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Harris Corporation Team Completes Internet Protocol Backbone For FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure Network

Posted on: Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 09:00 CST

MELBOURNE, Fla., Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Corporation today announced that its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) program team has successfully completed the Internet Protocol over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (IP over ATM) backbone for the FTI network. Harris is the prime contractor and system architect for the FTI program, which was awarded in 2002. FTI will upgrade and improve telecommunications and operations functions at more than 5,000 FAA facilities nationwide, while significantly reducing operating costs.

"The completion of this portion of the project is a key milestone that will result in enhanced reliability and improved network performance," said John O'Sullivan, FTI program vice president for Harris Corporation's Government Communications Systems Division. "Eighty percent of the FAA's operational IP traffic has been successfully migrated to the FTI network -- a critical achievement since at least half of all future telecommunications requirements for the National Airspace System will require IP services. This milestone is a direct reflection of the strong cooperation, commitment and teamwork between the FAA and Harris."

The IP over ATM backbone interconnects the nodes of the largest FAA facilities across the nation, consisting of 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers and six other sites. It transports a variety of critical information including flight plans, surveillance data, weather data, and navigation aids. The backbone utilizes two different long-distance carrier networks, one from Sprint and one from AT&T, enabling the rapid distribution of significantly more information than was possible with the legacy FIRMNET network.

Harris FTI teammates include BellSouth Corporation, Qwest Communications International, Inc., SBC Communications, Inc., Sprint, Verizon Communications, and Raytheon Technical Services Company. The Harris FTI team is consolidating the Leased Interfacility NAS Communications System (LINCS), Data Multiplexing Network, Bandwidth Manager, and National Aviation Data Interchange Network into an integrated telecommunications infrastructure. Requirements include replacing more than 35,000 circuits, upgrading switching and routing services, improving network monitoring and control, implementing a state-of-the-art security system, and providing network-engineering services.

Harris Government Communications Systems Division conducts advanced research studies, develops prototypes, and produces and supports state-of-the- art, assured communications(TM) solutions and information systems that solve the mission-critical challenges of its military and government customers, while serving as the technology base for the company's diverse commercial businesses. Harris Corporation is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. With headquarters in Melbourne, Florida, the company has annual sales of over $3 billion and more than 13,000 employees, including 5,500 engineers and scientists. The company's four operating divisions serve markets for government communications, RF communications, broadcast communications, and microwave communications. For more information, visit http://www.harris.com/ .

Sound interesting? Find great jobs at Harris: http://www.careers.harris.com/

Harris Corporation

CONTACT: Sleighton Meyer, Government Communications Systems Division,+1-321-727-6514, or sleighton.meyer@harris.com, or Brent Dietz, CorporateHeadquarters, +1-321-724-3554, or brent.dietz@harris.com, both of HarrisCorporation

Web site: http://www.harris.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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