The ICT Authority assigns Call Sign and MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) to be programmed on radio equipment operated, including Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) under a Ship Station Licence issued by the Authority.

EPIRBs are used for distress alerting in the maritime service, where the equipment can be activated in a life-threatening emergency to summon assistance from Search and Rescue/ Government authorities.

The EPIRB identification code, which uniquely identifies the ship station, includes the country code, and other identification data, all of which are encoded in the 406 MHz message and transmitted to the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite when the beacon is activated.

The message transmitted is decoded and the distress alert is routed to the appropriate government Search and Rescue agency, which is the National Coast Guard for Mauritius.

Accordingly, it is crucial that 406 MHz distress beacons are registered in recognized beacon registration databases that are accessible to search and rescue (SAR) authorities at all times.

The ICT Authority hereby makes available to all recognised search and rescue (SAR) authorities access on a 24/7 basis, information pertaining to licensed ship stations, including crucial information about the vessel and its emergency contacts, via the following portal.

Should you require any further information, please contact us via info@icta.mu or call on 2115333.

Registered users: Please sign in here to access the ship station database.