[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 120 (Friday, June 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 52089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13647]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Antitrust Division
Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and
Production Act of 1993--Mobile Satellite Services Association
Notice is hereby given that, on April 26, 2024, pursuant to section
6(a) of the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993,
15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq. (``the Act''), Mobile Satellite Services
Association (``MSSA'') has filed written notifications simultaneously
with the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission disclosing
(1) the identities of the parties to the venture and (2) the nature and
objectives of the venture. The notifications were filed for the purpose
of invoking the Act's provisions limiting the recovery of antitrust
plaintiffs to actual damages under specified circumstances.
Pursuant to section 6(b) of the Act, the identities of the parties
to the venture are: FocusPoint International, Inc., Sunrise, FL; Ligado
Networks LLC, Reston, VA; Omnispace LLC, McLean, VA; Terrestar
Solutions Inc., Outremont, CANADA; Viasat, Carlsbad, CA; Terran
Orbital, Boca Raton, FL; eSAT Global, Inc., Solana, CA; and Al Yah
Satellite Communications Company PJSC, Abu Dhabi, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.
The general area of MSSA's planned activity is to (i) support open
interoperable architectures and standards for use in multi-orbit
satellite systems, ground infrastructure, and end user equipment; (ii)
define one or more specifications, best practices, reference
architectures, implementation guidelines, and standardized agreements
(collectively, ``Deliverables'') to promote the adoption of satellite-
to-terrestrial mobile telecommunication services and enhance seamless
global roaming between terrestrial and multi-orbit satellite networks;
(iii) achieve scale through improved coordination and cooperation
mechanisms among mobile satellite services (``MSS'') operators to
maximize the utility of already available and licensed global MSS
spectrum in nations desiring advanced non-terrestrial networks
(``NTN'') services; (iv) maximize scarce multi-orbit space and spectrum
resources and employ sustainable network design and operation to enable
affordable advanced NTN services; (v) advocate for policies, laws and
regulations that advance the purposes of the Venture, including those
related to rational, efficient, safe and sustainable uses of spectrum
and orbits, and based on, where appropriate, objective and quantitative
metrics regarding all objects in orbit around Earth; (vi) provide a
neutral forum to facilitate collaboration among members of the Venture
for coordination of third generation partner projects (3GPP) and other
international standards activities; (vii) support the integration of
space networks into national telecommunications infrastructure via
trusted local partners and within sovereign regulatory and national
security frameworks; (viii) provide mechanisms for individual nations
to participate in the new space economy via open standards and
architectures and via the space networks supported by the Venture; (ix)
create one or more trademarks to raise awareness of commercial
opportunities and trust in the marketplace; (x) educate the industry,
media, and analyst and operator communities on the value, benefits, and
applications for the Venture's Deliverables; (xi) foster competition in
the marketplace in compliance with all applicable antitrust laws and
regulations; and (xii) undertake such other activities as may from time
to time be appropriate to further the purposes and achieve the goals
set forth above. Membership in MSSA remains open and MSSA intends to
file additional written notifications disclosing all changes in
membership.
Suzanne Morris,
Deputy Director Civil Enforcement Operations, Antitrust Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-13647 Filed 6-20-24; 8:45 am]
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