O’Hare 21 - Satellite Concourses Telecommunications Infrastructure

Level-1 is engineering telecom and power systems for O’Hare’s satellite concourses, enabling secure, scalable, and connected air travel.

As part of the City of Chicago’s transformative $8.5 billion O’Hare 21 program, two new satellite concourses will serve as the critical first step toward replacing the existing Terminal 2 and realizing the future O’Hare Global Terminal. This unprecedented airport modernization effort, the first major terminal upgrade in more than 25 years will expand O’Hare’s terminal footprint by more than 60% and increase aircraft gate capacity by 25%, creating the foundation for more seamless passenger journeys and positioning Chicago as a global hub for 21st-century aviation. 

The satellite concourses are designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), in collaboration with Ross Barney Architects and Arup, with civil engineering support from HNTB. Together, this design team will deliver a passenger experience rooted in natural light, flexible gate design, and enhanced amenities. Doubling the width of typical concourses, these new structures will support domestic and international flights alike, shifting gate operations from Terminal 2 to clear the way for the O’Hare Global Terminal’s future construction. 

Level-1 Global Solutions was selected to support SOM in the design and implementation of the telecommunications infrastructure and electrical systems that will power and connect both satellite concourses. Our role ensures that these new facilities are not only architecturally advanced but also digitally enabled, meeting the demand for high-performance, cybersecure communications systems that will scale with airport growth over the coming decades. 

Our Scope Includes 

• Design collaboration with SOM to integrate telecommunications infrastructure into the architectural and operational vision for both satellite concourses 
• Low-voltage system planning for structured cabling, wireless connectivity, and network distribution pathways 
• Power systems engineering in support of critical telecommunications operations, including electrical infrastructure for telecom rooms and equipment racks 
• Compliance with FAA, BICSI, and smart airport infrastructure standards to support future-ready operations 
• Strategic coordination with broader O’Hare 21 program stakeholders to align satellite systems with the Global Terminal’s future integration 
• Design and technical documentation in support of permitting, phasing, and construction activities 

Through its telecommunications and electrical infrastructure design, Level-1 is enabling the digital core of O’Hare’s next-generation concourses advancing a future in which connectivity, operational agility, and traveler experience are inseparable. As global air travel scales toward 14 billion passengers in the coming decade, our work ensures these critical terminals are not only built to perform at opening but engineered to adapt, expand, and lead as aviation enters a new era.