Radiocommunications (Maritime Ship Station — 27 MHz and VHF) Class Licence 2001

The AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY issues this Class Licence under subsection 132 (1) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

Dated   19 June  2001

A.J SHAW                                                                                                                Chair

R HORTON                                                                                                           Deputy Chair

Australian Communications Authority

Contents

Page

Part 1 Preliminary

 1 Name of Class Licence 

 2 Commencement 

 3 Definitions 

Part 2 Class licence

 4 Class licence 

Part 3 Conditions

 5 Compliance with equipment specifications and standards 

 6 Location of station 

 7 Operator qualifications 

 8 Operation outside Australia 

 9 Call signs 

 10 Distress, urgency, safety and calling 

 11 Public correspondence 

 12 Commercial operations 

 13 Non-commercial operations 

 14 Port operations 

 15 Professional fishing operations 

 16 On-board communications 

 17 Radiodetermination communications 

Schedule 1 Equipment specifications and standards 

Part 1.1 27 MHz inshore boating radio service equipment 

Part 1.2 VHF international maritime mobile service equipment 

Part 1.3 UHF on-board communications equipment 

Schedule 2 Permissible operations 

Part 2.1 Frequencies mentioned in tables 

Part 2.2 Radiotelephony transmissions for distress, urgency, safety and calling communications             

Part 2.3 Digital selective calling transmissions for distress, urgency, safety and calling communications             

Part 2.4 Public correspondence 

Part 2.5 Commercial operations 

Part 2.6 Non-commercial operations 

Part 2.7 Port operations 

Part 2.8 Professional fishing operations 

Part 2.9 On-board communications 

Part 2.10 Radiodetermination communications 

Part 1 Preliminary

1 Name of Class Licence

  This Class Licence is the Radiocommunications (Maritime Ship Station — 27 MHz and VHF) Class Licence 2001.

2 Commencement

  This Class Licence commences on 1 July 2001.

3 Definitions

  In this Class Licence:

Act means the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

Australian ship means an Australian vessel.

calling, in relation to a maritime ship station, means operating the station to establish contact with another station.

commercial operations means the activities of commercial ships (other than professional fishing and port operations).

device compliance day means the most recent of the following days:

 (a) if the device was manufactured in Australia — the day the device was manufactured;

 (b) if the device was manufactured overseas and imported into Australia — the day it was imported;

 (c) if the device was altered or modified in a material respect — the day it was altered or modified.

distress, in relation to a transmission, means a ship, aircraft or person is threatened by grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance.

DSC or digital selective calling means a digital system of alerting transmissions used by ship and shore stations to facilitate the exchange of distress, urgency, safety and routine communications.

frequency band means a band of frequencies excluding the lower limit and including the higher limit.

inshore boating radio service means a maritime mobile service comprising limited coast stations and  maritime ship stations operating in inshore waters or inland waterways.

LCS or limited coast station means a maritime coast station that is limited in operation.

MCS means a major coast A station, a major coast B station or a major coast receive station.

non-commercial operations means operations other than:

 (a) commercial operations; or

 (b) port operations; or

 (c) professional fishing operations.

port operations means activities relating to the operational handling, movement and navigation of ships in, or near, a port.

professional fishing operations means professional fishing activities.

pX means peak envelope power, being the average power supplied to an antenna transmission line by a transmitter during 1 radio frequency cycle at the crest of the modulation envelope under normal operating conditions.

pY means the mean power, being the average power supplied to an antenna transmission line by a transmitter during 1 radio frequency cycle at the crest of the modulation envelope taken under normal operating conditions.

pZ means carrier power, being the average power supplied to an antenna transmission line by a transmitter during 1 radio frequency cycle under the conditions of no modulation.

radiodetermination means:

 (a) determination, on the basis of propagation properties of radio waves, of:

 (i) the position of an object; or

 (ii) the velocity of the object; or

 (iii) other characteristics of the object; or

 (b) the obtaining of information about characteristics mentioned in paragraph (a).

repeater station means a limited coast assigned station established at a fixed location:

 (a) for the reception of radio signals from:

 (i) maritime ship stations; or

 (ii) limited coast non assigned stations; or

 (iii) limited coast marine rescue stations; and

 (b) for the automatic retransmission of those signals by radio.

safety, in relation to a transmission, means the safety of navigation or the provision of an important meteorological warning.

SAR means search and rescue.

ship means any kind of vessel used in navigation by water, however propelled or moved, and includes:

 (a) a barge, lighter or other floating vessel; and

 (b) an air-cushion vehicle, or other similar craft, used wholly or primarily in navigation by water; and

 (c) an off-shore industry mobile unit within the meaning of subsection 8 (3) of the Navigation Act 1912.

UHF or ultra high frequency means a frequency that exceeds 300 megahertz but does not exceed 3 gigahertz.

urgency, in relation to a transmission, means the safety of a ship, aircraft or person requires urgent attention.

VHF or very high frequency means a frequency that exceeds 30 megahertz but does not exceed 300 megahertz.

working, in relation to a station, means operating the station to exchange messages with another station.

Note   For the definitions of other expressions used in this Class Licence, see the Radiocommunications Act 1992 and the Radiocommunications (Interpretation) Determination 2000.

Part 2 Class licence

4 Class licence

  This Class Licence authorises any person to operate a maritime ship station on-board an Australian ship, except a ship that is subject to the Navigation Act 1912, if the person complies with the conditions mentioned in this Class Licence.

Part 3 Conditions

5 Compliance with equipment specifications and standards

  A person must not operate a maritime ship station unless each device included in the station:

 (a) if the device has a device compliance day before 1 July 2001 —complies with a specification, equipment compliance requirement or standard, as in force on the device compliance day, that:

 (i) is mentioned in Schedule 1; and

 (ii) applies to the device; or

 (b) if the device has a device compliance day on or after 1 July 2001 —complies with:

 (i) a specification, equipment compliance requirement or standard, as in force on the device compliance day, that:

 (A) is mentioned in Schedule 1; and

 (B) applies to the device; and

 (ii) any other standard that applies to the device on its device compliance day.

Note 1   The Australian Communications Authority wishes to make it clear that, if a standard mentioned in section 5 is amended, or replaced by another standard, after the device compliance day for a device, the device need not comply with the new or amended standard.

Note 2   Under section 5 of the Radiocommunications Act 1992, standard means a standard made under section 162 of that Act.

6 Location of station

  A person must not operate a maritime ship station on land.

7 Operator qualifications

 (1) A person must not operate a maritime ship station on frequencies in the VHF band unless the person:

 (a) is qualified to operate the station; or

 (b) is operating the station under the supervision of a person who is qualified to operate the station.

 (2) A person is qualified to operate the station if the person holds:

 (a) a Restricted Radio Operator’s Certificate of Proficiency, Marine Radio Operator’s Certificate of Proficiency or Marine Radio Operator’s VHF Certificate of Proficiency; or

 (b) qualifications recognised by the ACA as being equivalent to the qualifications mentioned in paragraph (a).

8 Operation outside Australia

 (1) A person operating a maritime ship station beyond the territorial sea of Australia must operate the station in accordance with:

 (a) the International Telecommunication Union Radio Regulations; and

 (b) if the station is in the territorial sea of another country — the requirements of the country applying to radiocommunications.

 (2) If a maritime ship station is to be operated beyond the territorial sea of Australia on a maritime frequency authorised by the International Telecommunication Union and published in the version current from time to time of the Manual for Use by the Maritime Mobile and Maritime Mobile‑Satellite Services, the person must operate the station only to communicate with:

 (a) a coast station operated in another country; or

 (b) a maritime ship station.

9 Call signs

 (1) A person operating a maritime ship station must use a form of identification at the start of each transmission, or series of transmissions, that clearly identifies the station.

 (2) If the station operates DSC, the person must use a maritime mobile service identity to identify the station.

Note   Maritime mobile service identities can be obtained on application from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

10 Distress, urgency, safety and calling

 (1) A person may operate a maritime ship station for distress, urgency, safety and calling communications only:

 (a) on a frequency mentioned in column 2 of an item in Part 2.2 or 2.3 of Schedule 2; and

 (b) using a transmitter output power not exceeding the power mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

 (c) to communicate with a station mentioned in column 4 of the item; and

 (d) for a purpose mentioned in column 5 of the item; and

 (e) in accordance with the limitations (if any) mentioned in italics in column 5 of the item.

 (2) If a limitation mentioned in column 5 of an item in Part 2.2 of Schedule 2 states that this subsection applies, a person must use the frequency mentioned in column 2 of the item only if direct ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore communications on other frequencies are not practicable.

11 Public correspondence

  A person may operate a maritime ship station for public correspondence only:

 (a) on a frequency mentioned in column 2 of an item in Part 2.4 of Schedule 2; and

 (b) using a transmitter output power not exceeding the power mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

 (c) to communicate with a station mentioned in column 4 of the item.

12 Commercial operations

  A person may operate a maritime ship station for commercial operations only:

 (a) on a frequency mentioned in column 2 of an item in Part 2.5 of Schedule 2; and

 (b) using a transmitter output power not exceeding the power mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

 (c) to communicate with a station mentioned in column 4 of the item; and

 (d) for a purpose mentioned in column 5 of the item.

13 Non-commercial operations

 (1) A person may operate a maritime ship station for non-commercial operations only:

 (a) on a frequency mentioned in column 2 of an item in Part 2.6 of Schedule 2; and

 (b) using a transmitter output power not exceeding the power mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

 (c) to communicate with a station mentioned in column 4 of the item; and

 (d) for a purpose mentioned in column 5 of the item; and

 (e) in accordance with the limitations (if any) mentioned in italics in column 5 of the item.

 (2) If a limitation mentioned in column 5 of an item in Part 2.6 of Schedule 2 states that this subsection applies, the station must communicate only with a limited coast station or a maritime ship station with which the person is affiliated for the purposes of a specific maritime event.

 (3) If a limitation mentioned in column 5 of an item in Part 2.6 of Schedule 2 states that this subsection applies, the station must communicate only with a station operated by a rescue organisation, including a station on land.

14 Port operations

  A person may operate a maritime ship station for port operations only:

 (a) on a frequency mentioned in column 2 of an item in Part 2.7 of Schedule 2; and

 (b) using a transmitter output power not exceeding the power mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

 (c) to communicate with a station mentioned in column 4 of the item; and

 (d) for a purpose mentioned in column 5 of the item.

15 Professional fishing operations

  A person may operate a maritime ship station for professional fishing operations only:

 (a) on a frequency mentioned in column 2 of an item in Part 2.8 of Schedule 2; and

 (b) using a transmitter output power not exceeding the power mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

 (c) to communicate with a station mentioned in column 4 of the item; and

 (d) for a purpose mentioned in column 5 of the item.

16 On-board communications

  A person may operate a maritime ship station for on-board communications only:

 (a) on a frequency mentioned in column 2 of an item in Part 2.9 of Schedule 2; and

 (b) using a transmitter output power not exceeding the power mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

 (c) to communicate with persons on board or near the ship; and

 (d) for a purpose mentioned in column 4 of the item.

17 Radiodetermination communications

  A person may operate a maritime ship station for radiodetermination purposes only:

 (a) on a frequency in a frequency band mentioned in column 2 of an item in Part 2.10 of Schedule 2; and

 (b) using a transmitter output power not exceeding the power mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

 (c) for a purpose mentioned in column 4 of the item.

Schedule 1 Equipment specifications and standards

(section 5)

Part 1.1 27 MHz inshore boating radio service equipment

Part 1.2 VHF international maritime mobile service equipment

Part 1.3 UHF on-board communications equipment

Schedule 2 Permissible operations

(sections 10 to 17)

Part 2.1 Frequencies mentioned in tables

 1. A frequency mentioned in column 2 of a table in this Schedule applies to both the sending of a transmission and the receipt of a transmission unless the frequency has a suffix Tx or Rx.

 2. If the frequency has a suffix Tx, it applies only to the sending of a transmission.

 3. If the frequency has a suffix Rx, it applies only to the receiving of transmissions.

Part 2.2 Radiotelephony transmissions for distress, urgency, safety and calling communications

Part 2.3 Digital selective calling transmissions for distress, urgency, safety and calling communications

Part 2.4 Public correspondence

Part 2.5 Commercial operations

Part 2.6 Non-commercial operations

Part 2.7 Port operations

Part 2.8 Professional fishing operations

Part 2.9 On-board communications

Part 2.10 Radiodetermination communications