TELERAD - Future-thinking communication systems

Now in its seventh decade, TELERAD has a history of meeting the most stringent requirements within aeronautical communication systems, drawing upon its expertise in civil and military, aviation and maritime to create high-performance ATC equipment. Sales director Ramuntxo Oruezabala tells Future Airport why a focus on innovation enables the company to consistently meet and exceed changing regulatory and operational requirements.

TELERAD has been a leader in ATC communication for over 65 years. How are its products helping air traffic controllers meet the major challenges they face in the industry today?

Ramuntxo Oruezabala: Today, voice radio communication remains the major means for air traffic controllers and pilots to communicate. TELERAD Series 9000-2G radio systems are specifically designed to meet the operational requirements of ATC centres and commercial airports on VHF and UHF bands. Fully scalable and with growth capacity, they offer high reliability, and remote control and maintenance capability.

The '2G' radios offer multimode functionality in one software-defined radio (with AM, FM and VDL modes) and support Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) as specified in EUROCAE ED-137. TELERAD Series 9000-2G technology is ready to be integrated into new systems and ensures secured future analogue-to-IP transition for air navigation service providers (ANSPs).

The company also has a long history of investing in R&D. What is the current focus of your innovation, and how will this help you meet the needs of customers and the wider industry in the long run?

TELERAD has always invested in maintaining a high level of R&D. Innovation is a driving force in our company and we owe our leadership to our R&D department. Our objective is to share this strength with our customers and partners to help them find the optimal solution for their requirements. For example, we are currently working on a VoIP fanless transceiver that fits ANSP and airport requirements: transition to VoIP and a total cost of ownership lower than existing equipment.

What can you offer in terms of radio turnkey solutions and to what extent are you able to tailor your products to suit individual customer requirements?

TELERAD's objective is to provide our customers with solutions in line with their needs, exceeding the current standards and prepared for scheduled transitions like VoIP in Europe or the US in the short and medium terms, and probably worldwide in the long term. For this, TELERAD has developed a complete range of products. The latest of these is our Series 9000-2G, which is an innovative solution supporting voice - in analogue or VoIP operational environments - or datalink communications.

skyguide in Switzerland recently chose TELERAD to renew and expand its radio coverage. Could you tell us more about the services you provided?

TELERAD has customised its 2G radios in order to propose a product adapted to skyguide's needs, and developed a specific remote control and quality-monitoring system (RCQMS) that allows skyguide to comply with its safety and operational regulations requirements. Roll-out of the radios all over the country (and mountains) is ongoing.

Last time TELERAD spoke to Future Airport, you mentioned your ED-137-compliant VCSS VoIP simulation tool. How is this product helping clients to train and prepare for the transition to incoming standards?

After decades of analogue communications, the move to VoIP needs to be scheduled and organised, and, thanks to TELERAD's VCSS VoIP simulation tool (VSIM), we are allowing the ANSP and airports to prepare this transition with success. This simulator is a perfect tool for practical training and can also be used for maintenance purposes on operational systems. Clients can also attend our training sessions dedicated to VoIP ED-137 VSIM for a presentation of the standard and our products.