scope:

This European Telecommunication Standard (ETS) provides specifications for the standardization of the characteristics of Maritime Mobile Earth Stations (MMESs) not providing those distress and safety functions required by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with both transmit and receive capabilities in order to limit interference to radio communications services.

The geostationary satellite networks referred to in this ETS operate under the Maritime Mobile Satellite Service (MMSS). The MMESs operate as part of a geostationary satellite network providing Low Bit-Rate Data Communications (LBRDC). The frequency bands allocated by the Radio Regulations [5] to the MMSS.

The MMESs could consist of a number of modules including a keyboard interface to the user. The main specifications are contained in three categories related to:

- safety: to protect persons from potentially dangerous RF power densities;

- unwanted emissions: to protect terrestrial and satellite radio services from harmful interference;

- MMES control and monitoring: to specify a minimum set of Control and Monitoring Functions (CMF) to be implemented on each MMES in order to minimize the probability that they originate unwanted transmissions that may give rise to harmful interference to other systems.

Additionally to these specifications the satellite operator may require other specifications or different limits.