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S'$I Table of Contents ă  Sh'Topic`(#bParagraph No.ă  S'X` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:0*&&887" service to permit greater flexibility and more competition in fixed, mobile and direct broadcast satellite  S'services.4^b {O@'ԍSee Amendment to the Commission's Regulatory Policies Governing Domestic Fixed Satellites and  {O 'Separate International Satellite Systems, Report and Order, 11 FCC Rcd 2429 (1996) (DISCO I  {O'Order).(#4 B a1DAK  S'5. In our recent Foreign Participation Order, we expanded our streamlining measures by  Sb'broadening the class of foreignaffiliated applicants eligible for streamlined processing.G^bb {O'ԍSee Rules and Policies on Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Market, Report and  {O 'Order and Order on Reconsideration, 12 FCC Rcd 23,891 (1997), recon. pending (Foreign  {O 'Participation Order). (#G The new  S:'competitive conditions created by the World Trade Organization basic telecommunications agreement \:b yO 'ԍOn February 15, 1997, the United States and 68 other members of the WTO concluded an agreement  {O 'to open markets for basic telecommunications services. The Foreign Participation proceeding was  {O'initiated by the Commission in response to this agreement. See Foreign Participation Order  2.(#Ɩ  S'and the rules adopted in the Foreign Participation Order significantly reduced the possibility of market distortion, thereby providing us with an opportunity to further reduce our scrutiny of many  S'applications and afford those applications streamlined processing.y 8 b {O'ԍSee Foreign Participation Order  314!329.(#y The WTO agreement also afforded us an opportunity to adopt policies that permit nonU.S.licensed satellites to provide services in the  St'United States. ^t b {O'ԍSee Amendment of the Commission's Regulatory Policies to Allow NonU.S. Licensed Space Stations  {O'to Provide Domestic and International Satellite Service in the United States, Report and Order, 12  {Or'FCC Rcd 24,094 (1997), recon. and appeals pending (DISCO II Order).(# B a1DAK  S$ '6. During this time, the International Bureau has taken many additional informal steps, such as conducting public briefings on its streamlining efforts, including a public forum on the international  S 'Section 214 and Cable Landing License authorization process and other issues.  b {Od'ԍSee Office of General Counsel and International Bureau to Hold Public Forum to Discuss Biennial Review of International Bureau Rules, Public Notice Report No. IN 982 (Jan. 13, 1998).(# The Bureau also recently has held three regulatory workshops with foreign regulators to promote effective procompetitive regulatory regimes in other countries as prescribed by the WTO agreement and to promote  S\'increased competition in the worldwide market for telecommunications services.w "\Jb {OF!'ԍSee FCC Hosts Three Day Workshop with Telecom Regulators from 15 Countries, News Release (Feb. 11, 1998); FCC Hosts Second Workshop with Telecom Regulators from 9 Countries, News Release (May 15, 1998); FCC Hosts Third Workshop in Series with Telecom Regulators from Nine Countries, News Release (June 23, 1998).(#w "44 0*&&88"Ԍ S'V  III. Discussion of Proposed Rule Changes ׃  S' subheadX` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:'and not unjustly or unreasonably discriminatory. Because pro forma transactions do not affect actual control of the carrier, they are unlikely to have an impact on the licensees' charges, practices, classifications, or services. Thus, it has not been necessary to consider these issues in our review of  S'pro forma transactions. Given the existence of other mechanisms to deal with these issues|b yO 'ԍFor example, pursuant to Section 208 of the Act, the Commission must investigate and act on a complaint by any party or entity concerning a common carrier's charges, classifications, regulations, or practices. 47 U.S.C. 208. Furthermore, as discussed below, carriers must notify the Commission  {O<'and, in some cases, seek advance approval, of affiliations with foreign carriers. See 47 C.F.R. 63.11.(# and the  S'fact that we have had no need to consider them in the context of pro forma transactions, we tentatively conclude that the first prong of the forbearance standard is met. B a1DAK  S, '16. We also tentatively conclude that prior approval of pro forma transfers and assignments  S 'is not necessary for the protection of consumers. Based on our experience reviewing pro forma  S 'applications, we believe that pro forma transfers and assignments rarely, if ever, raise issues of consumer protection, because the ultimate control of the carrier " which has already been subject to Commission review and approval " does not change as a result of the transaction. We therefore tentatively conclude that the second prong of the forbearance standard is met. B a1DAK  S'17. Finally, we tentatively conclude that the third prong of the forbearance standard is met.  S'We tentatively conclude that pro forma assignments and transfers of control of international Section 214 authorizations do not raise public interest concerns and that we should therefore cease requiring carriers to obtain prior Commission approval of such transactions. Paragraph (b) of Section 10 directs us to consider whether forbearance would promote competitive market conditions. We tentatively conclude that eliminating the requirement for prior approval would promote competitive market conditions by allowing carriers to change their ownership structure or internal organization as business needs require without undue regulatory burdens. B a1DAK 18. Assignments and transfers of control that do not fall into the categories that we propose  S'to define as pro forma would continue to require prior approval. Furthermore, carriers would remain subject to Section 63.11 of our rules, which requires notification of affiliations with foreign carriers,  S>'notwithstanding this relaxation of our rules on pro forma assignments and transfers of control. Thus,"> . 0*&&88W"  S'for example, if an otherwise!pro forma transaction nevertheless results in acquisition by a foreign carrier of more than 25 percent of an authorized carrier, the carrier must seek prior Commission approval of the transaction. B a1DAK 19. Because the Commission needs to maintain complete and current records of the identities of authorized international carriers, we propose to require that authorized carriers that  S'undertake a pro forma assignment notify the Commission by letter within 30 days after consummation of the transaction. Such a letter must contain the carrier's certification that the subject assignment is  S'nonsubstantial and within the definition of pro forma that we propose to adopt in Section 63.24(a). We tentatively conclude that we need not place those letters on public notice because they will raise no substantial public interest issues upon which public comment would be necessary. B a1DAK  S& '20. We tentatively conclude that we need not require that carriers notify us of pro forma transfers of control. Where a transaction affects neither the identity of the legal entity holding the Section 214 authorization nor the ultimate control of that entity, there is no need to update the Commission's records. B a1DAK  S`'21. We therefore propose to add a new Section 63.24 to define pro forma and to allow  S:'carriers to undertake pro forma assignments and transfers of control of international Section 214 authorizations without Commission approval. As proposed, new Section 63.24 of our rules would apply to all authorized international carriers. We seek comment on the scope of our proposed exception to the requirement for prior approval of assignments and transfers of control of international Section 214 authorizations.  SL' subheadX` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8: