FAA Renews ARINC's Contract for VHF Network in Gulf of Mexico

The FAA has extended its contract with ARINC to provide extended-range VHF air traffic control voice communications over the Gulf of Mexico for three more years.

ARINC's VERN (VHF extended range network) consists of air/ground stations on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and one at Key West, Florida, which are combined with the FAA's own coastal radio facilities to give the Houston ARTCC (air route traffic control center) voice communications out to 400 nautical miles at 18,000 feet.

VERN uses a unique radio wave signal propagation phenomena present in the Gulf of Mexico, known as ducting, and ARINC's own extended range VHF propagation technique to provide this unusual performance.

ARINC has operated the VERN air/ground stations and network infrastructure continuously since deploying them in 1998.  06-18-2007.

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