Plain English Meaning
NextGen is the FAA's long-term project to upgrade how aircraft are tracked, navigated, and talked to — moving from old radar and radio methods to satellite tracking, GPS-based routes, and digital messaging.
Full Definition
NextGen is the FAA-led modernization of the United States National Airspace System that transitions air traffic management from ground-based radar and voice communications to satellite-based navigation, digital data communications, and shared real-time information between aircraft and controllers. Its core components include Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (), (PBN), ( Comm), Wide (SWIM), and Voice System upgrades, all aimed at increasing , , , and .