US Inmarsat-C users: FCC will withdraw as account authority 22 APR 2020

[joehersey]

Yesterday FCC set the date for their planned withdrawal as a US accounting authority: April 22, 2020. See https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-19-315A1.pdf Except possibly for users of public coast stations (marine radio operators), the only ones affected by this will likely be users of Inmarsat-C (C-SAT or mini-C) terminals. If you are using someone else as an accounting authority (eg Inmarsat, COMSAT or Marlink), or if you have an Inmarsat Service Provider contract, you should not be affected. If you are affected, your terminal will immediately be barred upon its first use after that 22 April 2020 date. However like a barred cellphone, a bared terminal will retain its distress alert capability.

How can you determine if you are affected? That's the rub. Its not easy. If you still have your terminal's commissioning document, you are affected if "US01" is entered in the AAIC field. If your terminal is active and you've not paid anyone a fee in the past year, even if you've not used it, you may be affected. I'm hoping between FCC and Inmarsat better means might be found for helping affected users through this transition. If better means are eventually found, it should be posted in the FCC's link referenced in their public notice: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-wit...obile-services. (There's nothing there yet except the FCC Report and Order announcing the withdrawal decision).

Joe Hersey
USCG retired

[GordMay]

Thanks for the update, Joe.