Message to the Senate Transmitting 1987 Partial Revision of the Radio Regulations

To the Senate of the United States:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Partial Revision of the Radio Regulations (Geneva, 1979) signed on behalf of the United States at Geneva on October 17, 1987, and the United States reservations and statement as contained in the Final Protocol. I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the 1987 Partial Revision.

The 1987 Revision constitutes a partial revision of the Radio Regulations (Geneva 1979), to which the United States is a party. The primary purpose of the present revision is to update the existing regulations pertaining to the mobile radio services to take into account technical advances and the rapid growth of these services, and to implement the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. The revised regulations, with the two exceptions noted below, are consistent with the positions taken by the United States at the 1987 World Administrative Radio Conference for the Mobile Services.

At the time of signature, the United States submitted two reservations and responded to a statement submitted by Cuba directed at U.S. use of radio frequencies in Guantanamo. The specific reservations and statement are addressed in the report of the Department of State.

Most of the Partial Revision of the Radio Regulations entered into force October 3, 1989, for governments that, by that date, had notified the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union of their approval thereof; provisions specifically related to the maritime mobile service in the high frequency bands entered into force on July 1, 1991.

I believe that the United States should, subject to the reservations mentioned above, become a party to the 1987 Partial Revision, which has the potential to improve mobile radio-communications worldwide. It is my hope that the Senate will take early action on this matter and give its advice and consent to ratification.

George Bush

The White House,

May 12, 1992.