FINAL REPORT - Stakeholders - Ofcom

� The study should further ascertain current and future maritime public
correspondence needs and ascertain whether a combination of GSM/IMT-2000
and satellite communications is likely to satisfy communications requirements in
British waters.
� Such a study would need to take account of the need to:
o Ensure 25 kHz fitted ships would be able to operate as intended for an
agreed period;
o Ensure 161.975 and 162.025 MHz are maintained for AIS;
o Seek to achieve a reduction in the number of two-frequency channels for
port operations and ship movement.
(See Sections 6.8, 6.9 and 6.10).
Recommendation 6.8: Use of 12.5 kHz technology on all ten UHF on-board
channels is recommended in order to minimise possible interference (See Section 6.12).
Recommendation 6.9: The GSM system at 900 MHz is increasingly used by the
maritime community as a substitute for maritime VHF public correspondence. IMT-2000 is
now being implemented. In the long term, it will likely replace GSM 900. In order to
maintain the obvious advantages of public mobile telecommunication systems for the
maritime community, it will be of particular importance that IMT-2000 in coastal areas
should be available in the 900 MHz band. This is because the 2 GHz band, whilst
particularly suited for areas on land with high traffic densities and thus small cells, will
have an off shore range that is inadequate for serving the maritime community effectively.
It is therefore recommended that frequencies at 900 MHz should be made available for
the implementation of IMT-2000 in coastal areas; when GSM is planned for
decommission (See Section 6.13).
1.2.5 Licensing
Recommendation 7.1:
In view of the trend to deregulate licensing in some countries in the GA sector and
domestic maritime non-SOLAS sector, it is recommended that a study should be
conducted in the United Kingdom, possibly involving other British Isles administrations, of
whether such an approach would benefit the UK aviation and maritime industries. Such a
development might be restricted to the use of VHF aviation and maritime frequencies and
on-board navigation apparatus. The introduction of a class licence for such applications
could also be linked to AIP i.e. the use of spectrally efficient wireless telegraphy
apparatus would meet the terms of the class licence, whilst continued use of ‘old’
equipment would continue to attract fees. However the need to record MMSI details
would have to be addressed. See also section 6.6.10. Although it is envisaged such a
scheme could be limited to vessels registered by the flagging territories of the British Isles
(two sovereign countries and three Crown dependencies), such a scheme might in future
be proposed for extension to the European Union or CEPT. However the difficulties of
attempting this are recognised. (see section 7.5)
1.2.6 General
Recommendation 8.1:
Ofcom is invited to consider the establishment of a voluntary regime to develop a UK
certification process to stimulate the development of spectrally efficient techniques which
may lead to improved spectrum occupancy and efficiencies. Such a process would need
the support of both user and manufacturing communities. In addition it could be promoted
as a European process as a means to signify when a particular standard or standards
Page 19