Attachment Narrative

This document pretains to SES-T/C-20140309-00133 for Transfer of Control on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESTC2014030900133_1039004

                                                        Mobile Satellite Earth Station License E980203


                                       OuterLink Corporation
                                 Application for Transfer of Control
             Narrative Exhibit - FCC Form 312, Schedule A and Response to Question 42
                        Description of Prior Restructuring and Waiver Request


Description of Transaction

       The OuterLink Corporation (“OuterLink”) holds an FCC license to operate a network of
mobile satellite earth stations in the domestic Mobile Satellite Service (“MSS”). OuterLink’s
authorization permits it to operate up to 20,000 mobile earth terminals (“METs”), on a
noninterference basis, to provide MSS in the United States via the satellites AMSC-1, at 101°
W.L. (U.S.-licensed), SkyTerra 1 at 101.3° W.L., and MSAT-1 at 106.5° W.L. in portions of the
L-band spectrum. 1 OuterLink’s MSS operations consist primarily of vehicular asset tracking
services for trucks and aircraft.

        OuterLink is a wholly owned subsidiary of Newcomb Communications, Inc.
(“Newcomb”). S & H Communications, LLC (“S & H”), a Louisiana limited liability company,
seeks to purchase 100% of the equity of Newcomb. This application seeks approval for the
transfer of control of OuterLink from Newcomb to S & H.

Question 42 - Satellite Points of Communication

        MSAT-1 and SkyTerra 1 are Canadian-licensed satellites and are not on the
Commission’s Permitted Space Station List. The information normally required under Section
25.137, 47 C.F.R. § 25.137, and in response to Question 42 for foreign-licensed satellites,
however, has already been provided to, and approved by, the Commission in prior applications
regarding the provision of mobile satellite service from these satellites under this call sign. To
the extent necessary, OuterLink incorporates that information by reference.2

Exhibit E - Ownership Information

       Entities that hold ten percent or more of the interests in S & H are: Thomas M. Stanberry,
an individual (55%), and Stephen Robert Herbel (40%), an individual. Both are U.S. citizens.
The contact information for Stanberry is:

          Thomas M. Stanberry
          1214 Hawn Avenue
          Shreveport, LA 71107

The contact information for Herbel is:


1
    Specifically the 1530-1559 MHz and 1638-1642 MHz bands.
2
    See e.g. Call Sign E980203, File No. SES-MOD-20110610.


       Stephen Robert Herbel
       2620 Kelliwood Circle
       Shreveport, LA 71106

Exhibit F - Public Interest Showing

       The proposed transaction will benefit the public interest by providing a new source of
funding to OuterLink in order to expand its service offerings. OuterLink’s satellite-based asset
tracking services support public safety, emergency response, and other critically-important
services. OuterLink’s technology has been used to monitor and protect important public safety
equipment, such as U.S. border patrol aircraft, ambulance helicopters, and utility trucks involved
in emergency power restoration. Commission approval to transfer control of OuterLink will
therefore promote the public interest by enabling OuterLink to make its services available to
additional commercial and government customers in the United States.

Description of Prior Restructuring and Waiver Request

        During the due diligence process in connection with the instant transaction, it was
determined that corporate restructuring undertaken between 2007 and the present may have
resulted in ownership changes producing an inadvertent transfer of control for which
authorization was not sought from the Commission. OuterLink explains the nature of the
restructuring below and, to the extent necessary, seeks waiver of the Commission’s transfer of
control rules. As detailed below, the inadvertent transfer did not place any new individual or
entity in control of OuterLink, but instead eliminated the de facto control held by one entity over
OuterLink, resulting in a situation in which no single party or entity controlled OuterLink.

        As background, in 2007, OuterLink sought and received Commission approval for a de
facto transfer of control of OuterLink’s parent company, Newcomb Communications, Inc., from
Paul Newcomb (Chairman of the Board of Newcomb) to MB Growth Partner’s II, LP (“MB
Growth”). As explained in the narrative filed with that application, the 2007 transaction did not
change the then existing ownership structure of OuterLink, it merely elevated MB Growth from
a shareholder in Newcomb to the de facto controlling party by empowering MB Growth to
appoint three of the five members of the Board of Directors of Newcomb. Upon consummation
of the 2007 transfer of control, the OuterLink ownership structure was as illustrated in
Ownership Chart A, which was included as part of OuterLink’s 2007 transfer application.

        In 2008, MB Growth was split into two entities, MB Growth and a new entity, Eastern
Growth Capital I, LP (“Eastern Growth I”). Eastern Growth I was managed by NGC
Management LLC (“NGC”), which was owned 100% by Frank Pinto. As indicated in the
attached charts, Pinto was a pre-existing significant shareholder in OuterLink. As a result of the
split, MB Growth was reduced from de facto control back to having a minority position—
controlling only one board seat—albeit retaining some supermajority rights.

      In 2011, a new entity, Eastern Growth Capital II LP (“Eastern Growth II”)—also
managed by NGC—acquired a minority stake of 5.53% in Newcomb. Control of Newcomb


remained distributed among multiple parties and no one party held either de jure or de facto
control of the company.

        In 2013, MB Growth’s interests in Newcomb were cancelled or otherwise redeemed by
Newcomb through the payment of its outstanding convertible promissory note and a reverse
stock split. This resulted in MB Growth ceasing to hold any interest in Newcomb or, indirectly,
in OuterLink. The ownership structure at this point is illustrated by Chart B, which provides the
current structure immediately prior to the proposed transfer. Control of Newcomb remained
distributed among multiple parties and no one party held either de jure or de facto control of the
company.

        As a result of the restructuring described above, OuterLink requests a waiver of Section
25.119(d) of the Commission’s rules, which otherwise require the filing of a transfer of control
application prior to the actual transfer of control.3 The Commission may waive its rules for good
cause shown.4 The Commission also may waive its rules where strict application would serve no
purpose and would be contrary to the public interest, or where the “applicant has no reasonable
alternative.”5 Each of these standards is satisfied here.

        The late filing in this instance resulted from an inadvertent administrative oversight as
opposed to any effort to conceal the introduction of new parties in ultimate control of OuterLink.
These shifts in ownership involved only persons who already owned interests in OuterLink and
did not place any new entity in control of OuterLink. OuterLink has promptly disclosed its
findings to the Commission and has thereby ensured that the Commission has accurate and
current information on which to evaluate the proposed transaction. The proposed transaction
will serve the public interest by providing a new source of funding to OuterLink in order to
expand its public safety service offerings to U.S. government and emergency response clients.
Accordingly, grant of this application and waiver request is warranted and will serve the public
interest, convenience and necessity.




3
    47 CFR § 25.119.
4
    See 47 CFR § 1.3.
5
    See 47 CFR § 1.925(b)(3).


                                                                              OuterLink
                                                                 Post—Transfer of Control *

                                                                       Jeffrey Pollock                    James Mann

                                                                        25%      |14% voting‘11% equity           l47% voting46% equity
                                                                                 e———rs
                                               Frank Pinto                                      MerchantBanc, LLC                 ~10%
                                                               37.5%                                         °                Shareholders
                                                                 '                     25%
                                                                                                                              12.5%


                                                                      MB Venture                                      <10%
            _ Paul Funk               Frank Sica                   Management !I, LLC                            Limited Partners
                                             Limited                           General
                    Limited                  partser                           Partner                             73.2%
                    Partner                  12.76%                            1.28%
                     12.76%                                                      M
                   irinrmmiiinmiiccnses
                                                                         MB Growth                               <10%
                                    Paul Newcomb                       PartnersII, LLC                    Shareholders

                                                                               45%
                                             23%                                                           32%


                                                                         Newcomb
                                                                   Communications, Inc.
                                                                                100%



                                                                         OuterLink
                                                                       Corporation




*
    Assumes convertible note exercised by MB Growth Partners I1, LLC


                                         OuterLink Ownership Structure
                                            Pre Transfer of Control


                                                      Frank Pinto

                                                             100%


                                                 NGC Management LLC
    Harry Rosenbluth                                                                                   Harry Rosenbluth
         19.23%                            <2%                          <2%                                    23.85%
                       Frank Sica                                                             Frank Sica

                  28.84%                                                                            23.85%
   <10%                             Paul Funk                                 Patricia Zuch                        <10%
Shareholders                           28.84%                                 11.92%                            Shareholders

      ~21%                                                                                                      ~39%



                                     Eastern Growth I LP      Eastern Growth II LP

                                                 40.0%         9.9%

                                                                                                 <10%
  Paul Newcomb         Steve Durante
                                                                                              Shareholders
          21.2%        12.2%                                                                           16.7%


                                                     Newcomb
                                                 Communications, Inc.
                                                            100%

                                                 OuterLink Corporation


         OuterLink Ownership Structure
            Post Transfer of Control




                  Thomas Stanberry
                            55%

Stephen Robert                           Don Rucker
    Herbel
                                           5%
        40%




              S & H Communications LLC

                             100%

                     Newcomb
                 Communications, Inc.
                            100%

                 OuterLink Corporation



Document Created: 2014-03-09 12:47:44
Document Modified: 2014-03-09 12:47:44

© 2024 FCC.report
This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FCC