---
kind: "section"
citation: "47 C.F.R. § 80.103"
title: "47"
number: "80.103"
heading: "Digital selective calling (DSC) operating procedures."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/47/80.103"
---

# §80.103. Digital selective calling (DSC) operating procedures.

- (a) Operating procedures for the use of DSC equipment in the maritime mobile service are as contained in ITU-R M.541-9 (incorporated by reference, see [§ 80.7](/cfr/47/80.7.md)), and [subpart W](/cfr/47/subpartW.md) of this part.
- (b) When using DSC techniques, coast stations and ship stations must use maritime mobile service identities (MMSI) assigned by the Commission or its designees.
- (c) DSC acknowledgment of DSC distress and safety calls must be made by designated coast stations and such acknowledgment must be in accordance with procedures contained in ITU-R M.541-9 (incorporated by reference, see [§ 80.7](/cfr/47/80.7.md)). Nondesignated public and private coast stations must follow the guidance provided for ship stations in ITU-R M.541-9 (incorporated by reference, see [§ 80.7](/cfr/47/80.7.md)), with respect to DSC “Acknowledgment of distress calls” and “Distress relays.” (See [subpart W](/cfr/47/subpartW.md) of this part.)
- (d) **Group calls to vessels under the common control of a single entity are authorized.** A group call identity may be created from an MMSI ending in a zero, assigned to this single entity, by deleting the trailing zero and adding a leading zero to the identity.

## Notes

### Amendments

[68 FR 46961, Aug. 7, 2003, as amended at 73 FR 4480, Jan. 25, 2008; 76 FR 67610, Nov. 2, 2011]

### Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609; 3 U.S.T. 3450, 3 U.S.T. 4726, 12 U.S.T. 2377.

### Source

Source: 51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[68 FR 46961, Aug. 7, 2003, as amended at 73 FR 4480, Jan. 25, 2008; 76 FR 67610, Nov. 2, 2011]