**United States of America**

**PROPOSAL FOR THE WORK OF THE CONFERENCE**

**Agenda Item 1.14:** to review the operational procedures and
requirements of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
and other related provisions of the Radio Regulations, taking into
account Resolutions **331 (Rev.WRC‑03)** and **342 (Rev.WRC‑2000)** and
the continued transition to the GMDSS, the experience since its
introduction, and the needs of all classes of ships;

**Background Information:** Resolution **342**, titled "*New
Technologies to provide improved efficiency in the use of the band
156-174 MHz in the maritime mobile service"*, considers the need for new
maritime technologies which use the bands described by Appendix **18**
of the Radio Regulations. *Considering k*) of this Resolution in
particular addresses the new **Automatic Identification System (AIS)**
developed by ITU-R and the need to provide full worldwide
interoperability of equipment on ships.

AIS is an international standard for ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore and
shore-to-ship communication of information, including vessel position,
speed, course, destination and other data defined by ITU-R Rec.
M.1371-1. AIS transmits on 161.975 MHz and 162.025 MHz, as specified by
Appendix **18** of the Radio Regulations and by Rec. ITU-R M.1371-1. AIS
was originally designed to enhance navigation safety, but its potential
as a prime contributor to security quickly became apparent. AIS provides
an effective means to monitor the total global marine environment that
could affect the security, safety, economy, or environment of an
Administration.

On December 6, 2000, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
amended Chapter V of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention to
include an implementation schedule for shipboard AIS carriage
requirements. In 2002, in response to the needs of Administrations to
improve their security, the IMO accelerated the AIS carriage
requirements schedule from a phased approach ending in 2008, to require
all vessels over 300 gross tons on international voyages to carry AIS
equipment by 31 December 2004.

In order to locate and identify vessels for security purposes beyond VHF
range of shore, the U.S. plans to install AIS receivers on aircraft and
on low earth orbit mobile satellite platforms. Norway is performing
similar evaluations using satellite detection of AIS, as demonstrated to
the International Maritime Organization's Communications and Search &
Rescue Subcommittee meeting of February 2005. Satellite use is not
currently allocated in Article **5**.

**Proposal:**

ARTICLE 5

Frequency allocations

Section IV -- Table of Frequency Allocations

USA/ / 1 MOD

+----------------------+----------------------+-----------------------+
| Allocation to        |                      |                       |
| services             |                      |                       |
+----------------------+----------------------+-----------------------+
| Region 1             | Region 2             | Region 3              |
+----------------------+----------------------+-----------------------+
| **156.8375-174**     | **156.8375-174**     |                       |
|                      |                      |                       |
| FIXED                | FIXED                |                       |
|                      |                      |                       |
| MOBILE except        | MOBILE               |                       |
| aeronautical\        |                      |                       |
| mobile               |                      |                       |
+----------------------+----------------------+-----------------------+
| **MOD 5.226 ADD      | **MOD 5.226 ADD      |                       |
| 5.226X** 5.229       | 5.226X** 5.230 5.231 |                       |
|                      | 5.232                |                       |
+----------------------+----------------------+-----------------------+

**Reasons: The specific footnote is modified below.**

USA/ / 2 MOD

**5.226** The frequency 156.8 MHz is the international distress, safety
and calling frequency for the maritime mobile VHF radiotelephone
service. The conditions for the use of this frequency are contained in
Article **31** and Appendix **13**.

In the bands 156-156.7625 MHz, 156.8375-157.45 MHz, 160.6-160.975 MHz
and 161.475-162.05 MHz, each administration shall give priority to the
maritime mobile service on only such frequencies as are assigned to
stations of the maritime mobile service by the administration (see
Articles **31** and **52**, and Appendix **13** [and
**18**]{.underline}).

Any use of frequencies in these bands by stations of other services to
which they are allocated should be avoided in areas where such use might
cause harmful interference to the maritime mobile services.

However, the frequency 156.8 MHz and the frequency bands in which
priority is given to the maritime mobile service may be used for
radiocommunications on inland waterways subject to agreement between
interested and affected administrations and taking into account current
frequency usage and existing agreements.

**Reasons:** The addition of a referenceAppendix **18** to the second
paragraph is needed.

**USA/ / 3 ADD**

**5.226X** [In the maritime mobile service the frequency 162.025 (AIS 2)
MHz shall be used exclusively for automatic identification systems (AIS)
(see Appendix **18**). The band 162.0125-162.0375 MHz is also allocated
on a primary basis to the maritime mobile-satellite service
(Earth-to-space) for reception by satellites of emissions from the AIS
transmitting at 162.025 MHz (AIS 2)]{.underline}.

[Any use of frequencies in these bands by stations of other services to
which they are allocated should be avoided in areas where such use might
cause harmful interference to the maritime mobile and maritime
mobile-satellite service at 162.025 (AIS 2) MHz.]{.underline}

**Reasons:** AIS is a navigation safety and security system, with
frequencies specified in Appendix **18**. Low earth orbit mobile
satellites are used to detect AIS transmissions from ships of vessel
identification and location, for purposes of security, safety and
environmental protection.

USA/ / 4 MOD

APPENDIX 18 (WRC-~~2000~~[07]{.underline})

Table of transmitting frequencies in the VHF\
maritime mobile band

  ------------ ---------- --------------- ---------- ------------ ------------- ----------- -----------------
  Channel\     Notes      Transmitting\              Inter-ship   Port                      Public
  designator              frequencies\                            operations\               corres-pondence
                          (MHz)                                   and ship                  
                                                                  movement                  

                          Ship stations   Coast                   Single        Two         
                                          stations                frequency     frequency   

  AIS 1        *MOD l)*   161.975         161.975                                           

  AIS 2        *MOD l),   162.025         162.025                                           
               ADD*                                                                         
               o bis*)*                                                                     
  ------------ ---------- --------------- ---------- ------------ ------------- ----------- -----------------

**Reasons:** The specific note "o bis)", a derivation of note l), and
Mod l), are described below.

**Notes referring to the Table**

*Specific notes*

USA/ / 5 MOD

MOD *l)* These channels (AIS 1 and AIS 2) ~~will be~~[are]{.underline}
used for a terrestrial automatic ~~ship~~ identification ~~and
surveillance~~ system in accordance with Recommendation ITU-R M.1371
which is capable of providing worldwide operation on high seas, unless
other frequencies are designated on a regional basis for this purpose.

**Reasons:** ITU-R adopted Rec. M.1371 after this note was adopted at
WRC-97.

USA/ / 6 ADD

ADD *o bis)* Additionally, AIS 2 may be used by the maritime
mobile-satellite service (Earth to space) for the reception of AIS
transmissions from ships.

**Reasons:** Low earth orbit mobile satellites can be used to detect AIS
transmissions from ships of ship identification and location, for
purposes of security, safety and environmental protection.