Opinion ID: 524251
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: International Relay Ruling.

Text: 16 Before the Commission modified its earth station ownership policy in 1984, it for the first time licensed exclusively to an individual common carrier an earth station to provide IBS services. International Relay, Inc., FCC No. 84-125 (April 11, 1984), J.A. at 31. The Commission found the rationale supporting its extant earth station policy inapposite to the licensing of earth stations providing IBS as opposed to multipurpose service: 17 [I]ndependent carrier ownership of IBS earth stations does not raise the same issues as raised by multipurpose earth stations.... [T]he unique technical characteristics of the IBS offering remove any need for us to evaluate the impact of multiple IBS earth stations on the INTELSAT system. 18 Id. at 8 n. 7, J.A. at 38. Independent carrier licensing was, according to the FCC, consistent with previous Commission decisions favoring the introduction of new and innovative international services. Id. at 10, J.A. at 40 (citation omitted). In a companion ruling issued the same day, the FCC granted Comsat's similar application to build and operate independently an earth station which would provide IBS service. Communications Satellite Corp., FCC No. 84-125 (April 11, 1984). 19