FCC Retains Great Lakes Radio Rules After Treaty Terminated by Canada
The FCC has unanimously approved an order to maintain rules governing radiotelephone requirements for vessels navigating the Great Lakes after the termination of a related treaty with Canada. The 1973 Great Lakes Agreement created requirements for usage and maintenance of…
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radio telephones on some vessels on the Great Lakes, but in 2022 Canada terminated the agreement and it ceases to be effective Thursday. The order, released Tuesday, removes references to the treaty in the rules and maintains the radiotelephone requirements. “This will ensure that our rules continue to promote the safety of life and property on the Great Lakes, provide regulatory stability going forward, and accurately reflect the GLA’s status,” the order said. The order also amends the devices' inspection interval from every 13 months to every 48 to align with the Canadian rules that will apply after the end of the GLA. The GLA’s termination occurred after Canada's unsuccessful three-year effort to renegotiate the terms of the inspection requirement in the agreement, the order said. The FCC said it “had good cause” to bypass the usual notice and comment procedures before voting on the order because of the limited time and that the order is maintaining existing requirements.