Technologie i telekomunikacja · 14.07.1997

Maritime Communications

The Commission has adopted a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making in PR Docket No. 92-257 which seeks to simplify the licensing process and introduce additional flexibility for public coast stations. Specifically, the Commission has proposed rules to designate geographic licensing regions for very high frequency (VHF) public coast stations, and assign all currently unassigned VHF public correspondence channels on a geographic basis by competitive bidding. The Commission has proposed rules to eliminate the required channel loading showing for high seas public coast stations, and implement competitive bidding procedures for mutually exclusive initial applications on a case-by- case basis; and to eliminate the current emission restrictions and channel plan, increase the permitted power levels for point-to-point communications, and streamline licensing procedures for Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS) coast stations. The Commission also seeks comment on allowing private coast stations to share public coast station frequencies in the medium frequency (MF) and high frequency (HF) bands.