"The Federal Communications Commission has taken an important step towards expanding choice and availability in broadband services in the United States by opening up the Ku-band to satellite systems such as SkyBridge," said Pascale Sourisse President and CEO of SkyBridge LP. "We congratulate the FCC for its excellent work in bringing the concerned parties together and resolving the many complex technical issues presented over the past two years. Now, we are looking forward to the next step in the U.S. regulatory process; the granting of licenses to NGSO satellite systems."

This First Report and Order confirms the sharing regime originally proposed by SkyBridge in 1997 by implementing a regulatory framework for the operation of NGSO FSS systems in the United States, including rules governing the sharing of spectrum with existing geostationary satellite and terrestrial systems. It is a significant action in opening up the broadband market to new services and competition. The FCC decision follows the confirmation by the international community of global availability of Ku-band spectrum to broadband systems like SkyBridge at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-2000) in Istanbul, Turkey earlier this year.

"The United States Congress and the FCC have recognized on many occasions that the rapid deployment of systems such as SkyBridge is crucial in order to help resolve the growing digital divide, both domestically and at the international level," according to Mark MacGann, Vice President of SkyBridge. "This Report and Order represents a major move on the part of the FCC toward fulfilling that goal, in addition to encouraging innovation and competition in the delivery of broadband access to businesses and consumers."

With a clear regulatory framework in place, NGSO systems, such as SkyBridge, will be able to offer a new generation of satellite services to homes and businesses. Residents of rural and low-density suburban areas will have access to the same Internet and other high-speed data, video and telephony services that today can be provided only by terrestrial broadband technologies. With the global coverage and insensitivity to distance afforded by systems like SkyBridge, affordable broadband services will be available worldwide.

SkyBridge is working closely with the FCC and the other applicants in order to expedite the NGSO licensing process.

SkyBridge will provide telecom operators and service providers with broadband access capacity, enabling them to offer high-speed, highly interactive multimedia services to business and residential users anywhere in the world via a constellation of 80 low earth orbiting satellites.

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