§701. Congressional declaration of policy and purpose
(a) Policy
The Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States to establish, in conjunction and in cooperation with other countries, as expeditiously as practicable a commercial communications satellite system, as part of an improved global communications network, which will be responsive to public needs and national objectives, which will serve the communication needs of the United States and other countries, and which will contribute to world peace and understanding.
(b) Availability of telecommunication services
The new and expanded telecommunication services are to be made available as promptly as possible and are to be extended to provide global coverage at the earliest practicable date. In effectuating this program, care and attention will be directed toward providing such services to economically less developed countries and areas as well as those more highly developed, toward efficient and economical use of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum, and toward the reflection of the benefits of this new technology in both quality of services and charges for such services.
(c) Private enterprise; access; competition
In order to facilitate this development and to provide for the widest possible participation by private enterprise, United States participation in the global system shall be in the form of a private corporation, subject to appropriate governmental regulation. It is the intent of Congress that all authorized users shall have nondiscriminatory access to the system; that maximum competition be maintained in the provision of equipment and services utilized by the system; that the corporation created under this chapter be so organized and operated as to maintain and strengthen competition in the provision of communications services to the public; and that the activities of the corporation created under this chapter and of the persons or companies participating in the ownership of the corporation shall be consistent with the Federal antitrust laws.
(d) Domestic use; additional systems
It is not the intent of Congress by this chapter to preclude the use of the communications satellite system for domestic communication services where consistent with the provisions of this chapter nor to preclude the creation of additional communications satellite systems, if required to meet unique governmental needs or if otherwise required in the national interest.
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Termination of Section
Section to cease to be effective on the effective date of a Commission order determining under section 761(b)(2) of this title that INTELSAT privatization is consistent with criteria in sections 763 and 763a of this title, see section 765d(4) of this title.
References in Text
The Federal antitrust laws, referred to in subsec. (c), are classified generally to chapter 1 (§1 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.
Short Title of 2000 Amendment
Short Title
Section 101 of
Stylistic Consistency
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
"(a)
"(1) as a party to the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (hereafter in this section referred to as 'Intelsat'), to foster and support the global commercial communications satellite system owned and operated by Intelsat;
"(2) to make available to consumers a variety of communications satellite services utilizing the space segment facilities of Intelsat and any additional such facilities which are found to be in the national interest and which-
"(A) are technically compatible with the use of the radio frequency spectrum and orbital space by the existing or planned Intelsat space segment, and
"(B) avoid significant economic harm to the global system of Intelsat; and
"(3) to authorize use and operation of any additional space segment facilities only if the obligations of the United States under article XIV(d) of the Intelsat Agreement have been met.
"(b)
"(1) in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, ensure that any proposed separate international satellite telecommunications system comply with the Executive Branch conditions established pursuant to the Presidential Determination No. 85–2 [49 F.R. 46987]; and
"(2) ensure that one or more foreign authorities have authorized the use of such system consistent with such conditions.
"(c)
"(2)(A) To ensure that rates established by Intelsat for such routes are cost-based, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, shall instruct the United States signatory to Intelsat to ensure that sufficient documentation, including documentation regarding revenues and costs, is provided by Intelsat so as to verify that such rates are in fact cost-based.
"(B) To the maximum extent possible, such documenation [documentation] will be made available to interested parties on a timely basis.
"(3) Pursuant to the consultation under paragraph (1) and taking the steps prescribed in paragraph (2) to provide documentation, the United States shall support an appropriate modification to article V(d) of the Intelsat Agreement to accomplish the purpose described in paragraph (1).
"(d)
"(1) the foreign policy reasons for the President's determination, and
"(2) a plan for minimizing any negative effects of the President's action on Intelsat and on United States foreign policy interests.
"(e)
"(f)
"(g)
"(1) primarily for domestic telecommunications purposes and which incidentally provides services on an ancillary basis to points outside the jurisdiction of the United States but within the western hemisphere, or
"(2) solely for unique governmental purposes."
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 743, 765d of this title.