[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 80 (Thursday, April 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20863-20865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7945]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2007-27656]


High Frequency (HF) Radio Broadcasts of Marine Weather Forecasts 
and Warnings

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is soliciting public comment on the need to 
continue providing high frequency (HF) radio broadcasts of weather 
forecasts and warnings. Public comment is necessary in order to assess 
the demand for the HF radio broadcasts of weather forecasts in each of 
three forms: (1) Radiofacsimile; (2) voice; and, (3) Simplex Teletype 
Over Radio (SITOR), also known as Narrow Band Direct Printing (NBDP). 
The infrastructure necessary to provide these services has exceeded its 
life expectancy; the equipment is no longer manufactured, repairs are 
difficult to

[[Page 20864]]

accomplish, and spare parts generally are not available. Because of the 
very significant costs involved to continue these specific HF radio 
services, the Coast Guard requires information on the extent to which 
these services are used by the public and what alternative services are 
being used or are available to obtain weather forecasts and warnings.

DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management 
Facility on or before August 24, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket 
number USCG-2007-27656 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. 
Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one 
of the following methods:
    (1) Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov
    (2) Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (3) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (4) Delivery: Room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif 
Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
please contact Mr. Russell S. Levin, Spectrum Management Division (CG-
622), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, telephone: 202-475-3555, fax: 202-
475-3927, or e-mail: [email protected]. If you have questions on 
viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, 
Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-493-0402.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate by submitting comments. All 
comments received will be posted, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov 
and will include any personal information you have provided. We have an 
agreement with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to use the Docket 
Management Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy Act'' paragraph below.
    Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your 
name and address, identify the docket number for this notice (USCG-
2007-27656) and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your 
comments by electronic means, mail, fax, or delivery to the Docket 
Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES; but please submit 
your comments by only one means. If you submit them by mail or 
delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 
inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit them 
by mail and would like to know that they reached the Facility, please 
enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will 
consider all comments received during the comment period.
    Viewing comments and documents: To view comments, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time, click on ``Simple Search,'' enter the last 
five digits of the docket number for this notice, and click on 
``Search.'' You may also visit the Docket Management Facility in room 
PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street 
SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the 
Department of Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.

Background and Purpose

    The Coast Guard broadcasts the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) weather 
forecasts and warnings using 24 high frequency (HF) radio transmitters 
(transmitting on frequencies between 3 and 30 MHz) located at seven 
Coast Guard communications stations in the United States and Guam. The 
range of these HF radio transmissions is dependent upon operating 
frequency, time of day and atmospheric conditions, and can vary from 
only short distances to several thousand miles. There are three types 
of HF radio broadcasts currently provided: (1) Voice broadcasts that 
transmit a synthesized voice to announce the forecasts); (2) 
radiofacsimile, also known as ``radiofax'' or ``HF Fax'' broadcasts, 
that transmit graphic weather maps and other graphic images over HF 
radio (maps are received using a dedicated radiofax receiver or a 
single sideband shortwave receiver connected to an external facsimile 
recorder or a personal computer equipped with a radiofax interface and 
application software); and, (3) Simplex Teletype Over Radio (SITOR) 
broadcasts also known as Narrow Band Direct Printing (NBDP).
    The 24 HF transmitters employed to transmit weather forecasts and 
warnings are not, because of their age, providing the reliability the 
Coast Guard expects from its radio transmitters. These particular 
transmitters are no longer manufactured and replacement parts generally 
are not available, making it difficult, if not impossible, to repair 
them. If the HF weather broadcasts are to continue, the infrastructure 
necessary for the broadcasts must be replaced. Significant costs will 
be incurred to replace the requisite transmitters and associated 
infrastructure. Before seeking funds for this undertaking, the Coast 
Guard must gather evidence relating to how frequently, and under what 
circumstances, the maritime community uses the various types of HF 
radio weather broadcasts. In addition, it would be helpful to learn 
about current and future needs of the maritime community with regard to 
receiving weather forecasts and warnings over HF radio, and what 
alternatives are being used or might become available.
    Questions: The following are questions related to Coast Guard HF 
radio broadcasts on which we seek your comments. It would be helpful if 
commenters would answer the question as specifically as possible, and 
then provide explanations, if any, for the responses.
    (1) What is your position in the maritime community? (Please be as 
specific as possible, e.g., captain of 600[min] oil tanker, 1st mate on 
500 unit containership, owner/operator of 45[min] cruising sailboat, 
fleet manager of a 27 vessel shipping company, yacht delivery captain, 
etc.)
    (2) What are your primary sources for obtaining marine weather 
forecasts? (For example, Inmarsat-C/SafetyNet, USCG HF radio 
broadcasts, USCG medium frequency (MF) Radio Broadcasts, USCG very high 
frequency (VHF) radio broadcasts, NOAA Weather Radio, NAVTEX, shoreside 
Internet, radio/television, commercial service/system, etc.)
    (3) Do you use Coast Guard HF radio voice broadcasts to receive 
marine weather forecasts? (Yes or No) If yes, how often do you use 
Coast Guard HF voice broadcasts and how critical are they to your 
safety and operation as compared to the other sources you listed in 
your response to Question 2?
    (4) Do you use Coast Guard HF radiofax broadcasts to receive marine 
weather forecasts? (Yes or No) If yes, how often do you use Coast Guard 
HF radiofax broadcasts and how critical are they to your safety and 
operation as compared to the other sources you listed in your response 
to Question 2?

[[Page 20865]]

    (5) Do you use Coast Guard HF radio Simplex Teletype over Radio 
(SITOR) (also known as Narrow Band Direct printing (NBDP)) to receive 
marine weather forecasts? (Yes or No) If yes, how often do you use 
Coast Guard SITOR radio broadcasts and how critical are they to your 
safety and operation as compared to the other sources you listed in 
your response to Question 2?
    (6) What alternative source(s) for obtaining marine weather 
forecasts would you pursue if Coast Guard HF broadcasts were no longer 
available? How would you rate the alternative source(s) in terms of (a) 
user cost and (b) usefulness of the information as compared to the 
Coast Guard HF broadcast it replaces?
    (7) Would the loss of Coast Guard HF marine weather broadcasts 
affect you? Please explain.
    (8) How far seaward does your vessel primarily operate? (For 
example, coastal (0-25 nautical miles (nm) seaward); offshore (25-200 
nm seaward); or, high seas (more than 200 nm seaward.) In what 
geographic area(s) do you generally operate your vessel? (For example, 
mid-Atlantic, New England, North Central Pacific, Hawaii, Gulf of 
Mexico, etc.)
    As noted previously, comments regarding these questions, and any 
other pertinent matters brought to our attention during the comment 
period, will be taken into account in our future actions regarding the 
issues raised by these questions.

    Dated: April 18, 2007.
C.S. Johnson, JR.,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Assistant Commandant for Command, 
Control, Communications, Computers and Information Technology.
 [FR Doc. E7-7945 Filed 4-25-07; 8:45 am]
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