9 FCC Red No. 1 Federal Communications Commission Record DA 93-1542 to use Telecom Denmark©s Blaavand. Denmark LES to Before the restore service to the AOR-East temporarily, in case of an Federal Communications Commission outage at Southbury. Washington, D.C. 20554 3. We conclude that it will be in the public interest to allow COMSAT to provide Inmarsat Standard C satellite services to COMSAT©s maritime, aeronautical, and interna In the Matter of tional land mobile customers in the AOR-East. The Com mission has already found that COMSAT©s provision of COMSAT CORPORATION File No. I-T-C-94-016 Inmarsat-C service is in the public interest.4 Grant of this application will enable COMSAT to extend the benefits of Application for Authority Pursuant to its Inmarsat-C services to users in the AOR-East, with consequent benefits to communications efficiency and Section 504(c) of the International maritime safety. It will also enable COMSAT to compete Maritime Satellite Communications Act more effectively with foreign Inmarsat Signatories offering of 1978 and Section 214 of the Inmarsat-C service, enhancing U.S. competitiveness in the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, provision of international telecommunications services. to Upgrade the Existing Inmarsat-C 4. Accordingly, pursuant to Section 214 of the Commu Facilities at its Southbury, Connecticut nications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 214 and Section 504(c) of the International Maritime Satellite Tele Land Earth Station (KA-312) to Provide communications Act of 1978. 47 U.S.C. § 753(c). IT IS Inmarsat-C Services in the Atlantic ORDERED that the application of COMSAT Corporation, Ocean Region-East. File No. I-T-C-94-016 IS GRANTED and COMSAT is au thorized to: MEMORANDUM OPINION, ORDER AND a. provide Inmarsat Standard C mobile-satellite ser AUTHORIZATION vice in the AOR-East via its LES facilities at Southbury, Connecticut (KA-312), and in case of an Adopted: December 17, 1993; Released: December 29, 1993 outage at Southbury, temporarily via Telecom Den mark©s Blaavand. Denmark LES until service is re By the Chief, International Facilities Division: stored at Southbury; and b. offer Inmarsat Standard C mobile-satellite service 1. The Commission has under consideration the above- for the following applications: maritime mobile-sat captioned uncontested application, filed by COMSAT Cor ellite service, aeronautical mobile-satellite service, in poration (COMSAT) seeking authority pursuant to Section ternational land mobile-satellite service (LMSS), and 504(c) of the International Maritime Satellite Communica international land based temporary fixed-satellite ser tions Act of 1978 and Section 214 of the Communications vice. COMSAT©s provision of international LMSS Act of 1934, as amended, to provide Inmarsat Standard C and land based temporary fixed-satellite service will satellite services to COMSAT©s maritime, aeronautical, and be limited to (i) communications within and between international land mobile customers in the Atlantic Ocean foreign countries, excluding North America,5 and (ii) Region-East (AOR-East) and to upgrade the Southbury, communications via the Southbury, Connecticut LES Connecticut land earth station (LES) (KA-312) with between fixed points in North America and mobile- Inmarsat Standard C capability. satellite terminals located outside North America. 2. COMSAT is currently authorized to provide Inmarsat- COMSAT may not provide international LMSS to or C service in the Atlantic Ocean Region-West (AOR-West) from mobile-satellite terminals located in North and in the Pacific Ocean Region (POR), to maritime America, defined as the land area of the United users, 1 to international land mobile users outside of North States, Canada and Mexico. The United States in America,2 and to aeronautical users3 over the Inmarsat cludes Alaska, Hawaii. Puerto Rico, and the U.S. second generation space segment, subject to certain con Virgin Islands. ditions and limitations set out in the authorization orders. COMSAT now requests authority to install the additional 5. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that COMSAT is au control and channelization equipment at its Southbury thorized to provide Inmarsat Standard C service to aircraft LES necessary to provide Inmarsat-C service, via the in international flight as defined in CC Docket No. 87-75, Inmarsat second generation AOR-East satellite (and the and to aircraft in domestic flight on an interim basis until Inmarsat first generation satellites as backup capacity), to the domestic mobile-satellite system is operation. COMSAT maritime, land mobile, and aeronautical users, subject to shall comply with all aspects of the International Aeronau the same conditions and limitations that apply to its exist tical Order, 4 FCC Red 6072 (1989) and the Interim Domes ing Inmarsat-C services. COMSAT also seeks authorization tic Aeronautical Order, 1 FCC Red 1006 (1992). including 1 Communications Satellite Corp., 6 FCC Red 5765 (1991). American Mobile Satellite Corp., el al., 7 FCC Red 942 (1992), Communications Satellite Corp., 8 FCC Red 638 (1993). In reconsidered in part, American Subsidiary Corp., 8 FCC Red 6310 this context, "North America" is defined as comprising the land (1993). area of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The United * Communications Satellite Corp.. 6 FCC Red 5765 (1991); States includes Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Communications Satellite Corp., 7 FCC Red 6276 (1992). Islands. Id. at n.6 s Service also shall be excluded to countries for which the 3 Communications Satellite Corp., 1 FCC Red 6276 (1992); United States has an embargo on telecommunications. 111 DA 93-1542 Federal Communications Commission Record 9 FCC Red No. 1 developing a transition plan to move all domestic aeronau 12. The Commission retains jurisdiction over this matter tical traffic to the new U.S. domestic mobile-satellite system to ensure the nondiscriminatory use of. and equitable ac without disruption to customers. cess to. the Inmarsat satellite system. 6. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that COMSAT is au 13. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Section thorized to provide international LMSS and land based 203 of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. § 203, and Part temporary fixed-satellite services only within the frequency 61 of the Commission©s Rules, 47 C.F.R. Part 61. that bands specified below which are consistent with the U.S. COMSAT shall file and have in effect a tariff for the allocation for maritime services. Thus, COMSAT shall services authorized in this order before offering services to serve only those land mobile-satellite and land based tem the public. porary fixed-satellite terminals communicating in the trans 14. This order is issued under Section 0.291 of the mit frequency band 1626.5-1645.5 MHz and the receive Commission©s Rules and is effective upon adoption. Peti frequency band 1530-1544 MHz for the mobile-to-satellite tions for reconsideration under Section 1.106 or applica and satellite-to-mobile links of its international land mo tions for review under Section 1.115 of the Commission©s bile-satellite services. In addition, users of this service shall Rules may be filed within 30 days of public notice of this obtain the appropriate license or other authorization from order (see Section 1.4(b)(2)). the local telecommunications authority of the country in which the terminal will be used and any necessary licenses FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION or authorizations from Agencies or Departments of the United States government (such as Treasury or Com merce). Thus, this authorization shall not be construed as providing domestic uplink or downlink authority within countries outside of the United States. George S. Li 7. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the only portions of the international LMSS and land based temporary fixed- Chief, International Facilities Division satellite services authorized to occur within the United Common Carrier Bureau States shall be satellite uplinks from, and downlinks to, Comsat©s Southbury, Connecticut fixed land earth station in the C-Band. except for narrowband pilot, test, and order wire signals operating in the L band. 8. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Comsat©s Southbury, Connecticut land earth stations shall commu nicate via the Inmarsat Second Generation satellites on 6425-6440 MHz and receive on 3600-3620 MHz for the provision of the Inmarsat Standard C services authorized herein. Comsat is authorized to use Inmarsat First Genera tion satellites only as backups to the Second Generation satellites. Due to operational constraints associated with the Inmarsat First Generation satellites (these satellites are only capable of supporting 7.5 MHz of these frequency bands). Comsat©s land earth stations shall transmit on 6417.5-6425 MHz and receive on 4192.5-4200 MHz when operating with these satellites. 9. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this authority does not cover the provision of international LMSS or land based temporary fixed-satellite services via any new land earth stations or Inmarsat satellites or cover any land mo bile-satellite services not specifically authorized herein. 10. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this authorization is conditioned upon completion of the consultation(s) re quired by Article XIV(d) of the Intelsat Agreement to ensure technical compatibility and to avoid significant eco nomic harm. In addition, COMSAT shall maintain as its first priority the service of maritime commercial, safety and distress needs, and in particular uphold the safety and distress requirements of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. 11. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that COMSAT shall file with the Commission every six months a letter report ing Inmarsat©s progress in developing a means of distin guishing between maritime, aeronautical, and land mobile-satellite transmissions to allow for the primacy of maritime services and compliance with Commission Regu lations and Rules regarding the use of these bands. 112.