Scurvey,
... in the meantime, and still unanswered, is how would Oz afford the necessary infrustructure for a 'DUAL BAND' UAT system? ..... simple .... it would only happen around CTA/R .... and it would only happen around CTA/R if the big end of town needed it ... which they do not! ..... not to mention ... what benefit for traffic OCTA is there in UAT over 1090ES???
Thinx??
Thales have the contract to make the 1090ES ground boxes for Australia.
Thales have the contract to make the boxes for the UAT/1090ES for FAA.
The actual dual mode electronics are all on the same board, which fits in the same rack as the 1090ES board, so I am reasonably reliably informed. Once the signal/signals are processed for transmission from the ground based box (whether via satellite or landlines) it's all the same data stream format, so once it gets to Eurocat (know locally in Australia as TAAATS) it all looks the same. Likewise in reverse.
So how much would it really cost extra, capital cost ?? To maintain?? Wouldn't that largely depend on how good a deal could be negotiated, because the actual manufacturing cost differences of the (already existing) dual ( or as some will be--- triple) boards and the 1090ES board would be sod all.
Why would "re-broadcast" be any more difficult?? The GARMIN GDL-90 is "here and now", and if it was used by Regionals and GA, indeed most Australian aircraft that never leave Australia, ADS-B IN/OUT is a lot easier to organise and cheaper than 1090ES ---- right now.
As for "aircraft to aircraft", those who think universal 1090ES ADS-B IN is just around the corner are being a trifle optimistic.
Clearly, this has a few holes, but not nearly as many as "universal 1090ES", especially no $$$$ black hole.
Tootle pip!!!