 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
House Approves Intelsat Bill
Washington DC - May 9, 1998 - The U.S. Congress took a step towards dismantling the decades-old monopoly on the Intelsat satellite system Wednesday, passing HR 1782, which now faces a Senate showdown. The bill swept through the House, passing 403 to 16, and faces strong support in the Senate as well, although a vote this year in the upper body might be delayed. The legislation, crafted by Reps. Thomas J. Bliley, Jr., R-Va., and Edward J. Markey, D-MA, an unlikely paring of conservative and liberal, would give Intelsat and Inmarsat until 2001 to end the elements of their treaties with other nations and become public commodities. If Intelsat fails to make the conversion, Comsat and Intelsat would be prohibited from competing for public services, such as mobile telephony and Internet access. Comsat's U.S. customers would also get direct access to Intelsat, ending the current requirement that U.S. firms such as AT&T and Bell Atlantic go through Comsat first. Opponents of the measure say that it will destroy the Intelsat consortium and hinder the development of satellite services around the world. Comsat has faced increased competition from PanAmsat Corp. and Loral in recent years, both of whom propose to develop communications satellite constellations. Comsat is the owner of nearly 20% of Intelsat, a global space treaty organization headquartered in Washington. The consortium owns a space satellite constellation that provides voice, data, and communications services to nations without other communications options. To date, 26 spacecraft form the Intelsat system.
Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Space
Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
