Flight Information Services |
| FL | Forward Link |
| FM | Frequency Modulation |
| FMS | Flight Management System |
| FOM | Flight Operations Manual |
| FRF | Frequency Reuse Factor |
| FSS | Flight Service Stations |
| FTP | File Transfer Protocol |
| FUSC | Full Usage of Subchannels |
| FWA | Fixed Wireless Access |
| G | |
| GA | General Aviation |
| G/A | Ground-to-Air |
| GANP | Global Air Navigation Plan |
| GF | Galois Field |
| G/G | Ground to Ground |
| GMH | Generic MAC Header |
| GoS | Grade of Service |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| GRE | Generic Routing Encapsulation |
| GRC | Glenn Research Center |
| GTG | Graphical Turbulence Guidance |
| H | |
| HARQ | Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest |
| HDSL | High-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Links |
| HDTV | High Definition Television |
| HF | High Frequency |
| HFDD | Half Frequency Division Duplexing |
| HHO | Hard Handover |
| HMAC | Hash Message Authentication Code |
| HNSP | Home Network Service Provider |
| HO | Handover, Handoff |
| HTTP | Hypertext Transport Protocol |
| I | |
| IAI | Inter-Application Interference |
| IAIP | Integrated Aeronautical Information Package |
| IATA | International Air Transport Association |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
| ICI | Inter Carrier Interference |
| ICIC | Inter-Cell Interference Coordination |
| IDFT | Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform |
| IDR | Inter Domain Routers |
| IEEE | The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers |
| IER | Information Exchange and Reporting |
| IETF | Internet Engineering Task Force |
| IFFT | Inverse Fast Fourier Transform |
| IFR | Instrument Flight Rules |
| IMT | International Mobile Telecommunications |
| IP | Internet Protocols |
| IPS | Internet Protocol Suite |
| IPTV | Internet Protocol Television |
| IPv6 | Internet Protocols Version 6 |
| ISDN | Integrated Services Digital Network |
| ISG | Internet Service Gateway |
| ISI | Intersymbol Interference |
| ISL | Instrument Landing System |
| ISM | Industrial, Scientific, Medical |
| ITS | Intelligent Transportation System |
| ITT | International Telephone & Telegraph |
| ITU | International Telecommunication Union |
| ITU-R | International Telecommunication Union-Radiocommunication |
| J | |
| JPDO | Joint Planning and Development Office |
| L | |
| LAN | Local Area Network |
| LCR | Level Crossing Rate |
| LDL | L-band Data Link |
| LDPC | Low Density Parity Check |
| LEO | Low Earth Orbit |
| LMR | Land Mobile Radio |
| LOS | Line of Sight |
| LOS-O | LOS-Open |
| LSB | Least Significant Bit |
| LTE | Long Term Evolution |
| M | |
| MAN | Metropolitan Area Network |
| MAP | Media Access Protocol |
| MASPS | Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards |
| MBR | Maximum Burst Rate |
| MBS | Multicast-Broadcast Service |
| MCBCS | Multicast and Broadcast Services |
| MCM | Multicarrier Modulation |
| MDHO | Micro Diversity Handover |
| MET | Meteorological Data |
| METARS | Meteorological Aerodrome Reports |
| MFD | Multifunction Display |
| MIMO | Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output |
| ML | Maximum Likelihood |
| MLS | Microwave Landing System |
| MLT | Maximum Latency Tolerance |
| MMR | Mobile Multihop Relay |
| MODEM | Modulation/Demodulation |
| MOPS | Minimum Operational Performance Standards |
| MPC | Multipath Component |
| MPSK | M-ary Phase Shift Keying |
| MR-BS | Multihop Relay-Base Station |
| MRS | Minimum Receiver Sensitivity |
| MRTR | Minimum Reserved Traffic Rate |
| MS | Mobile Station |
| M-SAP | Management-Service Access Point |
| MSB | Most Significant Bit |
| MSC | Mobile Switching Center |
| MSP | Master-Slave Protocol |
| MSS | Mobile Satellite Service |
| MSTR | Maximum Sustained Traffic Rate |
| MTSO | Mobile Telephone Switching Office |
| MU-MIMO | Multiple User MIMO |
| N | |
| NACK | Negative ARQ/HARQ Acknowledgement |
| NAP | Network Access Provider |
| NAS | National Airspace System |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NASP | National Airport System Plan |
| NAVAID | Navigation Aids |
| NCMS | Network Control and Management System |
| NextGen | Next Generation Air Transportation System |
| NLOS | None Line of Sight |
| NLOS-S | NLOS-Specular |
| NNEW | Network Enabled Weather |
| NOTAM | Notice to Airman |
| NPIAS | National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems |
| NRM | Network Reference Model |
| nrtPS | Non-Real-Time Polling Services |
| NRT-VR | Non-Real-Time Variable Rate |
| NSNRCC | Non-Systematic Non-Recursive Convolutional Code |
| NSP | Network Service Provider |
| NTIA | National Telecommunications and Information Administration |
| NTIS | National Traffic Information Service |
| NWG | Network Working Group |
| O | |
| OCL | Oceanic Clearance Delivery |
| OFDM | Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing |
| OFDMA | Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access |
| OFUSC | Optional FUSC |
| OOOI | Out, Off, On, In (time) |
| OPUSC | Optional PUSC |
| OSI | Open System Interconnection |
| OTIS | Operational Traffic Information System |
| P | |
| PAPR | Peak-to-Average Power Ratio |
| PBN | Performance Based Navigation |
| PCS | Personal Communications Systems |
| PDC | Pre-Departure Clearance |
| Probability Density Function | |
| PDP | Power Delay Profile |
| PDU | Protocol Data Unit |
| PDV | Packet Delay Variation |
| PIB | Pre-flight Information Bulletins |
| PKM | Privacy Key Management |
| PKMv2 | Privacy Key Management version 2 |
| PMDR | Private Mobile Digital Radio |
| PMP | Point-to-Multipoint |
| PMR | Private/Professional Mobile Radio |
| PN | Pseudo Noise |
| PS | Public Safety |
| PSC | Public Safety Communications |
| PSD | Power Spectral Density |
| PSTN | Public Switched Telephone (Telecommunications) Networks |
| PUSC | Partial Usage of Subchannels |
| Q | |
| QAM | Quadrature Amplitude Modulation |
| QoC | Quality of Communication |
| QoS | Quality of Service |
| QPSK | Quadrature Phase Shift Keying |
| R | |
| RADIUS | Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service |
| RARA | Rate Adaptive Resource Allocation |
| R&O | Report and Order |
| RCPC | Rate Compatible Punctured Convolutional Code |
| RCF | Remote Communications Facility |
| RDS | Randomly Distributed Subcarrier |
| RFI | Radio Frequency Interference |
| RL | Reverse Link |
| R-MAC | Relay Media Access Control |
| RMM | Remote Maintenance and Monitoring |
| RMS-DS | Root-Mean Square Delay Spread |
| RP | Reference Point |
| RR | Round-Robin |
| RRA | Radio Resource Agent |
| RRC | Radio Resource Controller |
| RRM | Radio Resource Management |
| RS | Relay Station |
| RS | Reed Solomon |
| RSS | Received Signal Strength |
| RSSI | Received Signal Strength Indicator |
| RTCA | Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics |
| RTG | Receive Time Gap |
| rtPS | Real-Time Polling Services |
| RTR | Remote Transmitter Receiver |
| RT-VR | Real-Time Variable Rate |
| RVR | Runway Visual Range |
| Rx | Receiver |
| S | |
| SA | Security Association |
| SANDRA | Seamless Aeronautical Networking Through Integration of Data Links, Radios, and Antennas |
| SAP | Service Access Point |
| SARPS | Standards and Recommended Practices |
| SAS | Smart Antenna System |
| SBS | Surveillance Broadcast System |
| SBS | Serving Base Station |
| SC | Single Carrier |
| SC | Special Committee |
| SD | Stationarity Distance |
| SDU | Service Data Unit |
| SESAR | European Commission Single European Sky ATM Research |
| SF | Service Flow |
| SFID | Service Flow Identifier |
| SHO | Soft Handover |
| SIGMET | Significant Meteorological Information |
| SIM | Subscriber Identify Module |
| SINR | Signal-to-Interference-Plus-Noise Ratio |
| SIP | Session Initiation Protocol |
| SIR | Signal to Co-Channel Interference Ratio |
| SISO | Single-Input Single-Output |
| SLA | Service Level Agreements |
| SMR | Specialized Mobile Radio |
| SNR | Signal-to-Noise Ratio |
| SOFDMA | Scalable Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access |
| SONET | Synchronous Optical Network |
| SPWG | Service Provider Working Group |
| SS | Stationary (Subscriber) Station |
| STBC | Space-Time Block Code |
| STC | Time Space Coding |
| Std. | Standard |
| STDMA | Self-Organized Time Division Multiple Access |
| STTC | Space-Time Trellis Code |
| STTD | Space-Time Transmit Diversity |
| SU-MIMO | Single User MIMO |
| SWIM | System Wide Information Management |
| T | |
| TBCC | Tail Biting Convolution Codes |
| TBS | Target Base Station |
| T-CID | Tunneling Connection Identifier |
| TCM | Trellis Coded Modulation |
| TCP | Transmission Control Protocol |
| TDD | Time Division (Domain) Duplexing |
| TDL | Tapped-Delay Line |
| TDLS | Tower Data Link System |
| TDM | Time Division Multiplexing |
| TDMA | Time Division Multiple Access |
| TDLS | Tower Data Link System |
| TETRA | Terrestrial Trunk Radio |
| 3GPP | Third Generation Partnership Project |
| TIA | Telecommunications Industry Association |
| TLV | Type, Length, Value |
| TO | Transmission Opportunities |
| ToR | Terms of References |
| TR | Transmitter Receiver |
| TRACON | Terminal Radar Approach Control |
| TSO | Technical Standard Orders |
| TTG | Transmit Time Gap |
| TUSC1 | Tile Usage of Subchannels 1 |
| TUSC2 | Tile Usage of Subcarrier 2 |
| TWG | Technical Working Group |
| Tx | Transmitter |
| U | |
| UA (γ) | Percentage of Useful Area Coverage when Receiver Sensitivity is γ dB |
| UAT | Universal Access Transceiver |
| UCA | Useful Coverage Area |
| UGS | Unsolicited Grant Services |
| UISC | UL Interval Usage Code |
| US | Uncorrelated Scattering |
| USAS | User Applications and Services Survey |
| USIM | Universal Subscriber Identify Module |
| UWB | Ultrawideband |
| V | |
| VDL | VHF Data Link |
| VHF | Very High Frequency |
| VLSI | Very Large-Scale Integration |
| VNSP | Visited Network Service Provider |
| VoIP | Voice over Internet Protocols |
| VOLMET | French acronym of VOL (flight) and METEO (weather) |
| W | |
| WAAS | Wide Area Augmentation System |
| WDM | Wavelength Division Multiplexing |
| WFQ | Weighted Fair Queue |
| Wi-Fi | Wireless Fidelity |
| WiMAX | Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access |
| WMAN | Wireless Metropolitan Area Network |
| WRC | World Radiocommunication Conference |
| WSS | Wide-Sense Stationarity |
| WSSUS | Wide Sense Stationary Uncorrelated Scattering |
| WWAN | Wireless Wide Area Network |
| WXGRAPH | Graphical weather information |