|
|
|
U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 701. Congressional declaration of policy and purpose
(a) Policy
The Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States
to establish, in conjunction and in cooperation with other
countries, as expeditiously as practicable a commercial
communications satellite system, as part of an improved global
communications network, which will be responsive to public needs
and national objectives, which will serve the communication needs
of the United States and other countries, and which will contribute
to world peace and understanding.
(b) Availability of telecommunication services
The new and expanded telecommunication services are to be made
available as promptly as possible and are to be extended to provide
global coverage at the earliest practicable date. In effectuating
this program, care and attention will be directed toward providing
such services to economically less developed countries and areas as
well as those more highly developed, toward efficient and
economical use of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum, and
toward the reflection of the benefits of this new technology in
both quality of services and charges for such services.
(c) Private enterprise; access; competition
In order to facilitate this development and to provide for the
widest possible participation by private enterprise, United States
participation in the global system shall be in the form of a
private corporation, subject to appropriate governmental
regulation. It is the intent of Congress that all authorized users
shall have nondiscriminatory access to the system; that maximum
competition be maintained in the provision of equipment and
services utilized by the system; that the corporation created under
this chapter be so organized and operated as to maintain and
strengthen competition in the provision of communications services
to the public; and that the activities of the corporation created
under this chapter and of the persons or companies participating in
the ownership of the corporation shall be consistent with the
Federal antitrust laws.
(d) Domestic use; additional systems
It is not the intent of Congress by this chapter to preclude the
use of the communications satellite system for domestic
communication services where consistent with the provisions of this
chapter nor to preclude the creation of additional communications
satellite systems, if required to meet unique governmental needs or
if otherwise required in the national interest.
|
|