For the past fifty years, air traffic control tower technology has ossified. They’re just tall buildings with big windows, using analog radios and paper “flight strips”. These low-tech towers are ferociously expensive to build and maintain. In addition to the controllers "cab" each tower needs elevators, HVAC systems, electrical power, and all the accoutrement of a small office, perched hundreds of feet in the air. But there is a better option: a European company called Frequentis has self-funded a remote digital tower system using cameras, fiber optics, and high-resolution video displays. Their latest version is undergoing FAA certification testing and it might be the answer to bringing tower costs down and safety up.
