Maritime Communication: How difficult is to fill a radio application form correctly
When talking about IT, broadcasting and radio communications,
everyone boasts how new, modern and fast their equipment on
board is. However, for many professionals involved in the
maritime industry, the telecommunications of a ship is complex.
It is a specialised technical sector that will leave most of us
speechless when, for instance, the need to fill a simple
application form for a Radio Station on board a ship arises.
Name all that equipment, the frequencies, and entering the
information required. It is not easy at all!
Let’s forget about knowing the most basic abbreviations and
common terms used in the Maritime Telecommunication world. We
may even find today in some radio application forms that the
term “gold franc” is used, and how many of us know the
term?
But let’s start from the basics; The ITU (International
Telecommunication Union) with its headquarters in Geneva,
Switzerland is an international organization within the
United Nations System where governments and the private sector
coordinate global telecom networks and services. Also there is
Inmarsat, - today a private enterprise - that operates a large
number of geostationary satellites that extends mobile phone,
fax and data communications to every part of the world, except
the poles. These are the two main bodies that the
Administrations work with in order to have the world fleet in
constant communications. The ITU is also in charge of
designating in blocks, the call signs for the ships to each
country.
In order to have a vessel registered under a particular flag,
the Administration usually requires that the vessel signs a
contract with an Accounting Authority (AA) in order to
administer the billing and settlement of the communication
charges incurred by the ship. There are list of approved AA in
each country.
Simultaneously, with the re-registration of a ship, the
allocation and in some cases a new set of call signs, all the
existing or new radio-telecommunication equipment on board has
to be activated or commissioned. For this, there are few
companies who are authorised for activations of Inmarsat
terminals on board the vessels by the Administrations and by
Inmarsat.
It is a long and complex procedure, with some
registries, for example, the new call sign has to be carved on
the mast of the ship, and in others it is not necessary.
However, it is easy to appreciate that our industry has a
complex and strong infrastructure in place capable to cope with
all the demands and everlasting changes of the world fleet.
© 2005 Maria Dixon - ISM Shipping Solutions Ltd.
