PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830 TTY 202 / 418-2555 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov DA 10-1728 Released: September 13, 2010 WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU REMINDS MARINERS, MANUFACTURERS, AND RETAILERS THAT NON-PORTABLE DSC RADIOS APPROVED UNDER PRIOR TECHNICAL STANDARD MAY NOT BE MANUFACTURED, IMPORTED, SOLD, OR INSTALLED AS OF MARCH 25, 2011 The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau reminds mariners, manufacturers, and retailers that fixed mounted (non-portable) digital selective calling (DSC) equipment built to RTCM Standard SC-101 may no longer be manufactured, imported, sold or installed, beginning March 25, 2011. As of that date, the Commission’s Rules will prohibit the manufacture, importation, sale and installation of non-portable DSC radios that do not meet the requirements of International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) Recommendation M.493–11 or higher,1 and, in the case of Class D VHF DSC equipment only, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) International Standard 62238.2 Any such radio that is installed prior to March 25, 2011, however, may continue to be used. In addition, beginning March 25, 2012, the Commission will no longer accept applications for certification of handheld, portable DSC equipment that does not meet the requirements of ITU-R Recommendation M.493–11 or higher and IEC 62238.3 The manufacture, importation, and sale of portable DSC-equipped radios not meeting these standards will be prohibited as of March 25, 2015.4 Compliance with these new technical standards will ensure that DSC-equipped radios incorporate many new safety features and functions,5 and will eliminate the dangers associated with the automatic 1 At present, the Part 80 rules specify that the ITU standard with which DSC-equipped radios must comply is ITU Recommendation M.493-11. See 47 C.F.R. § 80.225. Earlier this year, however, the Commission amended Section 80.225 and other Part 80 rules to require compliance with a newer version of that standard, ITU Recommendation M.493-13. See Amendment of Parts 13 and 80 of the Commission’s Rules Concerning Maritime Communications, Fourth Report and Order and Second Memorandum Opinion and Order, WT Docket No. 00-48, 25 FCC Rcd 7781 (2010). Those amendments will take effect sixty days after publication in the Federal Register. 2 See 47 C.F.R. § 80.225(a)(4). 3 See 47 C.F.R. § 80.225(a)(3). 4 See 47 C.F.R. § 80.225(a)(5). 5 The new features also include provisions for making test calls, dual receiver functionality to improve operation, and Global Positioning System (GPS) interconnection alarms designed to ensure that distress alerts include a valid and accurate position. DSC equipment meeting the new requirements will provide improved detection of distress alerts, a reduced rate of false alarms, and a reduction in incessant alarming. See Amendment of Parts 13 and 80 of the Commission’s Rules Concerning Maritime Communications, Memorandum Opinion and Order, Third Report channel switching feature on some current models of DSC-equipped radios, as addressed in a recent United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert.6 For further information, contact Ghassan Khalek of the Mobility Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418-0680, TTY (202) 418-7233, or via email to Ghassan.Khalek@fcc.gov. -FCC- and Order, and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, WT Docket No. 00-48 & PR Docket No. 92-257, 21 FCC Rcd 10282, 10298-10300 ¶¶ 27-29 (2006). 6 See http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/SA0210.pdf.