[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S8156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    OPEN-MARKET REORGANIZATION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF INTERNATIONAL 
                         TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT

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                        BURNS AMENDMENT NO. 1221

  Mr. BURNS proposed an amendment to the bill (S. 376) to amend the 
Communications Satellite Act of 1962 to promote competition and 
privatization in satellite communications, and for other purposes; as 
follows:

       Section 4 of S. 376 (as amended by the ``ORBIT'' 
     substitute) is amended by striking proposed Section 603 of 
     the Communications Satellite Act and inserting the following 
     new section:

     SEC. 603. RESTRICTIONS PENDING PRIVATIZATION.

       (a) INTELSAT shall be prohibited from entering the United 
     States market directly to provide any satellite 
     communications services or space segment capacity to carriers 
     (other than the United States signatory) or end users in the 
     United States until July 1, 2001 or until INTELSAT achieves a 
     pro-competitive privatization pursuant to section 613(a) if 
     privatization occurs earlier.
       (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), INTELSAT shall be 
     prohibited from entering the United States market directly to 
     provide any satellite communications services or space 
     segment capacity to any foreign signatory, or affiliate 
     thereof, and no carrier, other than the United States 
     signatory, nor any end user, shall be permitted to invest 
     directly in INTELSAT.
       (c) Pending INTELSAT's privatization, the Commission shall 
     ensure that the United States signatory is compensated by 
     direct access users for the costs it incurs in fulfilling its 
     obligations under this Act.
       (d) The provisions of subsections (b) and (c) shall remain 
     in effect only until INTELSAT achieves a pro-competitive 
     privatization pursuant to section 613(a).''
       On line 21, page 32, Section 612(b), insert ``subsection'' 
     after the word ``under''.
       On line 21, page 32, Section 612(b), replace ``consider'' 
     with ``determine whether''.
       On line 23, page 32, Section 612(b), insert ``exist'' after 
     the word ``connections''.
       On line 9, page 33, Section 612(b)(4), after ``ownership'', 
     insert ``and whether the affiliate is independent of IGO 
     signatories or former signatories who control 
     telecommunications market access in their home territories.''
       On line 19, page 35, section 613(c)(1), after ``taxation'', 
     insert ``and does not unfairly benefit from ownership by 
     former signatories who control telecommunications market 
     access to their home territories.''
       On line 13, page 37, Section 613(d), replace ``consider'' 
     with ``determine''.
       On line 14, page 37, Section 613(d), insert ``and 
     Immarsat'' after ``Intelsat''.

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