5 The information and evidence that will be necessary
for a full and comprehensive evaluation of any submission to be carried
out is very wide-ranging and quite detailed. Experience of designing,
implementing and operating the present satellite-based elements of
the GMDSS, and evaluating their initial and continuing operational
and other capabilities, has shown that it will not be sufficient,
for example, to accept a plain statement such as: "the system can
deliver a distress alert to an RCC within 60 seconds of it being originated".
In such a case, in order to provide an assurance to the Committee
that the candidate system will meet this target reliably on a high
percentage of occasions, the evaluation would need to take into account
such diverse factors as:
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.1 spectrum: frequency band; type of allocation;
reliability of signalling in this band, etc.;
-
.2 constellation: number and arrangement of satellites;
link budget; number of on-orbit spares required and provided; inter-satellite
hand-offs, etc.;
-
.3 ground segment: number and geographical disposition
of ground stations, satellite and communication network control arrangements;
contingency arrangements in the event of satellite or network failures;
availability; time of contingency service restoration; communication
links to RCCs; distress alert distribution arrangements; message prioritization;
personnel availability, shift patterns, training, etc.;
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.4 mobile terminals: design, manufacture and market
availability; test procedures and type approval, IEC compliance; capabilities;
signalling modes and protocols; ship installation guidelines and arrangements,
etc.;
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.5 live end-to-end system and contingency tests;
and
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.6 availability, performance and arrangement comparable
to existing GMDSS satellite services, including Maritime Safety Information.
This list is not fully comprehensive. However, it serves
to illustrate the complexity of the consideration when evaluating
submissions from potential additional satellite system providers for
participation in the GMDSS under the requirements of resolution A.1001(25).