Under the contract, Verizon Business Network Services will deliver telecommunications, information management services, and other capabilities for the American federal agency, which will be for a period of 15 years, if all options are exercised

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US FAA awards $2.4bn FENS contract to Verizon Business Network Services. (Credit: Verizon)

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded a $2.4bn worth FAA Enterprise Network Services (FENS) contract to Verizon Communications’ business networking division to transform the agency’s systems.

Under the contract, Verizon Business Network Services will deliver telecommunications, information management services, and other capabilities for the US FAA.

The services and capabilities offered by the US-based telecommunications conglomerate’s unit are expected to facilitate the agency’s goal of delivering the most safe and efficient aerospace system in the world.

Verizon Communications has been quoted by Reuters, as stating that it will “build the FAA a dynamic, highly available and secure enterprise network to support all of the agency’s mission critical applications across the National Airspace System.”

The US FAA contract is for a period of 15 years if all options are exercised.

Verizon Communications will also be responsible for delivering network connectivity to administrative information systems and operations. These include e-mail, payroll, and on-line training.

The new infrastructure is expected to help all the mission critical applications of the federal agency across the National Airspace System. One of them is providing air traffic management to over 45,000 flights daily and 2.9 million airline passengers, reported Reuters.

Verizon Business CEO Kyle Malady has been quoted by the news agency as saying that the project will help FAA to steer through “a telecommunications infrastructure transformation that utilises the latest advances in technology and networking solutions.”

Earlier this year, the US FAA awarded a $2.6bn worth FAA Systems Engineering and Technical Innovative Solutions (SETIS) indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to Science Applications International (SAIC).

SAIC was one among the 15 companies that agency chose for a prime position on the $2.3bn shared-ceiling, multi-award IDIQ contract, which also included five large enterprises and ten small businesses.