Date: 201901
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.ARTCC, US
Aircraft: B737-700
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class A ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Aircraft component: Air/Ground Communication
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Workload; Time Pressure
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Dispatch; Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Human Factors
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: Landing Number and Braking Action Discrepancy along with Communication Issues.  Inbound to ZZZ; we picked up weather and Field Condition Reports via ACARS. Braking conditions as per Dispatch was forecast to be at 4-Good to Medium. ACARS Field Condition Reported 5-Good reported at (time) Z; which was over an hour old. Because of the discrepancy; we verified the braking action via our iPad WSI; and it showed the braking action to be at 3/3/3. We ran our landing numbers using the ACARS reported values; and then with the newest reported 3/3/3 numbers; but our ACARS went down and started acting up; so we tried using the Aero Data; which also appeared not to be working correctly.  With limited additional options; we contacted Dispatch via a phone patch trough ZZZ. This also was very difficult because we could only read Dispatch with a strength of 2 by 5 making any fruitful communication difficult. At the time; we believe we heard to divert to ZZZ1 because Dispatch could not provide us with landing numbers because of communication issues. We ran our divert minimum fuel calculations to ZZZ1; and shortly thereafter did receive a ACARS message but with only partial information to add ZZZ1 as our second alternate; but with no burn or instruction to divert. Now we started second-guessing what we thought to be the Dispatchers instructions because we may have misunderstood the very weak phone patch.   We opted to go straight to the source; contacted ZZZ Tower; and asked for the current conditions. They reported 3/3/3 as per (two other carriers) and all previous aircraft had been landing with no problems. Tower did state that he was waiting for a new runway report within the next 5-10 minutes. My First Officer and I jointly agreed that we had plenty of fuel to wait for the new report so we opted to continue to proceed towards ZZZ as we tried to clarify and piece together all the incomplete ACARS messages by re-establishing radio contact with Dispatch. Our decision to continue was communicated to Dispatch and confirmed that it was a good option until we get the new runway condition report and considering that TAF was trending towards reduced winds. We also informed Dispatch that we only received an incomplete second alternate ACARS message and would like the burn information to ZZZ1. At handoff to ZZZ Tower; we advised Tower that we are currently unable to land because of missing data and would like an extended downwind. We were hopeful to get the missing landing data or otherwise we would divert. We also received the new runway condition report of no change 3/3/3. During that time; we suddenly received an ACARS message but with only partial landing data for Runway 24 and 3/3/3; but it did not reflect any autobrake setting information. We again called Dispatch via a patch to confirm that we are indeed legal to land; our speeds and autobrake setting options; but this time we could not even hear Dispatch. All information had to be relayed and read back by ZZZ Operations and only after a very tedious verification process confirming that Dispatch 'Now' wants us to land at ZZZ and that we had all needed landing margins; We finally landed safely. Upon arrival and after we had deplaned; I called the Dispatcher (Name) to find out what in the world was going on and why we had such difficulties communicating and problems with our ACARS missing information. I was informed of some system wide connectivity issues rendering many of her tools inoperative; which left me wondering; was I legal to land?




Synopsis: B737-700 Captain reported due to a system wide communication problem; the pilot crew was unable to receive accurate braking action reports for the destination in a timely manner.