Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005)ICASARadiocommunication Frequency Migration Plan 2019AppendicesAppendix H : Articles 31 and 52 of the ITU Radio Regulations and Rec. ITU-R SM.1603Article 31 of the ITU Radio Regulations |
Frequencies for the global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS)
Section I − General
31.1
| (1) | 1 The frequencies to be used for the transmission of distress and safety information under the GMDSS are contained in Appendix 15. In addition to the frequencies listed in Appendix 15, ship stations and coast stations should use other appropriate frequencies for the transmission of safety messages and general radiocommunications to and from shorebased radio systems or networks. (WRC-07) |
31.2
| (2) | 2 Any emission causing harmful interference to distress and safety communications on any of the discrete frequencies identified in Appendix 15 is prohibited. (WRC-07). |
31.3
| (3) | 3 The number and duration of test transmissions shall be kept to a minimum on the frequencies identified in Appendix 15; they should be coordinated with a competent authority, as necessary, and, wherever practicable, be carried out on artificial antennas or with reduced power. However, testing on the distress and safety calling frequencies should be avoided, but where this is unavoidable, it should be indicated that these are test transmissions. |
31.4
| (4) | 4 Before transmitting for other than distress purposes on any of the frequencies identified in Appendix 15 for distress and safety, a station shall, where practicable, listen on the frequency concerned to make sure that no distress transmission is being sent. |
| 31.5 | Not used. |
Section II − Survival craft stations
31.6
| (1) | 5 Equipment for radiotelephony use in survival craft stations shall, if capable of operating on any frequency in the bands between 156 MHz and 174 MHz, be able to transmit and receive on 156.8 MHz and at least one other frequency in these bands. |
31.7
| (2) | Equipment for transmitting locating signals from survival craft stations shall be capable of operating in the 9 200-9 500 MHz band. |
31.8
| (3) | Equipment with digital selective calling facilities for use in survival craft shall, if capable of operating: |
31.9
| (a) | in the bands between 1 606.5 kHz and 2 850 kHz, be able to transmit on 2 187.5 kHz; (WRC-03); |
31.10
| (b) | in the bands between 4 000 kHz and 27 500 kHz, be able to transmit on 8 414.5kHz; |
31.11
| (c) | in the bands between 156 MHz and 174 MHz, be able to transmit on 156.525 MHz. |
RR31-2 CHAPTER VII - Distress and safety communications
Section III − Watch keeping
| 31.12 | A − Coast stations |
| 31.13 | 6 Those coast stations assuming a watch-keeping responsibility in the GMDSS shall maintain an automatic digital selective calling watch on frequencies and for periods of time as indicated in the information published in the List of Coast Stations and Special Service Stations (List IV). (WRC-07). |
| 31.14 | B − Coast earth stations |
| 31.15 | 7 Those coast earth stations assuming a watch-keeping responsibility in the GMDSS shall maintain a continuous automatic watch for appropriate distress alerts relayed by space stations. |
| 31.16 | C − Ship stations |
31.17
| (1) | 8 Ship stations, where so equipped, shall, while at sea, maintain an automatic digital selective calling watch on the appropriate distress and safety calling frequencies in the frequency bands in which they are operating. Ship stations, where so equipped, shall also maintain watch on the appropriate frequencies for the automatic reception of transmissions of meteorological and navigational warnings and other urgent information to ships. (WRC-07) |
31.18
| (2) | Ship stations complying with the provisions of this Chapter should, where practicable, maintain a watch on the frequency 156.8 MHz (VHF channel 16). (WRC-07) |
| 31.19 | D − Ship earth stations |
| 31.20 | 9 Ship earth stations complying with the provisions of this Chapter shall, while at sea, maintain watch except when communicating on a working channel. |