PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 45 L Street NE WASHINGTON D.C. 20554 News media information 202-418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov DA Number: 25-1090 Report No. SCL-00584NS Friday December 19, 2025 Non-Streamlined Submarine Cable Landing License Applications Accepted For Filing Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures apply to the applications listed below: The applications listed below have been found, upon initial review, to be acceptable for filing. Pursuant to the Submarine Cable Landing License Act, 47 U.S.C. §§ 34-39, and Executive Order No. 10530, reprinted as amended in 3 U.S.C. § 301, each applicant seeks: (a) the grant of a submarine cable landing license; (b) the modification of a submarine cable landing license; and/or (c) the assignment or transfer of control of an interest in a submarine cable landing license. These applications are not subject to the streamlined processing procedures set forth in Section 1.767 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR § 1.767. Pursuant to section 1.1910(b)(2) of the rules, action will be withheld on any application by any entity found to be delinquent in its debts to the Commission. Applicants should check the Red Light Display System's website at www.fcc.gov/redlight to determine if they are delinquent in a debt to the Commission and for information on how to pay the debt. 47 CFR § 1.1910(b)(2). Unless otherwise specified, filings relating to these applications must be received within 14 days of this notice. Ex parte communications between outside parties and Commission staff concerning these applications are permitted subject to the Commission's rules for "permit-but-disclose proceedings." See 47 CFR § 1.1206. All applications listed are subject to further consideration and review, and may be returned and/or dismissed if not found to be in accordance with the Commission's rules, regulations, and other requirements. These applications are being coordinated with the Department of State and other Executive Branch agencies pursuant to section 1.767(b) of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR §1.767(b), and consistent with procedures established with the Department of State. See Review of Commission Consideration of Applications under the Cable Landing License Act, IB Docket No. 00-106, Report and Order, 16 FCC Rcd 22167, 22192-93, paras. 51-52 (2001) (Submarine Cable Landing License Report and Order); Commission Announces Department of State's Revised Procedures for its Consideration of Submarine Cable Landing License Applications, IB Docket No. 16-155, Public Notice, DA 22-435 (rel. Apr. 19, 2022). Pursuant to its decision in Review of Commission Consideration of Applications under the Submarine Cable Landing License Act, IB Docket No. 00-106, FCC 01-332, 16 FCC Rcd 22167 (2001), and section 1.767 of the rules, the Commission will take action upon these applications within ninety (90) days after release of this public notice, unless it determines that additional time is needed. Page 1 of 7 People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice). SCL-LIC-20250718-00014 S250484 Telxius Cable USA, Inc. Date filed: 2025-07-30 Submarine Cable Landing License Telxius Cable USA, Inc. (Telxius Cable USA), Telxius Cable Puerto Rico, Inc. (Telxius Cable Puerto Rico), Telxius Cable América, S.A. (Telxius Cable América), Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA), France Telecom Long Distance USA, LLC d/b/a Orange Carriers USA (OCUSA), and Servicio di Telecomunicacion di Aruba (SETAR) N.V. (SETAR) (collectively, the Applicants) filed an application for a license to land and operate within the United States a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system that will connect Boca Raton, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Le Lamentin, Martinique, France; Morris Bay, Antigua and Barbuda; Saint Jean Bay, Saint-Barthélemy; Baby Beach, Aruba; Willemstad, Curaçao; and Kralendijk, Bonaire, the CELIA system. The Applicants filed a supplement on December 18, 2025. The Applicants state that grant of the application would serve the public interest. The CELIA system will provide significant new and competitive connectivity on routes where capacity demand continues to increase substantially each year and provide replacement capacity for systems nearing retirement. Further, the CELIA system will further enhance the diversity and resilience of connectivity between the mainland United States and each of Puerto Rico, Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint-Barthélemy, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. Cable System Design and Capacity. The CELIA system will consist of 15 segments. 1. Segment 1 will connect Le Lamentin, Martinique with Branching Unit ATG off the coast of Antigua. It will have a total length of 327.48 kilometers and consist of one fiber pair. 2. Segment 2 will connect Branching Unit ATG with the beach manhole in Morris Bay, Antigua. It will have a total length of 25.01 kilometers and consist of two fiber pairs. 3. Segment 3 will connect Branching Unit ATG with Branching Unit CSB off the coast of Saint- Barthélemy. It will have a total length of 138.75 kilometers and consist of three fiber pairs. 4. Segment 4 will connect Branching Unit CSB with a landing point in Saint Jean Bay, Saint- Barthélemy. It will have a total length of 37.98 kilometers and consist of three fiber pairs. 5. Segment 5 will connect Branching Unit CSB with Branching Unit EUS off the coast of Sint Eustatius, the Netherlands. It will have a total length of 17.60 kilometers and consist of four fiber pairs. 6. Segment 6 will connect Branching Unit EUS with a cable stub pointing in the direction of Sint Eustatius. It will have a total length of 3.80 kilometers and consist of three fiber pairs. It will not connect Sint Eustatius at this time. The Applicants state that they would separately seek Commission consent for any such connection in the event they were to develop it in the future. 7. Segment 7 will connect Branching Unit EUS with Branching Unit SJU. It will have a total length of 345.44 kilometers and consist of three fiber pairs. 8. Segment 8 will connect Branching Unit SJU with a cable stub of the BRUSA system, which Page 2 of 7 was previously and separately licensed by the Commission. It will have a total length of 32.14 kilometers and consist of four fiber pairs. 9. Segment 9 will connect Branching Unit SJU with Branching Unit BAB. It will have a total length of 293.61 kilometers and consist of seven fiber pairs. 1. Segment 10 will connect Branching Unit BAB with Branching Unit AUA off the coast of Aruba. It will have a total length of 787.83 kilometers and consist of three fiber pairs. 2. Segment 11 will connect Branching Unit BAB with Boca Raton, Florida. It will have a total length of 1803.26 kilometers and consist of eight fiber pairs. 3. Segment 12 will connect Baby Beach, Aruba with Branching Unit AUA. It will have a total length of 21.71 kilometers and consist of 13 fiber pairs. 4. Segment 13 will connect Branching Unit AUA with Branching Unit CUR off the coast of Curaçao. It will have a total length of 100.28 kilometers and consist of 10 fiber pairs. 5. Segment 14 will connect Branching Unit CUR with Willemstad, Curaçao. It will have a total length of 22.08 kilometers and consist of 12 fiber pairs. 6. Segment 15 will connect Branching Unit CUR with Kralendijk, Bonaire. It will have a total length of 96.12 kilometers and consist of eight fiber pairs. The Applicants state that the fiber pairs of Segment 2 will connect within a nearby equipment hut housing a protection switch between two diversely-routed terrestrial backhaul connections, which will terminate at APUA’s cable landing station located in St. John’s, Antigua. Each of these redundant backhaul routes is approximately 20 kilometers long. There will not be any CELIA power feed equipment located in Antigua. The submarine line terminating equipment for APUA will be located in the St. John’s cable landing station. The Applicants further state that the four fiber pairs of Segment 8 will connect to submarine line terminating equipment of the CELIA system via a branching unit and four fiber pairs of the cable stub of the BRUSA system. The submarine line terminating equipment of the CELIA system will be owned and operated by Telxius Cable Puerto Rico in its existing cable landing stations in San Juan, where the BRUSA system lands. The fiber pairs on the CELIA system will have total design capacity using current technologies as follows: (1) Boca Raton to Le Lamentin, Martinique (one fiber pair) will have a design capacity up to 22.1 Tbps; (2) Boca Raton to Morris Bay, Antigua (two fiber pairs) will have a design capacity of 23.2 Tbps per fiber pair; (3) Boca Raton to Saint Barthélemy (three fiber pairs) will have a design capacity up to 2.2 Tbps per fiber pair; (4) Boca Raton to stubbed branching unit on BRUSA system (four fiber pairs) will have a design capacity of 24.5 Tbps per fiber pair; (5) Boca Raton to Baby Beach, Aruba (two fiber pairs) will have a design capacity of 23.3 Tbps per fiber pair; (6) Boca Raton to Willemstad, Curaçao (via Baby Beach, Aruba) (one fiber pair) will have a design capacity of 22.3 Tbps; (7) Baby Beach, Aruba to Willemstad, Curaçao (seven fiber pairs) will have a design capacity of 38.7 Tbps per fiber pair; (8) Baby Beach, Aruba to Kralendijk, Bonaire (three fiber pairs) will have a design capacity of 14.8 Tbps per fiber pair; and (9) Willemstad, Curaçao to Kralendijk, Bonaire (five fiber pairs) will have a design capacity greater than 43 Tbps per fiber pair. Ownership of the Cable System. The Applicants and their affiliates will own and control the CELIA system as follows; Page 3 of 7 Ownership and Control of CELIA System in Aggregate: (1) Telxius Cable América will hold 16.87% voting and participation interest; (2) Telxius Cable USA will hold 1.81% voting and participation interest; (3) Telxius Cable Puerto Rico will hold 0.70% voting and participation interest; (4) APUA will hold 10.13% voting and participation interest; (5) Orange S.A. will hold 29.85% voting and participation interest; (6) OCUSA will hold 1.71% voting and participation interest; and (7) SETAR will hold 38.94% voting and participation interest. The voting and participation interests aggregate the following interests: (1) the parties’ investments in the baseline system (with one fiber pair on each applicable segment); (2) the parties’ investments in additional fiber pairs and/or additional works; and (3) inter-party liability adjustments. Ownership and Control of CELIA System by Segment: 1. Segment 1 (Le Lamentin, Martinique to BU ATG). Orange S.A. will hold 100% in international waters and 100% in the territory of the landing country. 2. Segment 2 (BU ATG to Morris Bay, Antigua). APUA will hold 100% in international waters and 100% in the territory of the landing country. 3. Segment 3 (BU ATG to BU CSB). Orange S.A. will hold 62.95% in international waters. APUA will hold 23.69% in international waters. SETAR will hold 7.34% in international waters. Telxius Cable América will hold 6.02% in international waters. 4. Segment 4 (BU CSB to Saint-Barthélemy). Orange S.A. will hold 100% in international waters and 100% in the territory of the landing country. 5. Segment 5 (BU CSB to BU EUS). Orange S.A. will hold 62.48% in international waters. APUA will hold 22.07% in international waters. SETAR will hold 8.49% in international waters. Telxius Cable América will hold 6.96% in international waters. 6. Segment 6 (BU EUS to Sint Eustatius cable stub). SETAR will hold 100% in international waters. 7. Segment 7 (BU EUS to BU SJU). Telxius Cable América will hold 6.35% in international waters. APUA will hold 20.13% in international waters. Orange S.A. will hold 60.48% in international waters. SETAR will hold 13.03% in international waters. 8. Segment 8 (BU SJU to BRUSA BU). Telxius Cable América will hold 100% in international waters. Telxius Cable Puerto Rico will hold 100% in U.S. territory. 9. Segment 9 (BU SJU to BU BAB). Telxius Cable América will hold 45.12% in international waters. Telxius Cable Puerto Rico will hold 1.62% in international waters. APUA will hold 11.35% in international waters. Orange S.A. will hold 32.12% in international waters. SETAR will hold 9.79% in international waters. 10. Segment 10 (BU BAB to BU AUA). SETAR will hold 100% in international waters. 11. Segment 11 (BU BAB to Boca Raton, Florida). Telxius Cable América will hold 35.49% in international waters. Telxius Cable USA will hold 35.49% in U.S. territory. APUA will hold 9.13% in U.S. territory and 9.13% in international waters. Orange S.A. will hold 26.10% in international waters. OCUSA will hold 26.10% in U.S. territory. SETAR will hold 29.28% in U.S. territory and 29.28% in international waters. 12. Segment 12 (BU AUA to Baby Beach, Aruba). SETAR will hold 100% in international waters and 100% in the territory of the landing country. 13. Segment 13 (BU AUA to BU CUR). SETAR will hold 100% in international waters. 14. Segment 14 (BU CUR to Willemstad, Curaçao). SETAR will hold 100% in international waters and 100% in the territory of the landing country. 15. Segment 15 (BU CUR to Kralendijk, Bonaire). SETAR will hold 100% in international waters and 100% in the territory of the landing country. Page 4 of 7 Ownership and Control of CELIA System by Fiber Pair: 1. Fiber Pair 1: OCUSA will own the portion in U.S. territory, and Orange S.A. will own the portion in international waters and the portion in the territory of the foreign landing country. 2. Fiber Pair 2: Orange S.A. will own the portion in international waters and the portion in the territory of the foreign landing country. 3. Fiber Pair 3: APUA will own 40.00% of the portion in U.S. territory, 40.00% of the portion in international waters, and the portion in the territory of the foreign landing country. OCUSA will own 15.96 % of the portion in U.S. territory. SETAR will own 15.96% of the portion in U.S. territory and 15.96% of the portion in international waters. Telxius Cable USA will own 13.09% of the portion in U.S. territory. Telxius Cable USA will own 13.09% of the portion in U.S. territory. 4. Fiber Pair 4: APUA will own the portion in international waters and the portion in the territory of the foreign landing country. 5. Fiber Pair 5: Telxius Cable USA will own the portion in U.S. territory, and Telxius Cable América will own the portion in international waters. 6. Fiber Pair 6: Telxius Cable USA will own the portion in U.S. territory, and Telxius Cable América will own the portion in international waters. 7. Fiber Pair 7: Telxius Cable USA will own the portion in U.S. territory, and Telxius Cable América will own the portion in international waters. 8. Fiber Pair 8: Telxius Cable USA will own the portion in U.S. territory, and Telxius Cable América will own the portion in international waters. 9. Fiber Pairs 9 and 10: SETAR will own the portion in U.S. territory, the portion in international waters, and the portion in the territory of the foreign landing country. 10. Fiber Pair 11: SETAR will own the portion in international waters. 11. Fiber Pairs 12 through 26: SETAR will own the portion in international waters and the portion in the territory of the foreign landing country. Ownership of Landing Stations. The CELIA cable landing stations will be owned and controlled as follows: (1) Boca Raton, Florida: Telxius Cable USA owns and will control an existing cable landing station; (2) San Juan, Puerto Rico: Telxius Cable Puerto Rico owns and will control an existing cable landing station; (3) Le Lamentin, Martinique: Orange S.A. owns and will control an existing cable landing station; (4) Morris Bay, Antigua: APUA owns and will control an existing cable landing station; (5) Saint-Barthélemy: Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy owns and will control an existing cable landing station; (6) Baby Beach, Aruba: SETAR owns and will control an existing cable landing station; (7) Willemstad, Curaçao: AquaTel N.V. will own and SETAR and AquaTel N.V. will control a new cable landing station; (8) Kralendijk, Bonaire: SSCS B.V. will own and SETAR and SSCS B.V. will control a new cable landing station. The Applicants state that pursuant to section 1.767(h) of the Commission’s rules Orange S.A., AquaTel N.V., SSCS B.V., and Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy are not required to be applicants because (a) they do not own or control a U.S. cable landing station where the CELIA system will land, (b) Orange S.A. will not use the U.S. endpoint of the CELIA system, and its U.S. affiliate, OCUSA, will own and control the U.S. interests in the CELIA system, and (c) AquaTel N.V., SSCS B.V., and Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy will not have a 5% or greater interest in the CELIA system. 47 CFR § 1.767(h). Page 5 of 7 Regulatory Status. The Applicants propose to operate the CELIA system on a non-common carrier basis. According to the application, the Applicants and their affiliates will use capacity on the CELIA system for their own internal business purposes and offer capacity available to third parties pursuant to individually- negotiated indefeasible rights of use (IRUs) and capacity leases, the terms of which will vary depending on the characteristics and needs of the particular capacity purchaser. The Applicants state that the existence of ample competing submarine cable facilities providing connectivity on the U.S.-Martinique, U.S.-Antigua and Barbuda, U.S.-Saint-Barthélemy, U.S.-Aruba, U.S.-Curaçao, and U.S.-Bonaire routes ensures that the CELIA system would not function as a bottleneck facility on any of those routes. The Applicants assert that the CELIA system will enhance competition by competing vigorously with other submarine cable systems on the relevant routes, including the Eastern Caribbean Fiber System and Southern Caribbean Fiber system on the U.S.-Martinique and U.S.-Antigua and Barbuda routes, the Global Caribbean Network system on the U.S.-Saint-Barthélemy route, the Pacific Caribbean Cable System (PCCS) and a combination of the Alonso de Ojeda and ARCOS systems on the U.S.-Aruba route, the ARCOS and PCCS systems on the U.S.-Curaçao route, and a combination of the Jerry Newton, ARCOS, and PCCS systems on the U.S.-Bonaire route. Ownership of the Applicants. Telxius Cable USA is a Florida entity. Telxius Cable Puerto Rico, a Puerto Rico entity, is wholly owned by Telxius Cable América, a Uruguay entity. Telxius Cable USA, Telxius Cable Puerto Rico, and Telxius Cable América have the following 10% or greater interest holders: (1) Telxius Telecom, S.A., an entity organized in Spain (100% equity and voting interest in Telxius Cable USA and Telxius Cable América); (2) Telefónica S.A. (Telefónica), an entity organized in Spain (70% equity and voting interest in Telxius Telecom, S.A.). Telefónica’s shares trade publicly on the four Spanish stock exchanges (the Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Bilbao Stock Exchange) as well as the New York Stock Exchange and the Lima Stock Exchange through American Depositary Shares (ADS) with each ADS representing one share; (3) Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales, a sovereign wealth fund organized in Spain (10% equity and voting interest in Telefónica); (4) Pontegadea Inversiones, S.L. (Pontegadea), an investment holding company organized in Spain (30% equity and voting interest in Telxius Telecom, S.A. and certain negative control rights granted pursuant to a Shareholders Agreement imposing supermajority voting requirements for certain reserved matters, requirements for resolving deadlocks, management limitations, and restrictions on certain related-party transactions); and (5) Amancio Ortega Gaona, a citizen of Spain (99.99% equity and voting interest in Pontegadea). According to the application, no other individual or entity holds 10% or greater direct or indirect equity or voting interest in Telxius Cable USA, Telxius Cable Puerto Rico, or Telxius Cable América. APUA, an entity organized in Antigua and Barbuda, has the following 10% or greater interest holders: The Government of Antigua and Barbuda (100% equity and voting interest in APUA). According to the application, no other individual or entity holds 10% or greater direct or indirect equity or voting interest in APUA. OCUSA, a Delaware entity, has the following 10% or greater interest holders: (1) Orange Participations Holding Inc. (OPH), a Delaware entity (100% equity and voting interest in OCUSA); (2) Orange Participations U.S. Inc. (OPUS), a Delaware entity (100% equity and voting interest in OPH); (3) Orange S.A., an entity organized in France (100% equity and voting interest in OPUS); (4) the French State (13% equity interest and 21% voting interest in Orange S.A.); and (5) Orange Group Savings Plan, Page 6 of 7 employee savings plan organized in France (8% equity interest and 13% voting interest in Orange S.A. through its management of the Orange Actions and Orange Ambition International mutual funds and shares held directly by employees in registered form). According to the application, no other individual or entity holds 10% or greater direct or indirect equity or voting interest in OCUSA. SETAR, an entity organized in Aruba, has the following 10% or greater interest holders: The Government of Aruba (100% equity and voting interest in SETAR). According to the application, no other individual or entity holds 10% or greater direct or indirect equity or voting interest in SETAR. SETAR is the incumbent local exchange carrier operating in Aruba. Aruba is not a World Trade Organization (WTO) Member. Conditions. The Applicants agree to accept and will abide by the routine conditions specified in section 1.767(g) of the Commission’s rules. 47 CFR § 1.767(g). APUA, OCUSA, and SETAR agree to comply with the reporting requirements specified in 47 CFR § 1.767(l). 47 CFR § 1.767(l). Pursuant to Commission practice, the application is being referred to the relevant Executive Branch agencies for their views on any national security, law enforcement, foreign policy or trade policy concerns related to the foreign ownership of the Applicants. See Process Reform for Executive Branch Review of Certain FCC Applications and Petitions Involving Foreign Ownership, IB Docket 16-155, Report and Order, 35 FCC Rcd 10927 (2020). REMINDER: Applicants must certify that neither the applicant nor any party to the application is subject to a denial of federal benefits by federal and/or state courts under authority granted in 21 U.S.C. § 862. See 47 CFR §§ 1.2001-.2003. By this notice, we inform the public that submarine cable landing license applications that are part of larger transactions involving multiple Commission licenses or authorizations may involve "extraordinary circumstances" as referenced in Review of Commission Consideration of Applications under the Submarine Cable Landing License Act, Report and Order, 16 FCC Rcd 22167 (2001) and Rules and Policies on Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Market, Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, 12 FCC Rcd 23891 (1997), paras. 327-28, Order on Reconsideration, 15 FCC Rcd 18158 (2000). Additionally, extraordinary circumstances result where Executive Branch agencies petition the Commission to defer action on an application pending the resolution of potential national security, law enforcement, foreign policy and trade policy issues. Accordingly, these applications may not be acted on within the 90-day review period that the Commission has established as the period of time normally required to reach a decision on non-streamlined submarine cable landing licenses. This notice shall serve as public notice to applicants that, in these circumstances, additional time may be required for Commission review and final action. No additional formal public notice will be provided routinely with respect to specific applications in the event that the applicable review period extends beyond 90 days Page 7 of 7