FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                  NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: 
  December 6, 1999                             Rosemary Kimball at (202)418-0511
                                          
     DIRECT ACCESS TO INTELSAT BECOMES AVAILABLE IN THE
                       UNITED STATES
                              
  Direct Access became available to users of the INTELSAT system in the United
  States today, the effective date of the Commission's September Report and
  Order that finally adopted this policy.  Direct Access refers to the means by
  which users of the INTELSAT system obtain space segment directly from
  INTELSAT rather than through an INTELSAT Signatory.
  
  INTELSAT is a 143 member intergovernmental organization that owns and
  operates a global system of satellites.  It is located in Washington, D.C. and is a
  key provider of satellite transmission capacity for both U.S. commercial and
  governmental use. Comsat Corporation is the U.S. INTELSAT Signatory.
  
  Under the Commission's policy, U.S. carriers and users may enter into service
  agreements with INTELSAT for ordering, receiving and paying for services at
  tariff rates that INTELSAT charges its Signatories.  Carriers and users receiving
  direct access will pay Comsat a 5.58 percent surcharge which the Commission
  found in its Report and Order as reasonable to compensate Comsat for
  Signatory-related expenses.  Comsat filed its tariff on December 2, 1999
  reflecting this surcharge. 
  
  Sixty-nine carriers and users have expressed interest in receiving direct access
  under the terms and conditions of the Commission's Report and Order.  In
  accordance with the Report and Order, and in its role as U.S. Signatory, Comsat
  has submitted the names of these carriers and users to INTELSAT as eligible to
  receive direct access.  They may now deal directly with INTELSAT to acquire
  service.
  
  Chairman Kennard stated that "the intent of the Commission's direct access
  policy is to give U.S. customers a choice previously available in 94 other
  countries but not in the United States.  The initial response to this policy
  confirms that direct access is a choice that U.S. customers want. Direct access
  offers consumers lower prices for international satellite services and enables
  U.S. companies to compete in the global market on a level playing field with
  foreign companies that already have direct access to the INTELSAT system".
  
  Carriers and users not included on the initial list provided to INTELSAT may
  become eligible to obtain direct access by notifying Comsat at the following
  address:
  
                           COMSAT
                  Attention: Direct Access
             Vice President, Satellite Systems
                   Investment Management
                   6560 Rock Spring Drive
                  Bethesda, Maryland 20817
                              
  Comsat is required by the Commission's Report and Order to inform INTELSAT
  of additional carriers and users seeking to receive direct access within ten days
  of receiving each new request.
  
  The following criteria apply in order to receive direct access: common carriers
  must have been authorized by the Commission pursuant to Section 214 of the
  Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. 214, to provide international
  telecommunications services; earth station operators must have been licensed
  to operate with INTELSAT satellites under Title III of the Communications Act,
  47 U.S.C. 301 et. seq.; and non-common carrier users must access INTELSAT
  satellites through earth stations licensed by the Commission to operate with
  INTELSAT.
  
  Finally, Comsat has declared its intent to devolve responsibility for the operation
  of earth stations on behalf of any duly authorized earth station entity having
  direct access to the INTELSAT space segment.  The U.S. government will now
  assume responsibility for the proper operation of these earth stations; the U.S.
  government will not assume any financial liability when it assumes this
  responsibility.  In this context, "proper operation" is defined as operation in
  keeping with the rules and standards encompassed by FCC earth station
  authorizations.
  
  For more information, contact James L. Ball of the International Bureau at (202)
  418-0427 or Michael McCoin at (202) 418-0774.  Ronald Repasi, Chief, Satellite
  Engineering Branch, FCC, (202) 418-0768, is the contact for earth station
  operations.
  
  
  Report No. IN-99-35
                               - FCC -