IMSML Website Article 21/2023: Resolution MSC.263(84)/Rev.1 – Performance Standards and Functional Requirements for The Long-Range Identification and Tracking of Ships, Part 4 of 10 - Paragraphs 6 & 7, Communication Service Providers and LRIT Data Centre

This is the Fourth Part (of 10 Parts) of a series of articles on MSC.263(843)/Rev.1. The focus of Part Four is Paragraph 6 and Paragraph 7 which regulate Communication Service Providers and the LRIT Data Centre.

Paragraph 6 - Communication Service Providers

Known by the acronym of CSPs, Communication Service Providers provide services that link the various parts of the LRIT System. It does so by using communications protocols in order to ensure end-to-end secure transfer of the LRIT information. Hence, with such security requirements, this necessarily precludes the usage of non-secure broadcast systems, see Paragraph 6.1. Permission is given to a CSP to have dual status. Paragraph 6.2 allows a CSP to also provide services as an ASP.

Paragraph 7 - LRIT Data Centre

Paragraph 7.1 provides for 21 features which an LRIT Data Centre should have (ie which are quoted in verbatim):

[1] establish and continuously maintain systems which ensure, at all times, that LRIT Data Users are only provided with the LRIT information they are entitled to receive as specified in regulation V/19-1, see Paragraph 7.1.1;

[2] collect LRIT information from ships instructed by their Administrations to transmit the LRIT information to the centre, see Paragraph 7.1.2;

[3] obtain, when requested to provide LRIT information transmitted by ships other than those which transmit the information to the centre, LRIT information from other LRIT Data Centres through the International LRIT Data Exchange, see Paragraph 7.1.3;

[4] make available, when requested to provide LRIT information transmitted by ships which transmit the information to the centre, LRIT information transmitted to the centre to other LRIT Data Centres through the International LRIT Data Exchange, see Paragraph 7.1.4;

[5] execute requests received from LRIT Data Users for polling of LRIT information or for change(s) in the interval(s) of transmission of LRIT information by a ship or a group of ships transmitting the information to the centre, see Paragraph 7.1.5;

[6] relay, when required, requests received from LRIT Data Users through the International LRIT Data Exchange to the other LRIT Data Centres for polling of LRIT information or for change(s) in the interval(s) of transmission of LRIT information by a ship or a group of ships not transmitting the information to the centre, see Paragraph 7.1.6;

[7] execute requests received through the International LRIT Data Exchange from other LRIT Data Centres for polling of LRIT information or for change(s) in the interval(s) of transmission of LRIT information by a ship or a group of ships transmitting the information to the centre, see Paragraph 7.1.7;

[8] upon request disseminate to LRIT Data Users the LRIT information they are entitled to receive in accordance with the agreed arrangements and notify the LRIT Data User and the Administration when a particular ship stops transmitting LRIT information, see Paragraph 7.1.8;

[9] archive LRIT information from ships which transmit the information to the centre, for at least one year and until such time as the Committee reviews and accepts the annual report of the audit of its performance by the LRIT Coordinator. However, the archived LRIT information should provide a complete record of the activities of the centre between two consecutive annual audits of its performance, see Paragraph 7.1.9;

[10] for LRIT information archived within the last four days, send the LRIT information within 30 min of receiving a request, see Paragraph 7.1.10;

[11] for LRIT information archived between four and 30 days previously, send the LRIT information within one hour of receiving a request, see Paragraph 7.1.11;

[12] for LRIT information archived more than 30 days previously, send the LRIT information within five days of receiving a request, see Paragraph 7.1.12;

[13] ensure, using appropriate hardware and software, that LRIT information is backed-up at regular intervals, stored at suitable off-site location(s) and available as soon as possible in the event of disruption to ensure continuity of service, see Paragraph 7.1.13;

[14] maintain a record of the ships which transmit LRIT information to the centre including name of ship, IMO ship identification number, call sign, maritime mobile service identity (MMSI) and type of ship, see Paragraph 7.1.14;

[15] use a standard protocol for communications and agreed protocols to connect with the International LRIT Data Exchange and the LRIT Data Distribution Plan server, see Paragraph 7.1.15;

[16] use a standard secure transmission method with the International LRIT Data Exchange and the LRIT Data Distribution Plan server, see Paragraph 7.1.16;

[17] use a secure authentication method with LRIT Data Users, see Paragraph 7.1.17;

[18] use a standard and expandable message format for communicating with the International LRIT Data Exchange and the LRIT Data Distribution Plan server, see Paragraph 7.1.18;

[19] use reliable connections (e.g. TCP) to ensure that the LRIT information is successfully received by the LRIT Data Centres, see Paragraph 7.1.19;

[20] add the appropriate data identified in table 2 to each transmission of LRIT information collect by the centre, see Paragraph 7.1.20; and

[21] have access to the current LRIT Data Distribution Plan and to earlier versions of the plan, see Paragraph 7.1.21.

In essence, Para [1] to [21] provide to the establishment of the LRIT Data System, transmission of the data, relay and storage of LRIT Data, as well as establishing records of transmission and protocols for usage of the system. All technical specifications in the Long-range identification and tracking system - Technical documentation (Part 1)(MSC.1/Circ.1259, as revised) have to complied with, see Paragraph 7.2.

Paragraph 7.3 - Journals

Information transmitted or routed by participating centres should be recorded in automatically maintained journals. These should contain message header information which will be used for audit and invoicing purposes. These journals should be transmitted to the International LRIT Data Exchange.

Paragraph 7.4 - Financial Obligations

The financial obligations of each LRIT Data Centre should be settled by providing LRIT Information to the International LRIT Data Exchange in a timely manner, in accordance with agreed arrangements.

Paragraph 7.5 - The LRIT Coordinator

The LRIT Coordinator is entitled to have all the available information required to conduct a satisfactory audit to the LRIT system. This information can be made available from the cooperation of all LRIT Data Centres, see Paragraph 7.5.1. All ALRIT Data Centres should settle their financial obligation through the LRIT Coordinator. This should be done in a timely manner in accordance with the agreed arrangements, see Paragraph 7.5.2.

Paragraph 7.6 - Provision of LRIT Information to LRIT Data Users Other than a a SAR Service

Such information is not archived and utilise the current version of the LRIT Data Distribution Plan, see Paragraph 7.6.1. If the information is archived, the version of the LRIT Data Distribution Plan which was applicable at that point in time is the information that should be archived, ie the information requested was originally received, see Paragraph 7.6.2. Note that this will be applied according to the geographical areas specified by the Contracting Governments concerned in the LRIT Distribution Plan. They should endeavour to resolve any issues which may arise when such areas are either, not specified, or overlap geographical areas specified by other Contracting Governments, see Paragraph 7.6.3.

Paragraph 7.7 - Provision of LRIT Information Irrespective of Location of Geographical Area

Subject to the provisions of Paragraph 7.1 and 17.2, all LRIT Data Centres should provide SAR services to LRIT Information transmitted by all ships located within a geographical area. This is possible when specified by the SAR service requesting information that permits rapid identification of ships that may be called to provide assistance for search and rescue of persons in distress at sea. However, the LRIT Information should be provided irrespective of the location of the geographical area. This should be provided even if the geographical area is outside the search and rescue region associated with the SAR service requesting the information (see Regulation V/19-1.12).

Thank you for reading IMSML Website Article 21/2023

Stay tuned for the next IMSML Website Article 22/2023: Resolution MSC.263(84)/Rev.1 – Performance Standards and Functional Requirements for The Long-Range Identification and Tracking of Ships, Part 5 of 10 - Paragraphs 8 & 9, National, Regional and Cooperative LRIT Data Centres, and International LRIT Data Centre

Signing-off for today,

Dr Irwin Ooi Ui Joo, LL.B(Hons.)(Glamorgan); LL.M (Cardiff); Ph.D (Cardiff); CMILT

Professor of Maritime and Transport Law

Head of the Centre for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution

Faculty of Law

Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam

Selangor, Malaysia

Friday, 22 September 2023

Note that I am the corresponding author for the IMSML Website Articles. My official email address is: uijoo310@uitm.edu.my