Monitoring of Certain High Frequency, Voice-Distress Frequencies

Published date07 December 2021
Record Number2021-26518
SectionNotices
CourtCoast Guard,Homeland Security Department
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 232 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)]
                [Notices]
                [Page 69286]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2021-26518]
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                DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
                Coast Guard
                [Docket No. USCG-2020-0668]
                Monitoring of Certain High Frequency, Voice-Distress Frequencies
                AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
                ACTION: Notice of decision.
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                SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard will cease monitoring all High Frequency
                (HF) voice distress frequencies within the contiguous United States and
                Hawaii because they are rarely used. These frequencies are: 4125 kHz;
                6215 kHz; 8291 kHz; and 12290 kHz. Advances in radio technology offer
                alternative means to send out distress notices. We will continue to
                monitor HF Digital Selective Calling distress alerting for all existing
                regions and voice distress alerting and hailing from Kodiak, Alaska,
                and Guam.
                DATES: The Coast Guard will cease monitoring all high frequency voice
                distress frequencies on February 7, 2022.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document,
                please call or email Patrick Gallagher, Communications Specialist,
                Spectrum Management and Communications Policy, U.S. Coast Guard
                (Commandant CG-672); telephone: 202-475-3537; email:
                [email protected].
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 20, 2020, we published a notice
                in the Federal Register (85 FR 74361) that the Coast Guard was
                considering no longer monitoring four High Frequency (HF) voice
                distress frequencies within the contiguous United States and Hawaii. In
                the notice, we requested feedback from the public on the proposed
                termination. The comment period closed on January 19, 2021. We received
                four submissions in response to our inquiry, requesting the Coast Guard
                maintain these frequencies, due to the cost of purchasing a Digital
                Selective Calling (DSC)-capable HF radio. DCS-capable radios have been
                in production and available for purchase to the maritime community for
                over 20 years and are accessible to all mariners. In addition, low-cost
                satellite Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) radios
                have become available to the commercial market.
                 Due to the advances in radio technology (DSC-capable HF radios and
                GMDSS Satellite radios), regular HF radio call outs have been virtually
                nonexistent. DSC technology has been available to the maritime
                community since 1999 and along with mobile satellite communications has
                resulted in almost no regular HF voice distress traffic. This has been
                exemplified by the Coast Guard not having received a single voice
                distress call that could be correlated to an actual response in excess
                of 7 years.
                 The Coast Guard is terminating the monitoring of all HF Voice
                Distress Frequencies (4125 kHz; 6215 kHz; 8291 kHz; and 12290 kHz) in
                the contiguous United States and Hawaii. As noted, DSC-capable HF
                radios have been available for decades and low-cost satellite GMDSS
                radios are also available. We will continue to monitor the HF DSC
                distress alerting for all existing regions and voice distress alerting
                and hailing from Kodiak, Alaska, and Guam.
                 This notice is issued under the authority of 14 U.S.C. 504(a)(16)
                and 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
                 Dated: December 02, 2021.
                J.L. Ulcek,
                Chief, Spectrum Management and Communication Policy.
                [FR Doc. 2021-26518 Filed 12-6-21; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
                

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