Billing Code: 4410-11
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Antitrust Division
Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and
Production Act of 1993 - Mobile Satellite Services
Association
Notice is hereby given that, on April 26, 2024,
pursuant to section 6(a) of the National Cooperative
Research and Production Act of 1993, 15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.
(“the Act”), Mobile Satellite Services Association (“MSSA”)
has filed written notifications simultaneously with the
Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission
disclosing (1) the identities of the parties to the venture
and (2) the nature and objectives of the venture.

The

notifications were filed for the purpose of invoking the
Act’s provisions limiting the recovery of antitrust
plaintiffs to actual damages under specified circumstances.
Pursuant to section 6(b) of the Act, the identities of
the parties to the venture are: FocusPoint International,
Inc., Sunrise, FL; Ligado Networks LLC, Reston, VA;
Omnispace LLC, McLean, VA; Terrestar Solutions Inc.,
Outremont, CANADA; Viasat, Carlsbad, CA; Terran Orbital,
Boca Raton, FL; eSAT Global, Inc., Solana, CA; and Al Yah
Satellite Communications Company PJSC, Abu Dhabi, UNITED
ARAB EMIRATES.

The general area of MSSA’s planned activity

is to (i) support open interoperable architectures and

standards for use in multi-orbit satellite systems, ground
infrastructure, and end user equipment; (ii) define one or
more specifications, best practices, reference
architectures, implementation guidelines, and standardized
agreements (collectively, “Deliverables”) to promote the
adoption of satellite-to-terrestrial mobile
telecommunication services and enhance seamless global
roaming between terrestrial and multi-orbit satellite
networks; (iii) achieve scale through improved coordination
and cooperation mechanisms among mobile satellite services
(“MSS”) operators to maximize the utility of already
available and licensed global MSS spectrum in nations
desiring advanced non-terrestrial networks (“NTN”)
services; (iv) maximize scarce multi-orbit space and
spectrum resources and employ sustainable network design
and operation to enable affordable advanced NTN services;
(v) advocate for policies, laws and regulations that
advance the purposes of the Venture, including those
related to rational, efficient, safe and sustainable uses
of spectrum and orbits, and based on, where appropriate,
objective and quantitative metrics regarding all objects in
orbit around Earth; (vi) provide a neutral forum to
facilitate collaboration among members of the Venture for
coordination of third generation partner projects (3GPP)
and other international standards activities; (vii) support
the integration of space networks into national

telecommunications infrastructure via trusted local
partners and within sovereign regulatory and national
security frameworks; (viii) provide mechanisms for
individual nations to participate in the new space economy
via open standards and architectures and via the space
networks supported by the Venture; (ix) create one or more
trademarks to raise awareness of commercial opportunities
and trust in the marketplace; (x) educate the industry,
media, and analyst and operator communities on the value,
benefits, and applications for the Venture’s Deliverables;
(xi) foster competition in the marketplace in compliance
with

all applicable antitrust laws and regulations; and

(xii) undertake such other activities as may from time to
time be appropriate to further the purposes and achieve the
goals set forth above.

Membership in MSSA remains open and

MSSA intends to file additional written notifications
disclosing all changes in membership.

Suzanne Morris,
Deputy Director Civil Enforcement Operations,
Antitrust Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-13647 Filed: 6/20/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/21/2024]