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1. The world Radio Communication Conference 2012 made changes to appendices 17 and 18 of the Radio Regulation. Certain frequencies and channelling arrangements for the maritime HF and VHF bands as contained in appendices 17 and 18 of the Radio Regulations are revised. Due to these changes, the use of frequencies that would be used by services such as Port Operations and VTS will get affected.
2. Accordingly shipboard radio communication equipment will required to be modified in order to meet the changed Radio Regulation requirement. Replacement of operating hardware may be necessary.
3. The International Maritime Organization has issued circular MSC.1/Circ.1460 (copy attached) providing guidance on the validity of radio communication equipments installed and used on ships.
4. To ensure GMDSS communication capability, HF radio communication equipment capable of operating narrow-band direct printing (NBDP) should be updated so that following the first radio survey after 1 January 2017, it meets the channelling arrangements reflected in sections II and III of part B in appendix 17 of the Radio Regulation.
5. Radio communication equipment, other than HF radio communication equipment capable of operating NBDP, does not necessarily need to be updated by the first radio survey after 1st January 2017, but may be updated appropriately in accordance with the time frame as advised by the Flag Administration.
6. Ship Owners and managers are advised to take note of above and accordingly arrange for timely up gradation of GMDSS equipments on their ships.

Enclosure:

1. MSC.1/Circ.1460 Reg “Guidance on the validity of Radio Communications Equipment installed and used on Ships”.