[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 135 (Monday, July 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42102-42103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-16801]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2013-0521]
Termination of Radiotelephone Medium Frequency 2182 kHz
Watchkeeping, 2187.5 kHz Digital Selective Calling Channel Guard, and
2670 kHz Broadcasts
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States Coast Guard is announcing that it will no
longer maintain a watch on 2182 kHz, will no longer guard the Digital
Selective Calling (DSC) channel 2187.5 kHz, and will no longer transmit
Marine Information Broadcasts on 2670 kHz. The minimal use of these
channels by mariners for distress and safety coupled with antenna site
deterioration, costly upkeep, and extensive maintenance required to
support the medium frequency (MF) system have led to a Coast Guard
decision to terminate the MF services and direct the public mariner to
use more modern safety and distress services which can be more reliably
received by the Coast Guard.
DATES: The termination announced in this notice is effective on August
1, 2013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions on this Notice, contact
Larry S. Solomon, Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Policy
Counsel (Commandant CG-652) telephone: 202-475-3556; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The frequency 2182 kHz (which is in the
frequency band generally referred to as medium frequency (MF)), was
designated more than 65 years ago at the International
Telecommunications Union Radio Conference (Atlantic City, 1947) as an
international radiotelephone distress frequency. Shore stations that
operated in this MF band, and ships subject to the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Ch. IV, Reg. 5 (SOLAS) were
required to maintain a watch on this frequency.
Beginning in 1987, the International Telecommunications Union Radio
Regulations and SOLAS were amended to incorporate this MF
radiotelephone watchkeeping requirement within the Global Maritime
Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), an internationally agreed-upon set
of satellite and terrestrial communications systems used to increase
safety and facilitate the location and rescue of distressed ships,
boats and aircraft. Under GMDSS, ship and shore exclusive watchkeeping
on MF 2182 kHz was no longer a requirement, but instead became only one
of several frequencies available for distress communications.
No domestic regulations exist requiring the Coast Guard to provide
MF distress safety watchkeeping services, although Federal
Communications Commission regulations in 47 CFR Part 80 mandate certain
carriage requirements in order to communicate in an emergency. SOLAS
requires the Coast Guard to provide, as it deems practical and
necessary, appropriate shore-based facilities for GMDSS services
including those in the 1.6-4 MHz range (SOLAS). The Coast Guard, in
cooperation with other agencies and organizations, provides each of the
other five services listed in SOLAS regulations, including satellite
communications, support for 406 MHz satellite emergency position-
indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs), VHF communications through Rescue
21, high frequency radiocommunications, and NAVTEX \1\ broadcasts of
maritime safety information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ NAVTEX is a broadcast warning system that delivers
navigational warnings, meteorological warnings and forecasts, and
other marine safety information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While many countries terminated 2182 kHz watchkeeping from shore
when GMDSS was implemented in 1999, the Coast Guard continued its watch
on this frequency to support smaller vessels not subject to SOLAS that
operate between approximately 20 and 100 miles from shore. Advancements
in satellite, digital, very high frequency (VHF), and high frequency
(HF) radio communication equipment, including satellite service
provider competition, have improved service and reduced costs of this
equipment causing MF radiotelephone to become obsolete.
In addition, a detailed review of several Coast Guard MF sites
revealed significant antenna ground deterioration and infrastructure
support degradation, leaving the Coast Guard at risk for not being able
to receive or respond to maritime distress calls on 2182 kHz or 2187.5
kHz, and not being able to transmit effectively on 2670 kHz. Early last
year, as a result of physical site surveys, the Coast Guard confirmed
the
[[Page 42103]]
significant site deterioration and, therefore, the unreliability of
receiving MF distress transmissions at many locations. The Coast Guard
provided notifications of the situation to mariners using Local Notice
to Mariners and radio broadcasts. The Coast Guard did not receive any
adverse reaction to those notifications.
The site deterioration, costly upkeep, and extensive maintenance
required to support this legacy MF system, as well as the relatively
minimal use by mariners, has led the Coast Guard to decide to
discontinue support of the MF system. The Coast Guard will discontinue
all watchkeeping and transmissions on MF channels, namely the 2182 kHz
voice channel, the 2187.5 kHz Digital Selective Calling (DSC) channel
and Marine Information Broadcasts (MIBs) on 2670 kHz.
Mariners have several increasingly low cost and commonly available
alternatives to using MF distress and non-distress channels. Instead of
relying on 2182 kHz voice and 2187.5 kHz DSC, mariners can tune their
existing HF radios to other GMDSS radiotelephone distress voice
frequencies the Coast Guard monitors (i.e., 4125, 6215, 8291, or 12290
kHz voice), use satellite-based communication for EPIRB and voice
communications, or use HF radios equipped with DSC. The information in
the 2670 kHz broadcasts (weather forecasts and warnings, Notice to
Mariners, and urgent marine information broadcasts) will continue to be
available from other broadcast sources (e.g., SafetyNet \2\, NAVTEX,
VHF) and online. The Coast Guard urges mariners to use these other
alternatives to the MF channels for distress calls, DSC calls, and
information broadcasts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ SafetyNET is a satellite-based broadcast warning system that
delivers high seas navigational warnings, meteorological warnings
and forecasts, ice reports, and other marine safety information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mariners should not need to purchase any new equipment to make this
change from 2182 kHz to other GMDSS distress frequencies. Most
radiocommunications equipment carried by vessels is able to operate in
the 2-27.5 MHz range in addition to the VHF radiotelephone also carried
by ships. While some older radios may not tune to other frequencies,
these radios are no longer sold, parts are not available for repairing
them and they are not typically found on vessels. Therefore, the
overwhelming majority of vessels simply need to tune their radios from
2182 kHz to another GMDSS distress frequency (such as 4125, 6215, 8291,
or 12290 kHz). Because VHF frequencies may not be reliable more than 20
nautical miles from shore, any vessel that operates more than 20
nautical miles from the coast should carry radiocommunications
equipment capable of tuning to distress frequencies other than VHF to
ensure the vessel is able to make a distress call when needed.
All vessel owners and operators are strongly advised to check their
communication equipment regularly to ensure it is properly installed,
operating and tuned to the most reliable distress channels. For more
information visit the Coast Guard's Navigation Center Web site at
www.navcen.uscg.gov.
Authority
This notice is issued under authority of 14 U.S.C. 93(a)(16) and 5
U.S.C. 552(a).
Dated: July 9, 2013.
Alfredo Mistichelli,
U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Chief, Office of Information Assurance and
Spectrum Policy, Commandant (CG-65).
[FR Doc. 2013-16801 Filed 7-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P