International Maritime Satellite Telecommunications Act
PL 95-564 (H.R.11209), enacted 11/01/1978

92 STAT. 2392 
PUBLIC LAW 95-564—NOV. 1, 1978 
Nov. 1, 1978 
[H.R. 11209] 
Communications 
Satellite Act of 
1962, 
amendment. 
47 u s e 701 note. 
International 
Maritime 
Satellite 
Telecommunica-
tions Act. 
47 u s e 751 note. 
47 u s e 751. 
eommunications 
Satellite 
Corporation. 
47 u s e 752. 
Public Law 95-564 
95th Congress 
An Act 
To provide for the establishment, ownership, operation, and governmental over-
sight and regulation of international maritime satellite telecommunications 
services. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America 
in Congress assembled, 
That the Commu-
nications Satellite Act of 1962 is amended by adding at the end thereof 
the following new title: 
" T I T L E V — I N T E R N A T I O N A L M A R I T I M E 
S A T E L L I T E 
T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S 
"SHORT TITLE 
"SEC. 501. This title may be cited as the 
Satellite Telecommunications Act'. 
'International Maritime 
"DECLARATION o r POLICY AND PURPOSE 
"SEC. 502. (a) The Congress hereby declares that it is the policy of 
the United States to provide for the participation of the United 
States in the International Maritime Satellite Organization (herein-
after in this title referred to as 'INMARSAT') in order to develop 
and operate a global maritime satellite telecommunications system. 
Such system shall have facilities and services which will serve mari-
time commercial and safety needs of the United States and foreign 
countries. 
"(b) It is the purpose of this title to provide that the participation 
of the United States in I N M A R S A T shall be through the Commu-
nications Satellite Corporation, which constitutes a private entity 
operating for profit, and which is not an agency or establishment of 
the Federal Government. 
"DESIGNATED OPERATING ENTITY 
"SEC. 503. (a)(1) The Communications Satellite Corporation is 
hereby designated as the sole operating entity of the United States 
for participation in INMARSAT, for the purpose of providing 
international maritime satellite telecommunications services. 
"(2) The corporation also shall have authority to participate in 
any other maritime satellite telecommunications system on an interim 
basis to serve the maritime commercial and safety needs of the United 
States through an interim operating arrangement in accordance with 
subsection (b). 
"(3) The corporation may participate in and is hereby authorized 
to sign the operating agreement or other pertinent instruments of 
INMARSAT as the sole designated operating entity of the United 
States. 
"(b) (1) The corporation may participate in any maritime satellite 
telecommunications system under subsection (a) (2) only if— 
" ( A ) 
the corporation signs the operating agreement 
of 
I N M A R S A T before beginning such participation; 
PUBLIC LAW 95-564—NOV. 1, 1978 
92 STAT. 2393 
"(B) such participation is in the nature of an interim operating 
arrangement remaining in effect only until INMARSAT begins 
its operations; and 
"(C) (i) in the case of participation which may be undertaken 
only pursuant to a treaty or executive agreement, such treaty or 
executive agreement is in effect; or 
"(ii) in any case in which participation does not require any 
treaty or executive agreement, the President does not disapprove 
such participation during the period of 60 calendar days after the 
corporation notifies the President of such proposed participation. 
" (2) If the corporation participates in an interim operating arrange-
ment with a maritime satellite telecommunications system under this 
subsection, the provisions of this title relating to participation of the 
corporation in INMARSAT also shall apply to such interim 
participation. 
" (3) Any disapproval by the President under paragraph (1) (C) (ii) 
shall be published in the Federal Register as soon as practicable after 
the date of such disapproval. 
"(c) The corporation— 
"(1) may own and operate satellite earth terminal stations in 
the United States ; 
"(2) shall interconnect such stations, and the maritime satellite 
telecommunications provided by such stations, with the facilities 
and services of United States domestic common carriers and inter-
national common carriers, other than any common carrier or other 
entity in which the corporation has any ownership interest, as 
authorized by the Commission; 
"(3) shall interconnect such stations and the maritime satellite 
telecommunications provided by such stations, with the facilities 
and services of private communications systems, unless the Com-
mission finds that such interconnection will not serve the public 
interest; and 
"(4) may establish, own, and operate the United States share 
of the jointly owned international space segment and associated 
ancillary facilities. 
"(d) The corporation shall be responsible for fulfilling any financial 
obligation placed upon the corporation as a signatory to the operating 
agreement or other pertinent instruments, and any other financial 
obligation which may be placed upon the corporation as the result of a 
convention or other instrument establishing INMARSAT. The cor-
poration shall be the sole United States representative in the managing 
body of INMARSAT. 
"(e)(1) Any person, including the Federal Government or any 
agency thereof, may be authorized, in accordance with paragraph (2) 
or paragraph (3), to be the sole owner or operator, or both, of any 
satellite earth terminal station if such station is used for the exclusive 
purposes of training personnel in the use of equipment associated with 
the operation and maintenance of such station, or in carrying out 
experimentation relating to maritime satellite telecommunications 
services. 
"(2) If the person referred to in paragraph (1) is the Federal Gov-
ernment or any agency thereof, such satellite earth terminal station 
shall have been authorized to operate by the executive department 
charged with such responsibility. 
" (3) In any other case, such satellite earth terminal station shall have 
been authorized by the Commission. 
Presidential 
disapproval, 
publication in 
Federal Register. 
Financial 
obligation. 
Satellite earth 
terminal station. 
Authorization. 
92 STAT. 2394 
PUBLIC LAW 95-564—NOV. 1, 1978 
Report to 
Congress. 
47 use 753. 
i.k'V<&ii^i'M) 
"(f) The Commission may authorize ownership of satellite earth 
terminal stations by persons other than the corporation at any time the 
Commission determines that such additional ownership will enhance 
the provision of maritime satellite services in the public interest. 
" (g) The Commission shall determine the operational arrangements 
under which the corporation shall interconnect its satellite earth ter-
minal station facilities and services with United States domestic 
common carriers and international common carriers, other than any 
common cari'ier, system, or other entity in which the corporation has 
any ownership interest, and private communications systems when 
authorized pursuant to subsection (c) (3) for the purpose of extending 
maritime satellite telecommunications services within the United 
States and in other areas. The initial determination of operational 
arrangements shall be made by the Commission no later than 6 months 
after the eifective date of this title, and the Commission shall there-
upon transmit to the Congress a report relating to such determination. 
"(h) Notwithstanding any provision of State law, the articles of 
incorporation of the corporation shall provide for the continued abil-
ity of the board of directors of the corporation to transact business 
under such circumstances of national emergency as the President or 
his delegate may determine would not permit a prompt meeting of 
the number of directors otherwise required to transact business. 
'•l'3r.? 
Recommenda-
tions to 
President. 
a. 
IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY 
, 
. 
"SEC. 504. (a) The Secretary of Commerce shall— 
"(1) coordinate the activities of Federal agencies with respon-
i,, sibilities in the field of telecommunications (other than the 
, , Commission), so as to ensure that there is full and effective compli-
ance with the provisions of this title; 
,,; 
"(2) take all necessary steps to ensure the availability and 
appropriate utilization of the maritime satellite telecommunica-
tions services provided by INMARSAT for general governmental 
;\, purposes, except in any case in which a separate telecommunica-
tions system is required to meet unique governmental needs or is 
otherwise required in the national interest; 
!,, 
"(3) exercise his authority in a manner which seeks to obtain 
f
; 
coordinated and efficient use of the electromagnetic spectrum and 
orbital space, and to ensure the technical compatibility of the 
space segment with existing communications facilities in the 
, United States and in foreign countries; and 
"(4) take all necessary steps to determine the interests and 
, needs of the ultimate users of the maritime satellite telecommuni-
cations system and to communicate the views of the Federal 
Government on utilization and user needs to INMARSAT. 
"(b) The President shall exercise such supervision over, and issue 
such instructions to, the corporation in connection with its relation-
ships and activities with foreign governments, international entities, 
and INMARSAT as may be necessary to ensure that such relation-
ships and activities are consistent with the national interest and for-
eign policy of the United States. 
" (c) The Commission shall— 
" (1) institute such proceedings as may be necessary to carry out 
the provisions of section 503 of this title; 
^. 
" (2) make recommendations to the President for the purpose of 
assisting him in his issuance of instructions to the corporation; 
PUBLIC LAW 95-564—NOV. 1, 1978 
92 STAT. 2395 
' 
"(3) grant such authorizations as may be necessary under title 
II and title III of the Communications Act of 1934 to enable the 
corporation— 
"(A) to provide to the public, in accordance with section 
503(c) (2) of this title, space segment channels of communica-
3 
tion obtained from INMARSAT; and 
V 
"(B) to construct and operate such satellite earth terminal 
^
' ' 
stations in the United States as may be necessary to provide 
' 
sufficient access to the space segment; 
' 
"(4) grant such other authorizations as may be necessary under 
title II and title III of the Communications Act of 1934 to carry 
•' 
out to the provisions of this title; 
' 
"(5) establish procedures to provide for the continuing review 
of the telecommunications activities of the corporation as the 
United States signatory to the operating agreement or other perti-
nent instruments; and 
"(6) prescribe such rules as may be necessary to carry out the 
provisions of this title. 
"(d) The Commission is authorized to issue instructions to the cor-
poration with respect to regulatory matters within the jurisdiction of 
the Commission. In the event an instruction of the Commission conflicts 
with an instruction of the President pursuant to subsection (b), the 
instructions issued by the President shall prevail. 
47 use 201, 
301. 
Instruction 
conflicts. 
STUDY OF STRUCTURE AND ACTIVITIES OF COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE 
CORPORATION 
"SEC 505. (a) The Commission shall conduct a study of the corpo-
rate structure and operating activities of the corporation, with a view 
toward determining whether any changes are required to ensure that 
the corporation is able to effectively fulfill its obligations and carry out 
its functions under this Act and the Communications Act of 1934. 
"(b) The Commission shall transmit a report to the Congress not 
later than 18 months after the effective date of this title relating to the 
study of the corporation conducted under subsection (a). Such report 
shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of 
such study, any action taken by the Commission related to such findings 
and conclusions, and any recommendations of the Commission for such 
legislative or other action as the Commission considers necessary or 
appropriate. 
47 use 754. 
47 use 609. 
Report to 
eongress. 
u 
STUDY OF PUBLIC MARITIME COAST STATION SERVICES 
"SEC. 506. (a) The Commission shall conduct a study of public 47 USe 755. 
maritime coast station services, with particular emphasis on high seas 
services, with a view toward determining whether the rules and 
regulations of the Commission and the assignment of licenses and 
radio frequencies in effect on the effective date of this title should 
be subject to any alteration in order to establish a systematic approach 
for the provision of modern and effective maritime telecommunica-
tions systems. 
"(b) The Commission shall transmit a report to the Congress not Report to 
later than 12 months after the effective date of this title relating to Congress, 
the study of public maritime coast station services conducted under 
subsection (a). Such report shall contain a detailed statement of 
the findings and conclusions of such study, any action taken by the 
Commission related to such findings and conclusions, and any recom-
92 STAT. 2396 
PUBLIC LAW 95-564—NOV. 1, 1978 
Presidential 
report and 
recommenda-
tions, transmittal 
to Congress. 
mendations of the Commission for such legislative or other action as 
•'' 
the Commission considers necessary or appropriate. 
;•/ . 
" S T U D Y o r RADIO NAVIGATION SYSTEMS 
47 use 756. 
"SEC. 507. (a) The President, in conjunction with Government 
agencies which will or may be affected by the development of a Gov-
ernment-wide radio navigation plan, shall conduct a study of all 
Government radio navigation systems to determine the most effective 
manner of reducing the proliferation and overlap of such systems. 
The objective of such study shall be the development of such a plan. 
"(b) The President shall transmit a report to tlie Congress no 
later than 12 months after the effective date of this title relating to 
the study conducted under subsection (a) of this section. Such report 
shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions 
of such study, any action taken by the President related to such 
findings and conclusions, and any recommendations of the President 
for such legislation or other action as the President considers neces-
sary or appropriate for implementation of a Government-wide radio 
navigation plan. 
• .-..,- 
" D E F I N I T I O N S 
-•:• •' 
'3 
47 use 757. 
"SEC. 508. For purposes of this title— 
"(1) the term 'person' includes an individual, partnership, 
,, 
association, joint stock company, trust, or corporation; 
"(2) the term 'satellite earth terminal station' means a com-
plex of communications equipment located on land, operationally 
ft: 13,. r|, 
interconnected with one or more terrestrial communications sys-
tems, and capable of transmitting telecommunications to, or 
receiving telecommunications from, the space segment; 
"(3) the term 'space segment' means any satellite (or capacity 
y 
on a satellite) maintained under the authority of INMAESAT, 
for the purpose of providing international maritime telecom-
munications services, and the tracking, telemetry, command, con-
trol, monitoring, and related facilities and equipment required to 
support the operation of such satellite; and 
"(4) the term 'State' means the several States, the District of 
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin 
j,. 
Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any other 
territory or possession of the United States.". 
Approved November 1, 1978. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 95-1134, Pt. I (eomm. on Interstate and Foreign eommerce) 
and Pt. II. (eomm. on Merchant Marine and Fisheries). 
SENATE REPORT No. 95-1036 (eomm. on eommerce. Science, and Transportation). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 124 (1978): 
May 15, considered and passed House. 
Aug. 7, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Oct. 12, House concurred in Senate amendment with an amendment. 
Oct. 13, House vacated proceedings of Oct. 12; receded, and concurred in Senate 
amendment with an amendment. 
Oct. 13, Senate concurred in House amendment.