Intent
1. The intent of this document is to provide information on the formation and
management of Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI). It will also serve as a guide
on the process and assignment of MMSI to ship stations on their apparatus assignment
in the country; taking into consideration the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) Circular-letter CM/4 dated 9 February 1998 and Appendix 43 of the ITU Radio
Regulations. |
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Introduction
2. Vessels at sea are served by a complex and worldwide access to terrestrial
maritime public correspondence, satellite telecommunications, radio navigation and
safety services. For an efficient service and to ensure an effective search and rescue
operation during the time of distress, it is therefore essential to have a unique
ship station identification system. |
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| 3. MMSI is a nine-digit number assignment
system to uniquely identify maritime mobile service. For ship stations, the MMSI
comprises of a 3 digit country of registration identifier (Maritime Identification
Digits or MID) followed by a 6 digit ship identity. |
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| 4. The International Maritime Organisation
(IMO) has mandated the full implementation of Global Maritime Distress and Safety
System (GMDSS) by 1 February 1999 . All ocean-going passenger ships and cargo ships
larger than 300 gross tonnage must be equipped with the necessary GMDSS radio communications
equipment by that date. |
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| 5. The MMSI is meant to be an all-inclusive
ship electronic identity, used in one form or another by every GMDSS or telecommunications
instrument on board. It is programmed into the automatic radio communications system
such as the digital selective calling (DSC), satellite earth station (SES) and the
emergency position-identified radio beacon (EPIRB). |
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Eligibility
6. MMSI maybe assigned upon request
to Malaysian registered commercial and recreational vessel that requires such identity
:
| 6.1. |
as a unique international standard number
for locating and contacting the vessel in cases of distress; |
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| 6.2. |
for Rescue Coordinating Centre (RCC) to gain
useful information with regard to the vessel ownership and identity, the intended
route and information of other radio equipment on board; |
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| 6.3. |
for worldwide access and a common number for
billing and settlement of account. As for the case of INMARSAT SES or other INMARSAT
earth terminal that may commissioned to be used as the land base terminal; |
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| 6.4. |
to gain automatic connectivity by telephone
or telex from ship to shore and shore to ship or through suitably equipped coasts
station; |
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| 6.5. |
for ship-to-ship selective calling incorporating
automated radio communications system. |
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Formation of MMSI to Ship
Station
7. In its basic form, the MMSI for a ship station is a nine digit number comprising
of a 6 digit number preceded by a 3 digit Maritime Identification Digit or MID, unique
to a particular country. The ITU has allocated a single MID to each administration
and the MID for Malaysia is 533. Request for a second MID could only be made upon
exhaustion of the existing MMSI allocation. |
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8. The MMSI for ship stations registered in
Malaysia would take the form:
where X4, X5, X6, X7, X8,
and X9 are any digit 0 to 9. |
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| 9. The MMSI is structured into four different
format depending on the type of ship station radio communication equipment, type
of access and the area of operation. |
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10. Format 1 : no trailing zero
where:
X4, X5, and X6, are any digit 0 to 9
X9 is any digit 1 to 9
X8 is any digit 0 to 9 (it could not be 0 when X9 is also 0)
X7 is any digit 0 to 9 (it could not be zero when X8 and X9
are 0s)
13.1 Assignment Eligibility:
Ship that requires numerical identification operating in domestic water for terrestrial
radio communications access requiring manual coast station intervention to place
calls as well as If ships fitted with INMARSAT standard system A or any other satellite
equipment other than INMARSAT B, C or M. |
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11. Format 2 : one-trailing zero
where:
X4, X5, and X6, are any digit 0 to 9
X8 is any digit 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
X7 is any digit 0 to 9 (it could not be zero when X8 is 0)
14.1 Assignment Eligibility:
Ship stations intended to receive automatically only from the country of ships' registry
shore-to-ship originated terrestrial radio communication traffic without the domestic
coast station intervention as well as ships which are fitted with INMARSAT C ship
earth station, or it is expected to be so equipped in the foreseeable future. |
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12. Format 3 : two-trailing zero
where:
X4, X5, and X6, are any digit 0 to 9
X7 is any digit 1 to 9
15.1 Assignment Eligibility:
Ship stations intended for automatic shore-to-ship terrestrial radio communications
access through the coast stations of a group of countries within a region. |
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13. Format 4 : three-trailing zero
where:
X4, X5, and X6, are any digit 0 to 9
16.1 Assignment Eligibility:
Ships on international voyages requiring automatic international terrestrial radio
communication access through coast stations of countries as well as ship fitted with
INMARSAT B and M (ship earth station), or is expected to be equipped in the foreseeable
future, and for INMARSAT earth terminal commissioned to be use as land base terminal. |
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