Public Notice SAT00070

Accepted for Filing Public Notice

Satellite Space Station

2001-04-17

FCC.report > IB > Public Notices > SAT00070

Filings Included

File Number	Service
SAT-ASG-20010319-00025	Satellite Space Station

IBFS_PN_206546

The Commission has received six applications for consent to assignment of authorizations pertaining to the operation of the
IRIDIUM Mobile Satellite Service ("MSS") System from affiliates or wholly-owned subsidiaries of Motorola, Inc. to three affiliated
companies: Iridium Constellation LLC, Iridium Satellite LLC, and Iridium Carrier Services LLC (collectively "New Iridium").

The licenses to be assigned to Iridium Constellation LLC are:

(1) Space Station License - S2110 (Assignment application File No. SAT-ASG-20010319-00025)
(2) TT&C Earth Station License - E960244 (Assignment application File No. SES-ASG-20010319-00585);
(3) TT&C Earth Station License - E960272 (Assignment application File No. SES-ASG-20010319-00586).

The license to be assigned to Iridium Satellite LLC is:

Commercial Gateway Earth Station - E960131 (Assignment application File No. SES-ASG-20010319-00601).

One license is proposed to be split between Iridium Satellite LLC and Iridium Carrier Services LLC:

Authorization for 200,000 Handheld Earth Stations - E960132 (Assignment application File No. SES-ASG-20010319-00600).

Specifically, New Iridium proposes to assign an authorization for 50,000 handsets to Iridium Satellite LLC and an authorization for
150,000 handsets to Iridium Carrier Services LLC. Iridium Satellite LLC would operate 50,000 handset terminals on a non-common
carrier basis and Iridium Carrier Services LLC would operate up to 150,000 handset terminals on a common carrier basis. According to
the application, Iridium Carrier Services LLC is the wholly-owned subsidiary of a parent corporation in which foreign corporations
incorporated in, and owned by citizens of, countries that are members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) (Australia, Brazil, and
Panama) hold a 35.9 percent stock interest and in which a corporation owned by a citizen of a non-WTO-member country (Saudi
Arabia) holds a 24.279 percent stock interest. The applicants acknowledge that the indirect foreign ownership of Iridium Carrier
Services LLC exceeds the 25 percent benchmark in Section 310(b)(4) of the Communications Act but contend that the foreign
ownership should be found permissible. Persons commenting on the foreign ownership of Iridium Carrier Services should reference File
Nos. SES-ASG-20010319-00600 and ISP-PDR-20010319-00015.

The application to assign the Space Station license to Iridium Constellation LLC includes "An Assessment of the On-Orbit and
Terrestrial Risks from Iridium Spacecraft" recently prepared by NASA for the FCC. This document estimates the risks, including the
risk of human casualty, from disposal of the IRIDIUM spacecraft at the end of their service life.

The Space Station application also includes a request by Iridium Satellite for an exemption under Section 25.116(c)(2) of the
Commission's Rules to permit Iridium Satellite to assume Iridium LLC's application to construct, launch and operate a
Non-Geostationary Mobile Satellite System in the 2 GHz Band without forfeiting processing priority. See FCC File No.
187-SAT-P/LA-97(96), IBS File No. SAT-LOA-1997-0926-00147. In that same application, Iridium Satellite also requests
amendment of a pending application for authority to provide Aeronautical Mobile-Satellite Route Service ("AMS(R)S") over the
IRIDIUM System, FCC File No. 18-SAT-ML-97, to designate Iridium Satellite as the applicant instead of Motorola Satellite
Communications. Iridium Satellite requests that the amendment to the AMS(R)S application be treated as "minor" and therefore as
exempt from the public notice requirements in Sections 25.116(b) and 25.151 of the Commission's rules.

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The parties have also filed an application to assign Iridium U.S. L.P.'s international Section 214 authorization to Iridium Carrier
Services LLC. Persons filing comments on the application to assign the Section 214 international authorization of Iridium U.S., L.P.
(d/b/a Iridium North America or INA ) to Iridium Carrier Services should reference File No. ITC-ASG-20010319-00166.

Copies of these applications are available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room
CY-A257) at its headquarters, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554, or may be purchased from the Commission's copy
contractor, International Transcription Service, Inc. ("ITS"), (202) 857-3800, 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, or
may be reviewed via internet at http://www.fcc.gov/transaction/timelines.html

COMMENTS may be filed on or before May 17, 2001. REPLIES may be filed on or before May 27, 2001. RESPONSES to replies
may be filed on or before June 1, 2001. [The Satellite Engineering Branch has previously issued a public notice inviting comment on
the applications for assignment of the IRIDIUM gateway, TT&C, and handset earth-station licenses. Report No. SES-00275 (April 4,
2001). The notice was subsequently rescinded by Reports Nos. SES-00278 and SES-00280 (April 11 and 18, 2001). Thus, this Public
Notice supersedes all previous notices inviting public comment on the applications for assignment of IRIDIUM earth-station licenses,
and the schedule for filing comments and replies specified in this notice applies with respect to all of those applications.]

Commenters must send an original and four copies of all comments, replies and responses to the Commission's Secretary, Magalie
Roman Salas, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street S.W., Room TW-A325, Washington,
D.C. 20554. In addition, one copy of each pleading should be sent to James Bird, OGC Transaction Team, Federal Communications
Commission, 445 12th Street S.W., Room 8-C818, Washington D.C. 20554. All filings pertaining to any of the applications for
assignment of license should reference File No. SAT-ASG-20010319-00025 as well as any other pertinent application file number(s)
listed above.

For further information regarding the license-assignment applications, contact William Bell, International Bureau, Satellite &
Radiocommunications Division, at (202) 418-0741. For further information regarding the assignment of the international 214
authorization, contact Lisa Choi, International Bureau, Telecommunications Division, at (202) 418-1460.

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Document Modified: 2019-04-15 19:52:23

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