INTERNAL PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES ON MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE IDENTITY (MMSI) FOR SHIP STATIONS
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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;
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;
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;
6.4. to gain automatic connectivity by telephone or telex from ship to shore and shore to ship or through suitably equipped coasts station;
6.5. for ship-to-ship selective calling incorporating automated radio communications system.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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