Resolution A.707(17)
Adopted on 6 November 1991
(Agenda item 10)CHARGES FOR DISTRESS, URGENCY AND SAFETY MESSAGES
THROUGH THE INMARSAT SYSTEM
( Link: MSC/circ685 )
( 1979 SAR Conference resolution 2, 1988 GMDSS Conference resolution 6 )
THE ASSEMBLY
RECALLING Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Assembly in relation to regulations and guidelines concerning maritime safety,
RECALLING ALSO resolution 2 adopted by the International Conference on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979, which recommends that States should arrange that participation in ship reporting systems shall be free of message cost to the ships concerned,
RECALLING FURTHER resolution 6 adopted by the 1988 Conference Of Contracting Governments to SOLAS 1974 on the global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) which requests the Maritime Safety Committee to review funding arrangements prior to the implementation date of the GMDSS,
BEARING IN MIND that the existing terrestrial maritime radiocommunication services
for distress, urgency and safety messages are free of charge to shipping,
NOTING that INMARSAT accounts with its coast earth station operators for all
communications other than the initial distress call and message,
NOTING ALSO that the Joint IMO/INMARSAT Meeting on Funding for Maritime
Distress and Safety Communications (4-7 December 1990) made further recommendations regarding the treatment of INMARSAT space segment charges as shown in the service/charging matrix for distress and safety communications through the INMARSAT system, set out in the annex to the present resolution, as well as, review arrangements,
NOTING FURTHER that the thirty-eighth session of the IMMARSAT Council had
agreed to the recommendations of the Director-General of INMARSAT regarding the
treatment of maritime distress and safety communications which were based on the
service/charging matrix set out in the annex to the present resolution,
FURTHER NOTING that the Charges to Ships and land Subscribers for Communication services Provided via the INMARSAT system are established by national telecommunication entities in conformity with national policies and practices,
RECOGNIZING the advantages of the INMARSAT service for distress, urgency and
safety purposes,
RECOGNIZING FURTHER that funding arrangements remain to be agreed at national level for coast earth stations and landline charges related
to the traffic covered by the recommendations of the Joint
IMO/INMARSAT Meeting,
HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Maritime Safety
Committee at its fifty-ninth session,
- RECOMMENDS that States having coast earth stations under their
jurisdiction arrange that the following transmissions through the
INMARSAT system shall be free of charge:
- ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship distress traffic;
- urgent ship-to-shore navigational and meteorological danger
reports using record communications; and
- medical assistance for persons in grave and imminent danger;
- RECOMMENDS ALSO that States make every effort, consistent with
domestic laws and policies, to arrange that meteorological reports,
ship position reports and medical advice and assistance messages
other than those referred to in paragraph 1, transmitted through the
INMARSAT system, shall be free of charge to shipping;
- RECOMMENDS FURTHER that States should put suitable arrangements
in place for the treatment of coast earth station and landline
charges prior to the entry into force of the 1988 SOLAS amendments to
introduce the GMDSS on 1 February 1992;
- REVOKES resolution A.523(13).
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Responsible:MTP372
Notes
- Space segment and coast earth station elements only; excludes landline charges.
- See definitions of charges.
- No charge to originator if sent via record communications.
- In the unlikely event of difficulty in securing a connection, ships may use priority 3 at no charge.
- Only to recognized medical authorities.
- Via SafetyNET(TM).
- Subject to confirmation by individual CES owners.
- Not yet implemented.
- INMARSAT-C short data reports consist of up to 32 bytes of binary encoded user information. Data formats have been developed for meteorological and ship position reports.
- Record is defined as all types of INMARSAT communications other than those via voice channels.
INMARSAT two-digit codes for safety services
Abbreviated dialling codes have been established in the INMARSAT system, for use by CESs which desire
to use them, to enable automatic routeing of specific types of calls from ships to the appropriate addresses.
The following two-digit codes pertain to safety services:
32 - Request for medical advice
38 - Request for medical assistance
39 - Request for maritime assistance
41 - Shipment of meteorological data
42 - Shipment of meteorological data and navigational dangers
43 - Ship reports
Definitions (space segment only)
| No charge | No charges are levied by INMARSAT. INMARSAT will absorb the costs. |
| Standard charge | Standard space segment utilization charges for the particular
INMARSAT service which are levied by INMARSAT on coast earth station operators. |
| Special charge | Special space segment utilization charges levied by INMARSAT on coast earth station operators and at a lower tariff than standard charges. |