ITU-R Sg.

8 Seminar

The Global Maritime Distress and

Safety System
(GMDSS)

Eirik Bliksrud
Norwegian Post and
Telecommunications Authority
 The (Future) Global Maritime
Distress and Safety System
Planned in the -70s/-80s to replace morse:

Automatic, not manual

New technology: digital modulation

satellite systems
 Fulfil 9 functional
requirements wherever it is
Alert shore and ships
Communicate
Be located
Receive safety information
 Sea areas
A1: VHF - Line of sight

A2: MF - Ground wave

A3: Inmarsat – GSO

A4: HF - Reflections
 Radiosystems in the GMDSS
VHF, MF and HF: DSC, voice, data
Inmarsat: Voice, data, nav.info
NAVTEX: Nav. Information
COSPAS-SARSAT: EPIRBs
Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
Call individual or groups of stations
Distress, safety, routine calls
Contains identity, position and other info

100/1200 b/s Time diversity

 WRC-07
Agenda 1.14: Review of the GMDSS

Listening watch on ch. 16

Digitalisation of VHF (Appendix 18)

Digitalisation of HF
New data systems: HF internet
 New systems in GMDSS?
New satellite systems ?
IMT-2000 ?

Coverage
Priority
Pouting to RCC
Globally implemented
On-scene communications
 GMDSS
Not so fancy
Not so modern

Serves well, saves lives

Simple, robust systems/equipment
True global compatibility
Still not fully implemented

Changes are slow to implement