47 CFR Part 80 - STATIONS IN THE MARITIME SERVICES

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) addresses a number of important issues regarding updating rules and requirements for technologies used to locate and rescue distressed ships and individuals in distress at sea or on land to provide better and more accurate data to rescue personnel. The Commission also addresses issues regarding radar equipment, the use of portable marine Very High Frequency (VHF) transmitters by persons on shore; permitting VHF digital small message service (VDSMS); and allowing assignment or transfer of control of ship station licenses. The Commission is amending its rules to permit the maritime community to make use of the most advanced and reliable communications technologies available for the alerting of search and rescue authorities when a vessel or individual is in distress, and to further the Commission's goal of ensuring that the spectrum allocated for emergency communications is used effectively and efficiently.

The Federal Communications Commission (the Commission) acts to improve the Commission's efficiency, effectively manage Commission resources, and align the Commission's field enforcement activities with contemporary needs for a field enforcement presence. The Commission, the Office of Managing Director and the Enforcement Bureau will take several actions to realign the mission and resources of its 24 field offices. The Bureau's field offices will primarily support the enforcement of the Commission's radio frequency spectrum rules and other key regulations in a manner likely to have the greatest impact, in the most cost effective way possible.

In this document, the Commission implemented allocation changes from the World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 2007) (WRC-07) and updated related service rules. The Commission took this action in order to conform its rules, to the extent practical, to the decisions that the international community made at WRC-07. This action will promote the advancement of new and expanded services and provide significant benefits to the American people. In addition, the Commission revised the International Table of Frequency Allocations within its rules to generally reflect the allocation changes made at the World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 2012) (WRC-12).

In this document, the Commission proposes to implement certain allocation changes from the World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 2012) (WRC-12) and to update related service rules. The Commission took this action in order to conform its rules, to the extent practical, to the decisions that the international community made at WRC-12. This action will promote the advancement of new and expanded services and provide significant benefits to the American people. In addition, the Commission proposes to address several matters that pertain to unresolved issues from a previous Conference.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revises certain mailing addresses pertaining to satellite emergency radiobeacons which are used to facilitate search and rescue of persons in distress. We update the rules to include the correct mailing addresses for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Beacon Registration Database, the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM), the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA), and the United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard). This Order updates the mailing addresses provided in our rules for NOAA, RTCM, RTCA and the Coast Guard.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) invites comment on issues regarding updating rules and requirements for technologies used to locate and rescue distressed ships and individuals in distress at sea or on land to provide better and more accurate data to rescue personnel. The Commission also invites comments on rules regarding radar equipment, the use of portable marine Very High Frequency (VHF) transmitters by persons on shore; permitting VHF digital small message service (VDSMS); and allowing assignment or transfer of control of ship station licenses. These rules will enable the maritime radio services to better protect lives and property at sea, as well as support improved day-to-day operations. New technologies will be used to locate and rescue distressed ships and individuals in distress at sea or on land to provide better and more accurate data to rescue personnel.

This document revises and streamlines the Commission rules to modernize the Experimental Radio Service (ERS). The rules adopted in the Report and Order updates the ERS to a more flexible framework to keep pace with the speed of modern technological change while continuing to provide an environment where creativity can thrive. To accomplish this transition, the Commission created three new types of ERS licenses—the program license, the medical testing license, and the compliance testing license—to benefit the development of new technologies, expedite their introduction to the marketplace, and unleash the full power of innovators to keep the United States at the forefront of the communications industry. The Commission's actions also modify the market trial rules to eliminate confusion and more clearly articulate its policies with respect to marketing products prior to equipment certification. The Commission believes that these actions will remove regulatory barriers to experimentation, thereby permitting institutions to move from concept to experimentation to finished product more rapidly and to more quickly implement creative problem-solving methodologies.

This document amends our rules concerning commercial radio operator licenses for maritime and aviation radio stations in order to reduce administrative burdens in the public's interest.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collections associated with the Commission's Migratory Bird Order on Remand ( Order ). This document is consistent with the Order, which stated that the rules will become effective upon Commission publication of a document in the Federal Register announcing their approval by OMB.