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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT: 
 October  9,  2001  Maureen  Peratino  at  (202)  418-  0506 


 INMARSAT  MOBILE  SATELLITE  SERVICES 
 AUTHORIZED  IN  U.  S.  MARKET 


 WASHINGTON,  D.  C.—  The  Commission  has  authorized  earth  stations  to  provide  mobile 
 satellite  service  in  the  United  States  using  the  Inmarsat  Ventures,  plc  system  (Inmarsat).  The 
 Commission  found  that  Inmarsat,  formerly  an  intergovernmental  satellite  organization  (IGO),  has 
 privatized  in  a  manner  consistent  with  the  Open-  Market  Reorganization  for  the  Betterment  of 
 Telecommunications  Act  (the  ORBIT  Act). 


 The  ORBIT  Act  was  enacted  on  March  17,  2000  to  promote  a  competitive  market  for 
 satellite  communications  through  privatization  of  the  IGOs,  Inmarsat  and  INTELSAT.  The 
 Commission  found  that  Inmarsat,  which  privatized  in  April  1999,  satisfied  the  privatization  criteria 
 of  the  ORBIT  Act.  The  authorizations  are  conditioned  upon  Inmarsat  compliance  with  the  ORBIT 
 Act  requirement  that  it  conduct  an  Initial  Public  Offering  (IPO). 


 As  a  result  of  the  Commission’s  action,  U.  S.  customers  will  be  able  to  use  the  Inmarsat 
 satellite  system  for  a  variety  of  aeronautical,  maritime  and  land  mobile  satellite  communications 
 services,  including  voice,  data,  facsimile  and  high-  speed  Internet.  These  authorizations  will 
 increase  competition  among  mobile  satellite  services  and  provide  additional  service  options  for  U.  S. 
 consumers. 


 Action  by  the  Commission  by  Memorandum  Opinion,  Order  and  Authorization  (FCC  01- 
 272),  Chairman  Powell,  Commissioners  Abernathy,  Copps  and  Martin,  with  Commissioner 
 Abernathy  issuing  a  separate  statement. 


 For  further  information,  contact  Karl  Kensinger  (202)  418-  0773  or  John  Coles  (202)  418- 
 0771. 


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