WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU
REMINDS AVIATORS AND MARINERS
THAT SATELLITE MONITORING OF
121.5 MHz ALERTS WILL END FEBRUARY 1, 2009
The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau reminds users of emergency locator
transmitters used on aircraft (ELTs), and emergency position-indicating radio beacons used on ships (EPIRBs), that such beacons operating on frequency 121.5 MHz will no longer be “heard” by search and rescue satellites as of February 1, 2009. This change results from decision by the international organization overseeing the satellite-based search and rescue system - COSPAS/SARSAT1 - that it will terminate satellite processing of distress signals from 121.5 MHz ELTs and EPIRBs as of that date. Consequently, users of ELTs and EPIRBs that send distress alerts on 121.5 MHz therefore must switch to beacons that operate at 406.0- 406.1 MHz (406 MHz) if the alerts are to be detected and relayed via satellite.
