[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR25.137]

[Page 285-287]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
                    CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
                         COMMISSION (CONTINUED)
 
PART 25--SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS--Table of Contents
 
                  Subpart B--Applications and Licenses
 
Sec. 25.137  Application requirements for earth stations operating with non-U.S. licensed space stations.

    (a) Earth station applicants or entities filing a ``letter of 
intent'' or ``Petition for Declaratory Ruling'' requesting authority to 
operate with a non-U.S. licensed space station to serve the United 
States must attach an exhibit with their FCC Form 312 application with 
information demonstrating that U.S.-licensed satellite systems have 
effective competitive opportunities to provide analogous services in:
    (1) The country in which the non-U.S. licensed space station is 
licensed; and
    (2) All countries in which communications with the U.S. earth 
station will originate or terminate. The applicant bears the burden of 
showing that there are no practical or legal constraints that limit or 
prevent access of the U.S. satellite system in the relevant foreign 
markets. The exhibit required by this paragraph must also include a 
statement of why grant of the application is in the public interest. 
This paragraph shall not apply with respect to requests for authority to 
operate using a non-U.S. licensed satellite that is licensed by or 
seeking a license from a country that is a member of the World Trade 
Organization for services

[[Page 286]]

covered under the World Trade Organization Basic Telecommunications 
Agreement.
    (b) Earth station applicants, or entities filing a ``letter of 
intent,'' or ``Petition for Declaratory Ruling,'' requesting authority 
to operate with a non-U.S. licensed space station must attach to their 
FCC Form 312 an exhibit providing legal and technical information for 
the non-U.S. licensed space station in accordance with part 25. 
Applications addressed in this paragraph must be filed electronically 
through the International Bureau Filing System (IBFS).
    (c) A non-U.S. licensed NGSO-like satellite system seeking to serve 
the United States can be considered contemporaneously with other U.S. 
NGSO-like satellite system pursuant to Sec. 25.157 and considered before 
later-filed applications of other U.S. satellite system operators, and a 
non-U.S.-licensed GSO-like satellite system seeking to serve the United 
States can have its request placed in a queue pursuant to Sec. 25.158 
and considered before later-filed applications of other U.S. satellite 
system operators, if the non-U.S. licensed satellite system is:
    (1) In orbit and operating;
    (2) Has a license from another administration; or
    (3) Has been submitted for coordination to the International 
Telecommunication Union.
    (d) Earth station applicants requesting authority to operate with a 
non-U.S. licensed space station must demonstrate that the space station 
the applicant seeks to access has complied with all applicable 
Commission requirements for non-U.S. licensed systems to operate in the 
United States, including but not limited to the following:
    (1) Milestones;
    (2) Reporting requirements;
    (3) Any other applicable service rules;
    (4) Posting a bond of $7.5 million for NGSO-like satellite systems, 
or $5 million for GSO-like satellites, denominated in U.S. dollars, 
compliant with the terms of Sec. 25.165;
    (5) Non-U.S. licensed GSO-like space station operators with a total 
of five requests for access to the U.S. market in a particular frequency 
band, or a total of five previously granted requests for access to the 
U.S. market with unbuilt GSO-like space stations in a particular 
frequency band, or a combination of pending GSO-like requests and 
granted requests for unbuilt GSO-like space stations in a particular 
frequency band that equals five, will not be permitted to request access 
to the U.S. market with another GSO-like space station license in that 
frequency band. In addition, non-U.S.-licensed NGSO-like satellite 
system operators with one request on file with the Commission in a 
particular frequency band, or one granted request for an unbuilt NGSO-
like satellite system in a particular frequency band, will not be 
permitted to request access to the U.S. market with another NGSO-like 
satellite system in that frequency band.
    (e) A non-U.S.-licensed satellite operator that is seeking to serve 
the United States pursuant to a Letter of Intent may amend its request 
by submitting an additional Letter of Intent. Such additional Letters of 
Intent will be treated as amendments filed by U.S. space station 
applicants for purposes of determining the order in which the Letters of 
Intent will be considered relative to other pending applications.
    (f) A non-U.S.-licensed satellite operator that has been permitted 
to serve the United States pursuant to a Letter of Intent or Petition 
for Declaratory Ruling, may modify its U.S. operations under the 
procedures set forth in Sec. 25.117(d).
    (g) A non-U.S.-licensed satellite operator that has been permitted 
to serve the United States pursuant to a Petition for Declaratory Ruling 
must notify the Commission if it plans to transfer control or assign its 
license to another party, so that the Commission can afford interested 
parties an opportunity to comment on whether the proposed transaction 
affects any of the considerations we made when we allowed the satellite 
operator to enter the U.S. market. If the transferee or assignee is not 
licensed by or seeking a license from a country that is a member of the 
World Trade Organization for services covered under the World Trade

[[Page 287]]

Organization Basic Telecommunications Agreement, the non-U.S.-licensed 
satellite operator will be required to make the showing described in 
paragraph (a) of this section.

[62 FR 64172, Dec. 4, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 61792, Nov. 15, 1999; 65 
FR 16327, Mar. 28, 2000; 65 FR 59143, Oct. 4, 2000; 68 FR 51503, Aug. 
27, 2003]