[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]
BILLING CODE 4410-11-P