TNAG-2148-FCO40-3067-Communication-systems-allocation-of-call-signs-to-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 57

FM FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

TO TELELETTER HONG KONG

TELELETTER NFR

OF 22110OZ MAY 90

CONFIDENTIAL

7

143024

MDTTAN 0441

for fur 416

HKC 193

1

RECEN

5 JUN 1990

2275

DESK

INDLA

BY Jan Taken

FROM P A MAJOR, HONG KONG "DEPARTMENT FCO

TO N G C WHITNEY ESQ, CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS BRANCH HONG KONG

ALLOCATION OF CALL SIGNS TO HONG KONG

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2.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELELETTER OF 4 MAY.

I AM SORRY THE RESPONSE ON THIS SUBJECT HAS BEEN SLOW AT THIS END.

THERE ARE REAL DIFFICULTIES IN PERSUADING OTHER DEPARTMENTS

CONCERNED THAT THE SMALLER DTS SHOULD HAVE THEIR CALL SIGN SERIES DISRUPTED FOR HONG KONG'S BENEFIT. AS CHRIS WOOD POINTED OUT IN

HIS LETTER OF 2 AUGUST 1989, IT IS AN EMOTIONAL ISSUE AND WE CAN EXPECT STRONG OPPOSITION NOTABLY IN THE CASE OF THE PITCAINS. I WOULD NOT RULE OUT BEING ABLE TO BRING OTHERS ROUND. BUT WE MUST BE ABLE TO CONVINCE THEM THAT THIS REALLY IS THE BEST WAY FORWARD. THE TASK IS COMPLICATED BY YOUR POSITION THAT WE MUST PUT A FIRM OPTION TO THE CHINESE RATHER THAN A CHOICE OF OPTIONS.

3.

YOU WILL RECALL THAT CHRIS WOOD REQUESTED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CALL SIGNS HONG KONG REQUIRES. YOU SUPPLIED THIS IN YOUR LETTER OF 29 NOVEMBER, BUT THERE IS ONE POINT ON WHICH I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR CLARIFICATION. YOU SAY THAT, UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1989 2,220 CALL SIGNS HAD BEEN ALLOCATED. YOU THEN SAY THAT THE ALLOCATION OF 'VR' AND 'VS'

SERIES TO HONG KONG WOULD PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CALL SIGN CAPACITY

FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. YOU DO NOT HOWEVER SAY WHAT YOU ENVISAGE THAT CAPACITY TO BE. THE DTI HAVE POINTED OUT THAT THE SCOPE FOR CONSTRUCTING CALL SIGNS WAS AT ONE STAGE LIMITED BUT THAT NOW, FROM A BASIC CALL SIGN, EG, ZBA, IT IS POSSIBLE NOT ONLY TO CONSTRUCT 26 4-CHARACTER CALL SIGNS BUT MORE BY THE USE OF DIGITS (EG ZBAA1-ZBAA9, ZBAB1-ZBAB9 ETC). THIS METHOD OF FORMING SHIP CALL SIGNS BY 4 LETTERS PLUS A DIGIT HAS BEEN USED IN THE UK FOR SOME TIME AND IN SOME DTS. THE DTI HAVE CALCULATED THAT ON THE BASIS OF ONE/ONE ALPHABETICAL SERIES (EG ZBA-ZBZ), YOU WOULD THUS BE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT OVER 6700 SHIP

RADIOTELEGRAPH-TYPE CALL SIGNS AND MANY THOUSANDS OF SHIP

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CONFIDENTIAL