Welcome to the first edition of our newsletter designed to keep you, our customers, up to date with developments within the Maritime radio licensing sector, and aware of the work the Agency does on your behalf.
This is in line with the Agency’s objective to communicate more effectively with all its customers. We intend to produce this newsletter on a quarterly basis and in each issue we aim to tackle commonly asked questions in an easy-to-understand way, and to relay news that affects your use of radio. We will be more than happy to receive feedback from you about the usefulness of this newsletter. If there are any subjects that you would like to see covered please contact us - the address is in the Sources of Information section at the back of the newsletter.
Stephen Hand
Manager,
Aeronautical & Maritime Section.
The AMS Team
Ship Radio Licensing
The importance of correct licensing and control of Marine radio, particularly use of VHF, is often overlooked. Boats carry radio equipment mainly for safety and distress purposes, because at sea, radio is often the only reliable means of communication. However, if the radio operator is not aware of the correct procedure for making a distress/safety call and if there is no vessel call-sign for the Coastguard to identify the size, type and passenger capacity of the boat, it may hamper the search and rescue operation. The implementation of the new Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) on 1 February 1999 has highlighted the importance of ensuring that ships’ radio is correctly licensed. The licence gives the vessel access to a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number, crucial to the operation of Digital Selective Calling (DSC) radios used under the GMDSS.
Last year the Aeronautical and Maritime Section (AMS) initiated a Ship Radio Licence awareness campaign on the South Coast, prior to an enforcement campaign carried out by our colleagues from the Bristol Office during the "boating season". This gave marine radio users additional warning prior to being prosecuted for illegal use of their radio equipment. The Agency has tightened up its enforcement protocols for Marine radio, and if someone is caught with equipment "available for use" but unlicensed, they will face prosecution. The result of the campaign was encouraging: Over 700 new applications were received from that area alone during the campaign, whilst the Agency had to prosecute only three people.
In the past, the South Coast has always been the favoured venue for the Agency’s Marine awareness work. Although the usual levels of enforcement will continue to be carried out in this area, we have decided to target the rest of the UK with a rolling programme of awareness campaigns, starting with the Welsh and North Eastern coastlines and including a mailshot to the marinas visited last year. Staff from AMS visited marinas in Wales over the Spring bank holiday weekend and the North East over the Whitsun weekend with information about the forthcoming enforcement work. The days are spent meeting people: harbour-masters, marina managers, berth holders, visiting boat owners, and chandlers. We answer questions about the Agency, licensing and related issues, we persuade people to put up posters and we distribute flyers and application forms, so that unlicenced radio users can apply for a licence before local office staff arrive to carry out their inspections. The message the Agency intends to give is very clear: if people are not licensed and/or properly qualified to use their Marine radios the Agency will no longer accept excuses; it must and will prosecute offenders.
| Ship Radio licensing awareness work
has entered a new era this year, with an advertisement placed in the May edition of eight
boating magazines in the UK. This advert was repeated in the July edition of those
magazines and we are monitoring closely the effectiveness of this approach. (At the time
of writing, AMS has sent out well over 1000 application forms to people responding to
them.) As well as going out to visit customers, we also attend mainstream events and shows where we are likely to meet new and existing customers. This year, AMS has attended the London Inter-national Boat Show in January and The National Boat, Caravan and Leisure show at the NEC Birmingham in February and the Southampton Boat Show in September. On the Agency’s stand at these events, staff take licence applications, give out information sheets and answer questions on a wide variety of subjects. |
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The Message The message that the Agency is trying to impress upon boat users is that the regulations regarding radio use are important and are there mainly for safety reasons. With the recent increase in privately owned and operated water-borne craft, safety becomes ever more critical. If you have a friend or acquaintance, operating Marine radio without a licence and / or a valid operator’s certificate of competence, please show them this newsletter. The penalty for illegal or unlicensed use of radio equipment can be a fine of up to £5,000 or a six-month custodial sentence and forfeiture of the radio equipment through a magistrates court, or an unlimited fine or up to two years custodial sentence and forfeiture of the radio equipment through the Crown Court.
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The most commonly asked question is ‘why do I pay a licence fee?’. Believe it or not the Agency does not consider compliance with the law to be the only reason. Our licensees are also our customers, and receive a service for their fee.
What is the Agency?
The Radiocommunications Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry and is responsible for the management of the civil radio spectrum within the United Kingdom. Radio is used by millions of people worldwide and does not recognise national frontiers. The radio spectrum is a finite resource and without adequate planning and management, radio users and services will interfere with each other. Interference can make radio an unreliable means of communication. It is therefore essential that radio use is carefully controlled and the Agency does this through spectrum planning, licensing and enforcement. Licence fees are reviewed each year and the level of these fees is set by an Order of Parliament. The fees are not set to make a profit, only to cover the costs of the Agency’s work.
So what does the Agency do for you?
Administration
International law dictates that radio users must hold a valid licence. In cases of unlicenced use, some foreign administrations will issue on-the-spot fines. The Agency uses part of the licence fee to cover the cost of administering the licence. There is more to this than simply issuing a piece of paper. We also allocate a unique call-sign to your vessel (which should be used for identification when using your radio), along with MMSI numbers, which are crucial to GMDSS operation and we issue selcall numbers. These details are registered and updated on a monthly basis with other administrations via the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) so that your vessel will be recognised by coast stations and other vessels wherever you sail in the world. We are discussing with HM Coastguard the possibility of them having online access to our licensing database, thereby enabling easier identification of vessels in distress.
Spectrum Planning
In order to plan and co-ordinate the use of the radio spectrum with neighbouring administrations, the Agency is a key participant in many international negotiations and aims to protect and promote the best interests of UK radio users. Maritime frequency bands are internationally agreed and are set out in the Radio Regulations, which are agreed at the World Radio Conferences of the ITU. The Radio Regulations have international treaty status and are binding on all Member States including the UK.
Control of Interference and Enforcement
The Agency has a network of regional offices across the United Kingdom where the staff offer customers advice about radio services and investigate complaints of interference. Where necessary, the Agency will take enforcement action under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (WT Act) to prevent interference caused by both licensed and unlicensed operators (examples on page 6) and those who contravene the terms and conditions of their licence. Agency staff carry out routine spot checks to ensure that radio users hold valid WT Act licences and operator’s certificates and use their radio equipment in accordance with the terms of their licence.
Liaison Work
The Agency liaises with other government departments as well as non-government agencies to coordinate policy and to ensure that we are providing as much information as possible about issues that may affect our customers.
Information
We produce free information sheets covering all aspects of our work. Customers can also subscribe to a free library subscription service, so that new and revised information sheets can be sent to them automatically (details are on the back page). Your licence fee covers part of the cost of all these areas of work, as well as protection of the radio service you use for day to day and safety related communications and upon which you may have to rely to save your life. Unfortunately, many people choose to ignore the licence and certificate of competence required to use Marine radio and in doing so, not only risk prosecution but also put the lives of others at risk. The Agency is committed to tackling this situation.
The GMDSS has been developed by the International Maritime Organisation and is supported by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as the worldwide distress and safety system.
GMDSS is primarily a ship-to-shore alerting system. The onshore rescue co-ordination centre receives distress alerts from vessels and co-ordinates the appropriate response. It also covers ship to ship distress alerting; urgency; safety and routine communications; and safety information broadcasts. It is designed to provide an automatic means of transmitting and receiving distress alerts either by using Digital Selective Calling (DSC) via conventional radio or via the Inmarsat Satellite System. GMDSS also provides the facilities to send distress alerts and locating signals using Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Search and Rescue Radar Transponders (SARTs). GMDSS uses four Sea Areas to reflect the different characteristics of radio and these are as follows:
Sea Area A1, which is within range (30-40 miles) of a coast station fitted with Very High Frequency (VHF) DSC equipment. The United Kingdom has declared its coastal waters as Sea Area A1. Sea Area A2, which is within range(approx. 150 miles) of a coast station fitted with Medium Frequency (MF) DSC equipment. This excludes Sea Area A1. Sea Area A3, which is covered by the Inmarsat Satellite system, lies between latitudes ±700. This excludes Sea Areas A1& A2. Sea Area A4, which are the areas not covered by A1, A2 and A3; essentially the Polar Regions.
Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
DSC is used as the initial mode of contact in all transmissions. DSC uses digital data, rather than voice, to transfer information between radios. Information in the initial call can also denote the subsequent working channel and the radios will re-tune automatically. Digital transmission allows a call to be directed to a specific vessel or a group of vessels (selective calling). It also has additional benefits such as improved range and being less susceptible to interference.
All DSC radios must be programmed with a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number, which uniquely identifies the station. MMSIs have a standard format, which includes the type of station and country of registration. MMSI numbers (including group MMSIs) are issued in the United Kingdom by Wray Castle Ltd on behalf of the Agency. It is vital that only MMSIs issued by Wray Castle, and which are registered with the ITU, are programmed into DSC equipment. Using an incorrect MMSI may result in the Search and Rescue services sending out the wrong resources in response to a distress call, compromising other distress incidents being dealt with.
Inmarsat
The Inmarsat organisation operates a constellation of four geo-stationary satellites positioned over four ocean regions - the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic East and Atlantic West. These satellites are capable of relaying voice, telex, fax and data communications to one of nearly forty land earth stations or coast stations. A call can also be routed to the terrestrial and other satellite telephone systems. Under the GMDSS system, Inmarsat equipment is required to make and receive calls in Sea Area A3. There are a number of different types of Inmarsat equipment available, for example Inmarsat C is capable of sending text messages only. Like DSC, Inmarsat equipment requires an Inmarsat ID Number (IMN), which is similar to an MMSI but with a slightly different number structure.
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Search and Rescue Radar Transponders (SARTs)
An EPIRB is a buoyant radio beacon, which transmits a radio signal when activated. It is used as a method of distress alerting generally when other methods have proved unsuccessful. The most common type of EPIRB is operated on the frequency 406 MHz by the COSPAS/SARSAT organisation using polar orbiting satellites. 406 MHz EPIRBs are programmed with a unique serial number, which should be registered with the EPIRB registry of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The rescue services will then be able to identify the sender of a distress alert from a 406 MHz EPIRB. When activated, most 406 MHz EPIRBs also emit a homing signal on 121.5 MHz to aid Search and Rescue services. Other EPIRBs on the market are 1.6 GHz (Inmarsat) and 121.5 MHz versions. The latter is not recommended as a primary safety device because it does not produce a Distress Alert but simply transmits a homing signal. In effect, this means that it should only be used as a backup to a proper Distress Alert. SARTs provide a homing signal by transmitting a response to a radar signal. These signals are then displayed on the rescue vessel’s radar screen.
How will GMDSS affect me?
GMDSS became operational in 1991 and on 1st February 1999 became a compulsory requirement for all SOLAS convention vessels, i.e. vessels over 300 gross registered tons, and various classes of passenger and fishing vessels. Non-SOLAS convention vessels are not obliged to ensure that their radio equipment complies with GMDSS. However, SOLAS vessels are no longer required to monitor the MF distress frequency 2182kHz, and along with Coast Stations, will only maintain a listening watch on Channel 16 until 1st February 2005. After this date, it may only be possible to communicate with SOLAS vessels and Coast Stations by using DSC equipped radios. Anyone considering replacing their existing radio should now buy the newer DSC-capable equipment.
What should I do if I decide to change my radio equipment?
Your ship radio licence already covers the installation of DSC equipment, and Wray Castle Ltd will provide you with an MMSI number on request. You must ensure that any equipment you buy is type approved for use on UK registered vessels. In the United Kingdom a Class D DSC controller is required for small vessels using VHF DSC radio. For further details of equipment required for SOLAS convention vessels and for vessels sailing outside the A1 sea area please contact the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (details on the back page). If you hold a Restricted VHF Radiotelephony operator’s certificate you will need to upgrade to the new Short Range Certificate. This is done by taking a one day "top-up" module. Further information is available from the Royal Yachting Association. (details on the back page).
Earlier this year British Telecom announced its intention to close its Coastal Radio Stations providing YTD calls, medical link calls and marine safety information due to declining telecommunications traffic. The closure has yet to be confirmed. All mariners should be aware of the alternative arrangements for some of these services.
Marine Safety Information (MSI)
MSI is now being broadcast by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) on Channels 10 or 73. This replaces the service previously available on Channel 67. The broadcasts will follow an announcement on Channel 16 which will also indicate which of the two channels will be used.
Medical Link Calls
The master or skipper of any vessel requiring medical advice should contact the nearest Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre using VHF channel 16, MF 2182 kHz or by DSC. In an urgent situation they should broadcast "Pan Pan Medico" if possible preceded by a DSC Urgency Call.
Public Correspondence Calls (YTD)
The MCA has no plans to take on this part of the Coast Stations' work and it is unsure whether it will continue. If any more information comes to light we will let you know. For further details on MSI and Medical Link Calls you should contact the MCA (details overleaf) and ask for a copy of Marine Information Note 49.
Despite the general success of the new disc holders, some customers have informed us that they are not entirely suitable for boats without cabins. We have decided to produce a limited supply (1,000) of the old style holder as an interim to making the present holder water-proof ready for next year. If you need an old style holder please drop Wray Castle a line at the address overleaf and they will send one to you.
As many of you will have already noticed, the format of the documentation for this category of licence has changed. The disc that is issued for display on a vessel will no longer be issued for transportable equipment. This is due to the fact that a transportable licence is designed to cover the use of a portable VHF radio for use on more than one vessel and does not cover any other equipment on-board. However, if you use your portable on only one vessel you should consider re-registering it as a ship station for that vessel when it comes up for renewal; this will also cover any other transmission equipment on -board and more importantly will allocate a UK call-sign for the vessel.
Manager: Stephen
Hand
0207 211 0225
e-mail: stephen.hand@ra.gsi.gov.uk
Deputy Manager: Mike Martin
0207 211 0212
e-mail: mike.martin@ra.gsi.gov.uk
• Letters to Air Waves
The Aeronautical & Maritime Section,
Radiocommunications Agency,
10th Floor, Wyndham House,
189 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SX
• Maritime licensing enquiries
(including ships, coastal station
radio, and navigation aids)
Tel: 0207 211 0215/17
• Ship Radio licensing enquiries.
Please contact our ship radio
licensing contractor Wray Castle
Ltd on 01539 434 662
• For information on Marine Radio
Operator’s Certificates
contact the Maritime and
Coastguard Agency (MCA)
on 02380 329 136.
• For Short Range Certificate and VHF
(Restricted) Certificates specifically,
contact the Royal Yachting
Association on 02380 627 400.
• For information on GMDSS
contact the MCA on 0870 600 6505.
• For details on Inmarsat satellite
communications equipment
contact Inmarsat on 0207 728 1777.
The Agency produces information sheets and publications
on all aspects of the Agency’s work. Information sheets or a subscription application
form are available by: calling the Library on 0207 211 0502/0505
e-mail to library@ra.gsi.gov.uk or
can be downloaded from the Agency’s website at: www.radio.gov.uk
Information sheets of particular relevance to our maritime customers are:
General
RA0 Current List of Agency Publications.
RA 354 RA and its Role in Managing the UK Radio Spectrum.
Maritime:
RA 258 EPIRBs- Use Custody and Control (includes a 406MHz EPIRB registration form).
RA 264 Use of International Maritime VHF Channels.
RA 273 Channel 16- Non GMDSS, VHF Radio Telephone Guidelines on Use.
RA 292 Non GMDSS Marine Radio Telephone Procedures.
RA 364 Ship Radio Licence Information Sheet.
RA 145 Ship Radio Licence Application Form.
RA 290 Coastal Station Radio Information Sheet.
RA 276 Coastal Station Radio Application Form.
RA 277 Maritime Navigational Aids and Radar Licence Application Form.
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