Definition
A digital telecommunications service used by the FAA to deliver weather data, flight information, and related aeronautical communications between facilities over a switched network capable of carrying voice, data, and video on the same line.
Plain English
A digital phone-and-data line the FAA uses to send weather and flight information between its facilities.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA acronym and abbreviation lists, especially where aviation communication or information-system terms are being decoded.
Derivation
Switched means the connection is set up on demand between two points, like a phone call, rather than being permanently wired. Digital means the information travels as data rather than analog signals. Integrated means voice, data, and video share the same line instead of needing separate ones.
Why Pilots Care
A pilot is unlikely to operate SDIS directly, but recognizing the abbreviation prevents confusing it with an aircraft system or cockpit switch.
Intuition Check
Do not read “switched” as a cockpit switch. Here it means the communication network sets up the connection when it is needed.
Example Sentence 1
Weather data reaches the flight service station over an SDIS link from the central FAA network.
Example Sentence 2
Older ground systems relied on SDIS links for combined voice and telemetry traffic.