Attachment Attachment 1

This document pretains to SCL-LIC-20031209-00033 for License on a Submarine Cable Landing filing.

IBFS_SCLLIC2003120900033_347868

SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1



    APPLICATION FOR CABLE LANDING LICENSE OF SMITCOMS, INC.
               ATTACHMENTS AND CERTIFICATIONS
              STREAMLINE PROCESSING REQUESTED


Introduction

       This Attachment is filed pursuant to the requirement that the Applicant
provide the information and certifications required under 47.C.F.R. §1.767(a). In
doing so, Applicant submits its application qualifies for streamlined processing
and, accordingly, requests that it be processed in a manner consistent with the
provisions set out in Sections 1.767(i) and (k) of the Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R.
§§ 1.767(i) and (k)

       SMITCOMS, INC. (Applicant) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
SMITCOMS, NV, and an authorized 214 licensee pursuant to and consistent with
the rules, regulations and procedures of the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).1 Applicant is classified as a dominant carrier for the Island
Territory of St. Maarten only, without prejudice to its authority to petition the
Commission for reclassification as the company may deem appropriate.2

        St. Maarten is part of the federal government of the Netherlands Antilles,
a country approved for the provision of switched services over private lines
under FCC rules.3 The Netherlands Antilles, in turn, is part of the Dutch
Kingdom, 4 which has formally agreed to the Basic Telecommunications Services
Accord (Addendum on Telecommunications) of the World Trade Organization
(WTO). Applicant has previously stated and reaffirms here its commitment to a
liberalized telecommunications marketplace.



1
   See Public Notice, Report TEL-00689, August 7, 2003, File No. ITC-214-20030702-00319, under which
SMITCOMS, INC is authorized to provide global facilities-based service and global or limited global
resale service.
2
    Id at 2.
3
    See International Authorizations Granted, DA 00-32, January 13, 2000 at ¶ 8.
4
   The federal government of the Netherlands Antilles is located in Curacao, and operates under a
parliamentary system. The five Island territories that comprise the Netherlands Antilles -- Bonaire,
Curacao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba -- have autonomous status under the Statute of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands or 1954, as amended. See Statute by Act of the Kingdom, Stb 617, PbNA 233 (1975)(Dutch
Kingdom). The Netherlands Antilles is regarded as a country under international accords, and is an equal
partner in the Dutch Kingdom, along with the Netherlands and Aruba.


SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1

                                                    -2-


       The federal government of the Netherlands Antilles is responsible for
telecom licensing within the five Island Territories. As such, it has incorporated
the WTO principles of competition and open access in its Telecom Law of 1996,
and also reaffirmed its commitment to market liberalization. Moreover, having
been established on May 8, 2000, SMITCOMS, NV is a direct beneficiary of
market liberalization, without which the company would never have emerged as
a telecom operator and competitor in the marketplace. Finally, in addition to
providing traffic termination services in St. Maarten, Applicant’s parent also
provides private line service to various sectors of the market, including entities
and U.S. carriers offering competing services.5




                                     [Left Intentionally Blank]




5
  Among the International Telecommunications Services (Carrier) Agreements signed by SMITCOMS,
NV (parent of wholly-owned subsidiary applicant), it has agreed to and does provision private lease line
services to a U.S. carrier (MCI).


SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1

                                       -3-


  INFORMATION AND CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED UNDER §1.767(a)

      1. Name, Address, Contact Numbers

      (a) SMITCOMS

      Curtis K. Haynes
      Managing Director
      SMITCOMS, INC.
      Dr. A. C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities
      P. O. Box 5710 Pointe Blanche
      Philipsburg
      St. Maarten, NA
      011 (599)542-9140 (v)
      011 (599)542-9141 (f)


      2. Domicile/Registration of Applicant and Parent

      (a) Applicant is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware.

        (b) Applicant’s parent, SMITCOMS, NV, was established under the laws
of the Island Territory of Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles.

      (c) Applicant is also registered as a foreign corporation under the laws of
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.


      3. Primary Contact Information For Landing License Application

      Curtis T. White, Esq.
      Mannone A. Butler, Esq.
      Law Offices of Curtis T. White, PC
      4201 Connecticut Avenue, NW
      Suite 402
      Washington, DC 20008-1158
      (202)537-2999 (ctw – direct)
      (202)537-1140 (mab – direct)
      cwhite@loctw.com
      mbutler@loctw.com


SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1


                                                  -4-

           4. Description of Submarine Cable, Type, Number of channels

        The SMPR-1 cable is designed as a repeaterless fiber optic submarine
cable. As explained more fully in Paragraph 5, infra, SMPR-1 will be
interconnected in a Landing Station in Puerto Rico that currently houses several
other existing submarine cable systems. The total extension of the cable is
approximately 374 kilometers, and will be free laid on the sea floor within the
territorial waters of the U.S. commonwealth (i.e., up to the point the cable enters
the mean low water line near the shore for burial and entry into the beach and
existing duct).

        SMPR-1 will be comprised of 16 fibers paired, with an initial bandwidth of
2.5 Gbts. The loading capacity of the cable system when lighted at the 2.5 Gbts
capacity will be 500 E-1 circuits, or thirty (30) 64-kbps circuits per each E-1
circuit.


           5. Description of Cable Landing Stations (US and Foreign Points)

           (a) U.S. Landing Station

       The cable of Applicant will connect with the U.S. in the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, and do so via a Landing Station operated by Telecomunicaciones
Ultramarinas de Puerto Rico (ULTRACOM). That Landing Station is located the
Isla Verde sector of San Juan, Puerto Rico between Punta El Medio and Punta Las
Marias. The street address is Kilometro 7, Avenida Isla Verde, Edificio P.R.P.C.,
2nd Piso, Carolina, Puerto Rico 00979. The coordinates for the Beach Manhole
are: N 18 26.606 // W 66 01.289.6 There is only one beach joint for the
ULTRACOM Landing Station, which connects via an existing duct on the beach
head wall. The approximate distance between the existing cable beach hole (and
pull boxes) and the Landing Station is 356 meters.7 ULTRACOM currently
provides services to various U.S. carriers at the subject facility, which also serves
as an interconnect point for numerous cable systems traversing the
Region, including Taino-Carib-1, Americas-1,Eastern Caribbean, Antillas-1 and 2,
Arcos-1, Maya-1 and Sam-1.8

6
    See Routing Position Data Sheet for SMPR-1 Submarine Cable (Attachment 2)
7
    E.g., SMPR – 1 Map and Proposed Co-Lo site in ULTRACOM Landing Station (Attachment 3).

8[2]
       E.g., www.ultracom.com.


SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1


                                          -5-

          (b) Landing Station in St. Maarten and St. Martin

        The Applicant will connect with the Island Territory of St. Maarten, NA
via a Landing Station to be located at the Divi Little Bay Hotel in St. Maarten,
Netherlands Antilles. The planned coordinates for said Landing Station are
N18°01.173 // W063°03.576. As part of a common carrier cable system, the Divi
Little Bay is expected to host other carriers and cables on a non-discriminatory
basis.


          6. Cable Operated on Common-Carrier Basis

    Applicant hereby certifies that it will operate the SMPR-1 cable on a
common carrier basis.


          7. Owners of Cable System and U.S. Cable Landing Station

     The 100% owner of the SMPR-1 cable will be SMITCOMS, NV, parent
company of Applicant, which includes the wet link portion of the cable system.

       The U.S. Landing Station in San Juan, PR is owned by the operator,
ULTRACOM. Interconnection will be effected pursuant to an agreement
between Applicant and ULTRACOM, with ULTRACOM providing interconnect
services.9


          8. Applicant is Affiliated With a Foreign Carrier Located in a WTO
             Member State

      Applicant is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SMITCOMS, NV, which will
own the Landing Station planned for Divi Little Bay in St. Maarten, NA.

        63.18(h) – The 100% owner of the Applicant is SMITCOMS, NV, domiciled
in St. Maarten, NA. SMITCOMS, NA is 100% owned by the Island Government
of St. Maarten. The principal contact and address is as follows:




9
    Id.


SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1


                                                  -6-

           Curtis K. Haynes
           Managing Director
           SMITCOMS, NV
           Dr. A. C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities
           P. O. Box 5710 Pointe Blanche
           Philipsburg
           St. Maarten, NA
           011 (599)542-9140 (v)
           011 (599)542-9141 (f)

       §63.18(k) – The Netherlands Antilles is a Member State of the World Trade
Organization (WTO), and formally agreed to the Basic Telecommunications
Services Accord of the World Trade Organization (WTO).10 Accordingly, all
Island Territories of the Netherlands Antilles hold member state status in the
WTO via their central (federal) government and by virtue of Treaties,
Conventions and Statutes governing the rights and obligations of the Island
Territories that comprise the Netherlands Antilles.11 In addition, provisions of
the WTO Basic Telecom Agreement have been incorporated into the Telecom Act
governing telecommunications in St. Maarten, as well as the other four Island
Territories that comprise the Netherlands Antilles.

       §63.18(o) – Applicant hereby certifies that no party to this application is
subject to denial of Federal benefits pursuant to Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug
Abuse Act of 1988, as amended.


           9. Applicant Certifies to Comply With Routine Conditions Under
              Subsection (g)

       Applicant hereby certifies that it accepts and will abide by the routine
conditions specified in paragraph (g) of this Section 1.767 of the Commission’s
rules.




10
   The Dutch Kingdom (of which the Netherlands Antilles is an equal partner), through its Member State
participation in the WTO, accepted the Basic Telecommunications Services Accord. See Introduction,
supra at pp. 1-2.
11
     E.g., fn 4, supra


SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1

                                                   -7-

          10. Additional Information – Joint Permit Application in Puerto Rico

       Applicant has prepared and caused to be filed its Joint Permit Application
for the SMPR-1 Submarine Cable with the Department of Environmental
Resources of Puerto Rico (ONER).12 This Joint Permit Application seeks all
clearances necessary for the installation of submarine cables on the ocean floor,
and requests the issuance of permits, certificates or concessions necessary for
the installation of cable on the ocean floor and the maritime-terrestrial zone of
the U.S. and within the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. More
specifically, the Joint Permit application seeks the following: (i) a permit from
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for work in navigable waters of the United
States pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, as well as for the
placement of fill in waters of the United States pursuant to Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act; (ii) a concession for the use of submerged lands and the
maritime terrestrial zone from the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and
Environmental Resources; (iii) a Water Quality Certificate from the Puerto Rico
Environmental Quality Board; and (iv) a Certificate of Consistency with the
Coastal Zone Management Program from the Puerto Rico Planning Board.


          11. Environmental Assessment

       Applicant is preparing an Environmental Assessment which will be
reviewed and approved by the Department of Environmental Resources of
Puerto Rico as well as the Environmental Quality Board before the issuance of
the requested permits, certifications and/or clearances.




                                     [Left Intentionally Blank]




12
     Applicant’s Joint Permit Application was filed on November 21, 2003 (No. 525).


SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1

                                         -8-


     APPLICATION FOR CABLE LANDING LICENSE OF SMITCOMS, INC.
        CERTIFICATIONS REGARDING STREAMLINE PROCESSING

        Applicant submits the following information in accordance with the
provisions contained in subsections (i) and (j) of this §1.767 of the Commission’s
rules, 47 C.F.C. §§1.767 (i) and (j).

          12. Certification of Service

       Applicant, through counsel, hereby certifies that a true copy of this
Application for a Landing License of SMITCOMS, Inc., along with attachments,
was forwarded, via Federal Express, this 26th day of November, 2003 to the
following:

U.S. Coordinator, EB/CIP
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street , NW
Washington, DC 20520-5818

Office of Chief Counsel
NTIA
U. S. Department of Commerce
14th & Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20230

Defense Information Systems Agency
Code RGC
701 S. Courthhouse Road
Arlington, VA 22204

          13. Destination Market is WTO Member State

       As shown supra, the Island Territory of St. Maarten holds membership in
the WTO by virtue of treaties, conventions and statutes governing the rights and
obligations of members of the Dutch Kingdom.13




13
     Supra at p. 5.


SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1

                                       -9-


       14. Certification to Abide by Requirements of §1767(k) – Applicant fully
agrees to abide by the rules and reporting requirements set out under
subsections (1) and (2) of Section 1.767(k) of the Commission’s rules.


      CONCLUSION

      In view of the foregoing, Applicant respectfully requests that the
Commission grant its application for a Landing License, and process its request
under applicable Streamline Processing Rules.

                                        Respectfully submitted,

                                        SMITCOMS, INC.

                                                     /s/
                                        By:________________________________
                                              Curtis T. White
                                              Mannone A. Butler
                                              Law Offices of Curtis T. White
                                              4201 Connecticut Ave., NW
                                              Suite 402
                                              Washington, DC 20008-1158



November 26, 2003


SMITCOMS, INC.
Attachment 1


                                        -10-


      Annex – Delineation of Attachments To Landing License Application

             In addition to this Attachment providing Certifications, and as
referenced herein, Applicants attached copies of the following:

       Attachment 1 - Narrative responding certifications required under
Sections 1.767(i) and (k) of the Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.767(i) and (k).

      Attachment 2 – Routing Map with coordinates for interconnection with
the ULTRACOM Landing Station, Isla Verde, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

       Attachment 3 – Map of SMPR-1 interconnection and site of proposed co-
location of SMPR-1 in ULTRACOM Landing Station.



Document Created: 2003-12-01 14:06:12
Document Modified: 2003-12-01 14:06:12

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