Nokia selected for EU-funded FACT project

The Finnish telecom giant will provide 4G and 5G mission-critical infrastructure, consulting and services to Project FACT which will research future deployment of a new, consistent technology platform for CNS services across air traffic management (ATM), the company said in a press release.

Nokia on Tuesday announced that it has been selected for Project FACT, an EU aviation research project, alongside Honeywell International as consortium lead.

Project FACT (Future All Aviation CNS Technology) is an innovative research and development program initiated under the SESAR 2020 program and managed by the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) Joint Undertaking. It aims to increase safety, security, efficiency, and robustness of future air traffic environments through the development of an integrated CNS (communication, navigation and surveillance) functional architecture.

The Finnish telecom giant will provide 4G and 5G mission-critical infrastructure, consulting and services to Project FACT which will research future deployment of a new, consistent technology platform for CNS services across air traffic management (ATM), the company said in a press release.

As the project participant, Nokia will be responsible for leading a feasibility study and test specification for the evolution of legacy CNS systems to a new integrated approach. Nokia laboratory trials are projected to take place in the summer of 2021, with field testing by June 2022.

Commenting on the selection, Mervyn Harris, Head of Air Traffic Management, Nokia, said, "As part of the SESAR ATM Master Plan, Project FACT seeks to maximize the benefits of high-bandwidth connectivity that can handle fast-growing data volumes while also preserving the utmost safety standards. This consortium assembles outstanding levels of complementary skills and expertise, and Nokia is eager to apply its aviation domain experience and industry-specific technical insight."

Project FACT participants include Honeywell International, AOPA-Germany, Eskisehir Teknik Universitesi, EUROCONTROL, İstanbul Teknik Universitesi, Nokia and Sarp Havacilik Lojistik Turizm Sanayi ve Tic A.S. The project is receiving funding from the SESAR Joint Undertaking under the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

"We are very pleased to work with Nokia in this project. This project brings the best of two worlds together and paves the way for future high availability and improvements in quality data and communication infrastructure," said Petr Casek, Lead R&D engineer, Honeywell International and Project FACT Manager.