b'24 PHL | PNE INFO TECHNOLOGYArmed with valuable new information, the PHL project teamsystem. That is a completely new approach in the industrythe dovetailed directly to Question 2: What do you need? Part of thewillingness to take that on, he emphasizes. answer was to have WSP help develop infrastructure design andUnder such an arrangement, tenants would lease network implementation standards documents that include details such ascapacity and pay for bandwidth and the amount of landline or requirements for equipment closets, how the cable plant should beWi-Fi data transmitted during a particular billing period, just as documented and implemented, and optimal layouts for data rooms.they pay for utilities such as electricity and water. Reed says it Mehta describes such documentation as technology best practicesis difficult to project precise figures, but notes that an owned IT that will provide consistency for future construction projects. Thesenetwork properly completed would not only pay for itself, but are not hard rules, but suggested guidelines, he notes.could also provide capital revenue for the airport. Reed says the key is to chart a path of development. That way,In the meantime, PHL continues to focus on the third question, the airport will have a standardized approach and will own andHow do you get there?. WSP is helping turn the airports vision control its entire network when the project is finished.into technical specifications for a request for proposal. This will Lets say the airport adds gates, he explains. Now, they willprovide the foundation for a roadmap of what we need to do, have up-to-date standards documents to follow and an entiresays Brown. dynamic electronic database environment. So when constructionIn addition to the outside consultant, about 10 airport IT happens, we know whats needed in short order. Were notemployees have worked on the initiative so far, and several other digging through seven-year-old archives. Instead, theyll knowdepartments have provided information as needed over the years. swiftly what the existing IT conditions are as they, say, enlargeAfter initial contacts and meetings, WSP began evaluating the a concourse. Architects can hand techs this data and a set ofairports IT situation on site, with escorts and assistance from detailed design standards. As changes occur over time, its notinternal IT staff. about updating computer-aided design drawings; its about a standardized, dynamic, digital system that they can updateNortheast Philadelphia Airport (PNE), which focuses on general dynamically.aviation traffic, is also part of the initiative. Mehta explains that PNE is connected to PHL through various networks and will be There is also the matter of revenue. Reed says that early onthe subject of continuing development and management of the in the process, PHL decided to jump the shark and commit towireless and cellular backbone. It is also being considered as a devising a way to own its network and generate revenue from theredundant disaster recovery location for the IT data center.For both airports, Brown emphasizes the importance of standards and procedures to Planning and Design|Program & Construction Management effectively manage future initiatives. Once Facilities Management|IT|Asset Management / IWMS we have a book of standards, a playbook, we can then manage the needs of technical applications that serve the airports, he says. Arora is proud to supportIn essence, these standards will live well into Philadelphia Internationalthe next 20 to 30 years.Airports NetworkThe project team is currently working Modernization Program, alongtoward that goal. Preliminary planning and with many other Specialresearch that began in 2020 was largely System upgrade programs forcompleted this summer, and WSP has the City of Philadelphia,completed reports on existing conditions of telecommunications spaces, an IT and Division of Aviation, including:LEARN MORE AT:networking design standards document, and PHLs Video Surveillancewww.aroraengineers.com a disaster recovery report. System Upgrades Program Access Control SystemWhats NextUpgrade Progress on the comprehensive project is PHLs Terminal F Hubongoing. PHL accepted proposals from Expansion multiple distributed antenna system providers PHL Multi-User Flightand recently awarded a contract for the Information Display and Visualairportwide system to Slice Wireless Solutions. Paging Upgrades The airport and provider are currently working out the contract and its technical aroraengineers.comRethinking Infrastructure| implementation, with WSP and the PHL IT | team reviewing the implementation plans. That project is expected to start early next year. AtlantaBaltimoreBoston|CharlotteChicagoDallas|Los Angeles|Nashville|New York|Philadelphia| St. Petersburg |San Jose| | | |November | December 2022AirportImprovement.com'