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Frequently Asked Questions

ITU Publications - Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy ITU Publications?

ITU Publications can be purchased online, in Geneva at the ITU Bookshop, or specifically the ITU Maritime Publications via any one of our official ITU Resellers.

Which credit cards of other forms of payment can be used to buy ITU Publications?

Visa, Eurocard/Mastercard, American Express or payment by Bank Transfer are each acceptable forms for purchase. If you require a Quotation or Pro-forma Invoice prior to payment kindly advise. For more detailed information, see our Conditions of Sales.

What is the ITU discount policy for ITU Publications?

Discounts on ITU Publications are largely reserved for contributing ITU Member State Administrations, Sector Members, Associates or official Resellers of Maritime Publications. Currently, libraries of institutions of higher learning as well as Academia members can benefit from an 80 per cent discount on Online Subscriptions, USB key or CD/DVD products intended for library-wide use. Discounts are further explained in our Conditions of Sales.

How can I receive my purchased publication?

If you purchase a USB key, CD/DVD or hard-copy, the cost of regular surface shipping is included in the price of the publication. Alternate forms of dispatch are also available, upon request. If you choose to use your own account with a courier, please communicate it to ITU Sales via email.

How can my company become an official ITU reseller?

Please contact ITU Sales via emailfor more information on becoming an ITU Official Reseller of Maritime Publications, noting however that minimum annual purchases of CHF 15000 are a pre-requisite for consideration.

How do I know if my company is an ITU Member?

A complete list of ITU Members is available here.

What are the required ITU Publications on board vessels?

In accordance with Appendix 16 of the Radio Regulations, the carriage requirement of the List V – List of Ship Stations and Maritime Mobile Service Identity Assignments on board vessels for which a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System installation is required by international agreement, is mandatory, while the carriage requirement of the List IV – List of Coast Stations and Special Service Stations as well as the Manual for Use by the Maritime Mobile and Maritime Mobile –Satellite Services (Maritime Manual), are both equally mandatory, unless the responsible administration has exempted its ships from the carriage of this document under various circumstances (for example, when that ship carries equivalent information for the ship’s specified trading area).

What if I encounter problems downloading my purchased ITU Publication?

We are currently upgrading our webpages and will soon have specific Bookshop-related assistance available. Please contact ITU Sales via email for any questions or issues in the meantime. Your concerns will be addressed and new links provided, as soon as possible.

Does ITU accept returns?

ITU Publications are sold on a no-return basis. For more detailed information, see our Conditions of Sales.

Can I obtain an invoice for my purchase?

An invoice is available for any ITU Publication post-purchase. If you do not receive yours, please contact ITU Sales via email.

Souvenirs: I noticed ITU also has ITU-themed souvenirs for sale. Can I buy them online?

Currently ITU Souvenirs are only available at the ITU Bookshop located at ITU Headquarters in the Montbrillant Building, in Geneva, or at specific ITU events during the year.
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (ITU)
Postal address:
Place des Nations
1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland
Visitor address:
Tower Building
54, ave. Giuseppe-Motta
1202 Geneva
Montbrillant Building
2, rue de Varembé
1202 Geneva

I have forgotten my password to the ITU website.

Your password can be managed (resent or changed) here.

I cannot find the ITU Publication that I was hoping to download.

Please contact ITU Sales via emailso we can research, repair and revert.

Which ITU Publications are freely available online?

Currently, all ITU-R Recommendations, most ITU-T Recommendations and several individual titles are free of charge online. Titles include the Radio Recommendations, all ITU-R Handbooks, the Basic Texts of the Union, various Final Acts and ITU Council Resolutions and Decisions. The aforementioned titles, including the free Recommendations, represent over 90 per cent of the content produced and published by ITU.

How do I install and read ePub formats on my tablet and smartphone?

Installing and reading ePub formats on your tablet and smartphone

1. Reading PDF and ePub files on Android

Google lets you upload your personal reading content directly from your Android device. Make sure you have the latest Play Books app on your device as recent updates allow you to upload PDF and ePub files directly from Gmail or from the Downloads folder. You may also install the latest update directly from the Play Store app.

How to upload eBook to your device:

·         First, locate a PDF or ePub file in your Downloads folder or Gmail messages (the Downloads folder can generally be accessed through the file explorer on your device. It is called My Files on most Samsung devices).

·         Tap the file once to open or preview it.

·         Select the Upload to Play Books option in the pop-up menu.

That's it! Now you can easily add and read content to your Google Books.

Note: There are many free ePub Readers on Android that you can search on the Play Books app, check the lists in points 4 and 5 below.

2. Transferring eBooks to your iPad/iPhone for reading in iBooks

·         Download the ePub title and save it on your desktop or in a folder.

·         Launch iTunes, select Add to Library from the File menu.

·         Select the downloaded eBook file and click the Choose button.

·         Select Books from the list of libraries on the left-hand side menu, your book should be listed.

·         Connect your iPad to the computer and select it from the list of devices on the left-hand side menu.

·         Select the Books tab.

·         Check the Sync Books checkbox if it isn't already enabled.

If All books is selected then all your books will be transferred to the iPad/iPhone. If Selected booksis selected then you will need to look for the newly added book and check the checkbox next to its title.

·         Click the Apply or Sync button at the bottom right of the window.

Once the sync has been completed, open iBook on your iPad to read the newly transferred title.

3. Transferring eBook to a Kindle

Download an eBook (.mobi File) or retrieve it from email, then link the Kindle to your computer using a USB cable or via email.

3.1 Adding a Mobipocket (.mobi) eBook to your Kindle:

·         Turn your Kindle on.

·         Drag and drop the ".mobi" eBook file into the Documents folder.

·         When the USB activity indicator stops flashing, select Safely Remove Mass Storage Device (Windows) or Eject (Mac).

·         When the USB activity indicator stops flashing, unplug the USB cable from your Kindle.

The new title/eBook should appear in the Kindle library.

3.2 Loading a Mobipocket (.mobi) eBook to your Kindle Fire:

·         Turn your Kindle on.

·         Connect the Kindle to your computer.

·         Your Kindle screen will display the message: "You can now transfer files from your computer to Kindle".

·         On your computer, the Kindle's hard drive should be mounted and displayed as Kindle.

·         Drag and drop the (.mobi) eBook file into either the Books or Documents folder on your Kindle.

·         Unmount the Kindle from your computer, select Safely Remove Mass Storage Device (Windows) or Eject (Mac).

Your books will show up in the Docs section of your Kindle Fire, as well as in the carousel.

3.3 Using the Mobipocket (.mobi) eBook with other devices:

The transfer process differs slightly from one tablet/manufacturer to another, so always check the user manual for your tablet device in order to familiarize yourself with the procedure.

4. Examples of ePub reader/viewer for Mac

·         Book Reader (http://macbookreader.com/wp/)

·         Ehon (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/...)

·         Murasaki (http://genjiapp.com/mac/murasaki...)

·         Alice (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/a...)

·         Calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com)

·         Adobe Digital Editions (http://www.adobe.com/products/di...)

·         Nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/...)

·         Bookle (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/b...)

·         Kitabu (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/k...)

·         Sigil (http://code.google.com/p/sigil/)

·         Clearview Reader (http://canoesoft.blog.com/)

·         Scarlett (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/s...

·         FBReader (http://fbreader.org/content/macos)

5. Examples of ePub reader/viewer for Windows

·         Adobe Digital Editions (http://www.adobe.com/solutions/ebook/digital-editions/download.html): an eBook reader software program from Adobe Systems

·         Calibre (https://calibre-ebook.com/): an eBook library manager with built-in eBook viewer

·         Cool Reader (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.coolreader&hl=en): supports ePub and a few other formats

·         EPUBReader FireFox extension (http://www.epubread.com/en/)

·         FBReader (https://fbreader.org/): cross-platform, open-source eBook reader that can also read ePub files

·         Sumatra PDF (http://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/free-pdf-reader.html): supports viewing mobi eBooks since version 2.1. It is a free, open-source program that supports many other formats, including PDF, mobi, XPS, DjVu, CBR and CBZ.

How do I install the WTID database?

To install the database, please follow these steps:

Download the Application (the latest edition for Windows and MAC are both available).

To install the application on Windows:
1. Start the installation by double-clicking on the downloaded “.exe” file.
2. Follow the steps of the installation wizard:
       a. Accept the license agreement.
       b. Extract the files to the selected destination folder.
           We highly recommend to use the default destination folder “C:\Program Files (x86)\ITU WTID”.
3. Run the application by going to “Start”, “All programs” and selecting the ITU WTID file recently added.

To install the application on OS X:
1. Start the installation by double-clicking on the downloaded “.dmg” file.
2. Drag the “ITU WTID” icon to the “Application” folder icon to start the installation.
3. Run the application by going to “Finder”, “Applications” and selecting the ITU WTID file recently added.

Please note:
• You will need to accept the license agreement the first time you run the application.
• A user guide is available in the “Help” section of the application.

How do I purchase and install the Radio Regulation Navigation Tool and RR5 Table of Frequency Allocations Software?

ITU has introduced a new and simple licensing control with the newly released Radio Regulation Navigation Tool (RRNT2016) and RR5 Table of Frequency Allocations Software.
Upon purchasing the downloadable version from the webshop, a pop-up will prompt the user to reconfirm the User name and Machine name (defaulted in the pop-up message). By clicking either "Send email" or "Request license file from ITU Sales" you agree to the terms of our controlled access licence. For more information, please contact us at sales.online@itu.int with either Radio Regulation Navigation Tool or RRX Software in subject.

Within the next 24 hours (1 business day) or less, ITU will generate the required license for the machine(s) names on which the software is installed (on 1, 2 or even up to 5 PCs/laptops PER USER for a multi-user purchase of RR5 or RRNT. For RRNT only this may extend to a total of 5 devices, Macs, or smart phones (RRNT only). A single-user purchaser cannot share the link or license with other users.).

This information will be communicated back to the client via an email attachment.
Running the Navigator a second time, the license information now received from ITU will be prompted for saving in the same root directory where the .exe file was originally saved.
The software will then run successfully.
Q. How do I ensure this access to my new station (example: at home) if I do not currently possess the details of this alternate work station?
A. Simply copy and unzip the file on the new station/machine, and follow the same prompts as above. ITU will control the quantity of licenses already granted for your purchase, and grant a second or third (up to 5) .lic file for the next machine(s), via a return email.
Q. Can I share my purchased RRNT2016 with my up to 5 of my colleagues?
A. No, each purchased version of the Radio Regulations Navigation Tool is designed for personal use only, however with an option for use on more than one personal workstation. For a license for 2-10 different users, cost is only 2x the cost of a single license. Please contact us on how to proceed.
Q. Which browser should I use? Available for Mac, Linus?
A. Your default browser will be used. Please ensure you have installed the most recent, most Java-friendly version of that browser or otherwise choose a browser more compatible with Java. And versions for Mac, Linux and/or PC are indeed available.
To learn how to extract and modify a National Table of Allocations, please see our slide presentation

You can also watch a video recording of the plenary session held on the fourth day of the 29th World Radio Communication Seminar 2020, which discussed Regulatory Issues, Terrestrial Trends, & RR Analysis SW Tools. Click on the entry 2020-12-03 08:00(UTC +1) available here

What happened to to the ITU iLibrary?

I am an employee of a contributing ITU Member (Administration or Sector Member) and require TIES access to download documents with TIES-access only. Where do I find more information about TIES access?

Please either review the TIES informational pages or contact ITU TIES Services at ServiceDesk@itu.int to verify if you are eligible for and/or to request TIES access.

Is the List of Ship Stations and Maritime Mobile Service Identity Assignments (List V) mandatory for vessels with GMDSS (300GT or more)?

For detailed information on Service Publications, please consult the MARS webpage at https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/terrestrial/mars/Pages/default.aspx
For information regarding carriage requirements, please visit https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/terrestrial/mars/Documents/Appendix%2016.pdf
Additional information is also available at https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/terrestrial/mars/Pages/MARS-FAQ.aspx
The information in Appendix 16 of the Radio regulations is also referred to in Articles 42 and 51 of the Radio Regulations.

Under what circumstances can a vessel be exempted to carry List IV and the Maritime Manual?

In accordance with Appendix 16 of the Radio Regulations, the carriage requirement of the List of Coast Stations and Special Service Stations (List IV) on board vessels for which a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System installation is required by international agreement is mandatory, unless the responsible administration has exempted its ships from the carriage of this document under various circumstances (for example, when that ship carries equivalent information for the ship’s specified trading area).

When did the mandatory regulation come into force?

The provisions related to maritime publications have a very long history. As early as 1906 the service regulations, annexed to the International Radiotelegraphic Convention (Berlin, 1906), instructed the International Radiotelegraphic Bureau to establish the List of radiotelegraphy stations (including coast stations and ship stations) and specified the particulars of the coast and ship stations that are to be notified to the International Bureau. Since then, various updates were carried out, including those in 1927, 1932, 1947, 1959, 1979 and 1995.

Would the carriage requirement be part of class survey when checking the GMDSS equipment or part of PSC/flag state when checking Charts & Publications to be carried onboard for the intended safe voyage, as per SOLAS?

A vessel complying with the IMO SOLAS convention is surveyed on an annual basis for the Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate or the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate. It is normal practice for a radio inspection in compliance with the Radio Regulations to be completed in conjunction with this survey. All survey and inspection procedures are at the digression of the flag state or port state administration. Note that an administration other than the flag state may carry out an inspection under Article 49 of the Radio Regulations. Considering that, in the same spirit, these telecommunication administrations have the reciprocal responsibility to inspect radio stations of foreign vessels visiting or calling into their ports. In this, they should ensure likewise that the provisions of the Radio Regulations are respected.

Committed to connecting the world

Frequently Asked Questions

ITU Publications - Frequently Asked Questions

Installing and reading ePub formats on your tablet and smartphone

1. Reading PDF and ePub files on Android

2. Transferring eBooks to your iPad/iPhone for reading in iBooks

3. Transferring eBook to a Kindle

3.1 Adding a Mobipocket (.mobi) eBook to your Kindle:

3.2 Loading a Mobipocket (.mobi) eBook to your Kindle Fire:

3.3 Using the Mobipocket (.mobi) eBook with other devices:

4. Examples of ePub reader/viewer for Mac

5. Examples of ePub reader/viewer for Windows

Publications by Sector

Further Information

Committed to connecting the world

Frequently Asked Questions

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ITU Publications - Frequently Asked Questions

Installing and reading ePub formats on your tablet and smartphone

1. Reading PDF and ePub files on Android

2. Transferring eBooks to your iPad/iPhone for reading in iBooks

3. Transferring eBook to a Kindle

3.1 Adding a Mobipocket (.mobi) eBook to your Kindle:

3.2 Loading a Mobipocket (.mobi) eBook to your Kindle Fire:

3.3 Using the Mobipocket (.mobi) eBook with other devices:

4. Examples of ePub reader/viewer for Mac

5. Examples of ePub reader/viewer for Windows

Publications by Sector

Further Information

ITU Publications - Frequently Asked Questions