Well ahead of the 2020 equipment mandate, the FAA says it has completed construction of a nationwide network of ADS-B ground stations, finishing installations of more than 600 special radio beacons from coast to coast — and beyond, in some cases — for the ongoing transition to the NextGen air traffic control system.
The ADS-B network of 634 towers enables controllers to track appropriately equipped aircraft continuously versus updates of nearly 5 seconds with radar technology. Controllers can also keep tabs on aircraft in remote regions such as mountains and over water in the Gulf of Mexico, where the sweep of radar isn’t available.
