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FINANCING OF THE CORPORATION

SEC. 304. [47 U.S.C. 734] (a) The corporation is authorized to issue and have outstanding, in such amounts as it shall determine, shares of capital stock, without par value, which shall carry voting rights and be eligible for dividends. The shares of such stock initially offered shall be sold at a price not in excess of $100 for each share and in a manner to encourage the widest distribution to the American public. Subject to the provisions of subsections (b) and (d) of this section, shares of stock offered under this subsection may be issued to and held by any person.

(b)(1) For the purposes of this section the term "authorized carrier” shall mean a communications common carrier which is specifically authorized or which is a member of a class of carriers authorized by the Commission to own shares of stock in the corporation upon a finding that such ownership will be consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

(2) Only those communications common carriers which are authorized carriers shall own shares of stock in the corporation at any time, and no other communications common carrier shall own shares either directly or indirectly through subsidiaries or affiliated companies, nominees, or any persons subject to its direction or control. At no time after the initial issue is completed shall the aggregate of the shares of voting stock of the corporation owned by authorized carriers directly or indirectly through subsidiaries or affiliated companies, nominees, or any persons subject to their direction or control exceed 50 per centum of such shares issued and outstanding. 3

(3) At no time shall any stockholder who is not an authorized carrier, or any syndicate or affiliated group of such stockholders, own more than 10 per centum of the shares of voting stock of the corporation issued and outstanding.

(c) The corporation is authorized to issue, in addition to the stock authorized by subsection (a) of this section, nonvoting securities, bonds, debentures, and other certificates of indebtedness as it may determine. Such nonvoting securities, bonds, debentures, or other certificates of indebtedness of the corporation as a communications common carrier may own shall be eligible for inclusion in the rate base of the carrier to the extent allowed by the Commission. The voting stock of the corporation shall not be eligible for inclusion in the rate base of the carrier.

(d) Not more than an aggregate of 20 percentum of the shares of stock of the corporation authorized by subsection (a) of this section which are held by holders other than authorized carriers may be held by persons of the classes described in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) of section 310(a) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. 310).

3 Sec. 304(b)(2) was amended by Public Law 97-410, 96 Stat. 2044, 2045, approved January 3, 1983, by deleting the following sentence which formerly followed the first sentence:

Fifty per centum of the shares of stock authorized for issuance at any time by the corporation shall be reserved for purchase by authorized carriers and such carriers shall in the aggregate be entitled to make purchases of the reserved shares in a total number not exceeding the total number of the nonreserved shares of any issue purchased by other persons.

(e) The requirement of section 45(b) of the District of Columbia Business Corporation Act (D.C. Code, sec. 29-920(b)) as to the percentage of stock which a stockholder must hold in order to have the rights of inspection and copying set forth in that subsection shall not be applicable in the case of holders of the stock of the corporation, and they may exercise such rights without regard to the percentage of stock they hold.

(f) Upon application to the Commission by any authorized carrier and after notice and hearing, the Commission may compel any other authorized carrier which owns shares of stock in the corporation to transfer to the applicant, for a fair and reasonable consideration, a number of such shares as the Commission determines will advance the public interest and the purposes of this Act. In its determination with respect to ownership of shares of stock in the corporation, the Commission, whenever consistent with the public interest, shall promote the widest possible distribution of stock among the authorized carriers.

PURPOSES AND POWERS OF THE CORPORATION

SEC. 305. [47 U.S. 735] (a) In order to achieve the objectives and to carry out the purposes of this Act, the corporation is authorized to

(1) plan, initiate, construct, own, manage, and operate itself or in conjunction with foreign governments or business entities a commercial communications satellite system;

(2) furnish, for hire, channels of communication to United States communications common carriers and to other authorized entities, foreign and domestic; and

(3) own and operate satellite terminal stations when licensed by the Commission under section 201(c)(7).

(b) Included in the activities authorized to the corporation for accomplishment of the purposes indicated in subsection (a) of this section, are, among others not specifically named

(1) to conduct or contract for research and development related to its mission;

(2) to acquire the physical facilities, equipment and devices necessary to its operations, including communications satellites and associated equipment and facilities, whether by construction, purchase, or gift;

(3) to purchase satellite launching and related services from the United States Government;

(4) to contract with authorized users, including the United States Government, for the services of the communications satellite system; and

(5) to develop plans for the technical specifications of all elements of the communications satellite system.

(c) To carry out the foregoing purposes, the corporation shall have the usual powers conferred upon a stock corporation by the District of Columbia Business Corporation Act.

TITLE IV-MISCELLANEOUS

APPLICABILITY OF COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934

SEC. 401. [47 U.S.C. 741] The corporation shall be deemed to be a common carrier within the meaning of section 3(h) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and as such shall be fully subject to the provisions of title II and title III of that Act. The provision of satellite terminal station facilities by one communication common carrier to one or more other communications common carriers shall be deemed to be a common carrier activity fully subject to the Communications Act. Whenever the application of the provisions of this Act shall be inconsistent with the application of the provisions of the Communications Act, the provisions of this Act shall govern.

NOTICE OF FOREIGN BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS

SEC. 402. [47 U.S.C. 742] Whenever the corporation shall enter into business negotiations with respect to facilities, operations, or services authorized by this Act with any international or foreign entity, it shall notify the Department of State of the negotiations, and the Department of State shall advise the corporation of relevant foreign policy considerations. Throughout such negotiations the corporation shall keep the Department of State informed with respect to such considerations. The corporation may request the Department of State to assist in the negotiations, and that Department shall render such assistance as may be appropriate.

SANCTIONS

SEC. 403. [47 U.S.C. 743] (a) If the corporation created pursuant to this Act shall engage in or adhere to any action, practices, or policies inconsistent with the policy and purposes declared in section 102 of this Act, or if the corporation or any other person shall violate any provision of this Act, or shall obstruct or interfere with any activities authorized by this Act, or shall refuse, fail, or neglect to discharge his duties and responsibilities under this Act, or shall threaten any such violation, obstruction, interference, refusal, failure, or neglect, the district court of the United States for any district in which such corporation or other person resides or may be found shall have jurisdiction, except as otherwise prohibited by law, upon petition of the Attorney General of the United States, to grant such equitable relief as may be necessary or appropriate to prevent or terminate such conduct or threat.

(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as relieving any person of any punishment, liability, or sanction which may be imposed otherwise than under this Act.

(c) It shall be the duty of the corporation and all communications common carriers to comply, insofar as applicable, with all provisions of this Act and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

REPORTS TO THE CONGRESS

SEC. 404. [47 U.S.C. 744] (a) The President shall transmit to the Congress in January of each year a report which shall include a

comprehensive description of the activities and accomplishments during the preceding calendar year under the national program referred to in section 201(a)(1), together with an evaluation of such activities and accomplishments in terms of the attainment of the objectives of this Act and any recommendations for additional legislative or other action which the President may consider necessary or desirable for the attainment of such objectives.

(b) The corporation shall transmit to the President and the Congress, annually and at such other times as it deems desirable, a comprehensive and detailed report of its operations, activities, and accomplishments under this Act.

(c) The Commission shall transmit to the Congress, annually and at such other times as it deems desirable, (i) a report of its activities and actions on anticompetitive practices as they apply to the communications satellite programs; (ii) an evaluation of such activities and actions taken by it within the scope of its authority with a view to recommending such additional legislation which the Commission may consider necessary in the public interest; and (iii) an evaluation of the capital structure of the corporation so as to assure the Congress that such structure is consistent with the most efficient and economical operation of the corporation.

TITLE V-INTERNATIONAL MARITIME SATELLITE

TELECOMMUNICATIONS +

SHORT TITLE

SEC. 501. This title may be cited as the "International Maritime Satellite Telecommunications Act".

DECLARATION OF POLICY AND PURPOSE

SEC. 502. [47 U.S.C. 751] (a) The Congress hereby declares that it is the policy of the United States to provide for the participation of the United States in the International Maritime Satellite Organization (hereinafter in this title referred to as "INMARSAT") in order to develop and operate a global maritime satellite telecommunications system. Such system shall have facilities and services which will serve maritime commercial and safety needs of the United States and foreign countries.

(b) It is the purpose of this title to provide that the participation of the United States in INMARSAT shall be through the Communications Satellite Corporation, which constitutes a private entity operating for profit, and which is not an agency or establishment of the Federal Government.

DESIGNATED OPERATING ENTITY

SEC. 503. [47 U.S.C. 752] (a)(1) The Communications Satellite Corporation is hereby designated as the sole operating entity of the United States for participation in INMARSAT, for the purpose of providing international maritime satellite telecommunications services.

4 Title V was added by Public Law 95-564, approved November 1, 1978, 92 Stat. 2392.

(2) The corporation also shall have authority to participate in any other maritime satellite telecommunications system on an interim basis to serve the maritime commercial and safety needs of the United States through an interim operating arrangement in accordance with subsection (b).

(3) The corporation may participate in and is hereby authorized to sign the operating agreement or other pertinent instruments of INMARSAT as the sole designated operating entity of the United States.

(b)(1) The corporation may participate in any maritime satellite telecommunications system under subsection (a)(2) only if—

(A) the corporation signs the operating agreement of INMARSAT before beginning such participation;

(B) such participation is in the nature of an interim operating arrangement remaining in effect only until INMARSAT begins its operations; and

(C) (i) in the case of participation which may be undertaken only pursuant to a treaty or executive agreement, such treaty or executive agreement is in effect; or

(ii) in any case in which participation does not require any treaty or executive agreement, the President does not disapprove such participation during the period of 60 calendar days after the corporation notifies the President of such proposed participation.

(2) If the corporation participates in an interim operating arrangement with a maritime satellite telecommunications system under this subsection, the provisions of this title relating to participation of the corporation in INMARSAT also shall apply to such interim participation.

(3) Any disapproval by the President under paragraph (1)(C)(ii) shall be published in the Federal Register as soon as practicable after the date of such disapproval.

(c) The corporation

(1) may own and operate satellite earth terminal stations in the United States;

(2) shall interconnect such stations, and the maritime satellite telecommunications provided by such stations, with the facilities and services of United States domestic common carriers and international common carriers, other than any common carrier or other entity in which the corporation has any ownership interest, as authorized by the Commission;

(3) shall interconnect such stations and the maritime satellite telecommunications provided by such stations, with the facilities and services of private communications systems, unless the Commission finds that such interconnection will not serve the public interest; and

(4) may establish, own, and operate the United States share of the jointly owned international space segment and associated ancillary facilities.

(d) The corporation shall be responsible for fulfilling any financial obligation placed upon the corporation as a signatory to the operating agreement or other pertinent instruments, and any other financial obligation which may be placed upon the corporation as

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