Maritime Mobile Service Identity
The term number of the mobile maritime radio service (English: Maritime Mobile Service Identity , hence also often abbreviated to MMSI in German ) describes a nine-digit, future ten-digit, worldwide number of the mobile maritime radio service to identify a marine or coastal radio station in the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). Every marine or coastal radio station that is equipped with at least one GMDSS-capable marine radio system has its own MMSI. All radio systems of a radio station have the same MMSI number. With the help of the MMSI, it is thus possible via Digital Selective Calling (DSC) to conduct a marine radio call with a specific marine or coastal radio station.
Different MMSIs are used for marine stations, coast stations and groups of marine stations:
- The MMSI of a marine radio station consists of the three-digit MID ( Maritime Identification Digits ), which identifies the home country of the marine radio station, followed by six digits from 0 to 9, which clearly identify the marine radio station. Germany has the two MIDs 211 and 218, so that an MMSI of a German marine radio station is structured as follows: 211xxxxxx
- The MMSI of a coast station consists of two zeros followed by the MID and four digits from 0 to 9, which clearly identify the coast station.
- The MMSI of a group of marine radio stations (e.g. all marine radio stations of a shipping company ) consists of a zero followed by the MID and five digits from 0 to 9, which clearly identify the group.
- The MMSI of a group of coast stations consists of two zeros followed by the MID and four digits from 0 to 9 that uniquely identify the group of coast stations. This number can be used to make calls to a specific group of coast stations.
In marine radio systems which, in the future, already allow the entry of ten-digit MMSI, the MMSI is entered in the first nine digits and the last digit is filled with a zero.
In Germany, MMSIs are assigned to the Federal Network Agency by the Hamburg branch .
| Who sends / receives | MMSI | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MID | x = 0 ... 9 | future | example | ||
| Marine radio station | 211 | xxxxxx | 0 | ||
| Coast station | 00 | 211 | xxxx | 0 | Bremen Rescue Radio (call: Bremen Rescue), located in the Maritime Emergency Management (MRCC) in Bremen: 00 211 1240 |
| Marine radio station group | 0 | 211 | xxxxx | 0 | |
| Coast Station Group | 00 | 211 | xxxx | 0 | |
Web links
- Information about the MMSI number of all ships worldwide
- Registration form of the Federal Network Agency for ships not requiring equipment for issuing the MMSI number (PDF; 268 kB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Recommendation of the ITU ITU-R M.585-7 (03/2015) "Assignment and use of identities in the maritime mobile service"
- ↑ Recommendation of the ITU ITU-R M.1080 (1994) "Digital selective calling system enhancement for multiple equipment installations"