a device owner cannot move the radio from one boat to another. This is especially egregious for hand-held VHF devices, for which a single MMSI number makes little sense. The World Radio Conference, Geneva, 1997 (WRC-97), adopted Resolution 344 concerning the exhaustion of the maritime mobile service identity resource. In view of improvements to public switched telephone networks, and new capabilities of the Inmarsat system other than Inmarsat B or M, previous restrictions should no longer be applicable. All nine digits of the MMSI can be used in such cases, and no longer need to end in trailing zeros. See also Automatic Identification System uses MMSI codegroups for ship ID Global Maritime Distress Safety System Inmarsat and the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) Maritime call sign, not tied to MMSI but can contain MMSI after SOLAS Convention a global Maritime Safety Convention References External links MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE IDENTITY (MMSI), USCG, which was adapted from Appendix 43 of the International Telecommunication Union Radio Regulations Table of MIDs from ITU Emergency communication Identifiers Maritime communication Telecommunication protocols