The FAA last week finalized the industry-wide technical standard orders (TSOs) for automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), the backbone of NextGen. ADS-B will migrate the existing radar surveillance infrastructure from the ground to an aircraft and ground-based system. With the new standard in place, avionics manufacturers can now design and build in-aircraft ADS-B equipment needed for NextGen. “If the necessary financial incentives are also made available by the federal government, there will be a dramatic acceleration of NextGen benefits, including improved safety and reduced costs for the FAA,” according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). “These standards are a significant success for NextGen, especially as we consider near-term opportunities to accelerate capacity, efficiency and safety benefits,” said Rob Wilson, GAMA chairman and president of Honeywell’s business and general aviation division. GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce added, “As we shift from the planning to implementation stages of NextGen, it is even more critical that we move forward with FAA reauthorization and the discussion over the role of federal funding for onboard avionics equipage. Equipment incentives are essential for achieving NextGen capacity, environmental and efficiency benefits at an earlier date.” AIN’s poll question this month asks who should pay for NextGen avionics–the government or aircraft operators.