Nov 28 1984
From The Space Library
The White House approved a policy that would free the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to begin processing several applications from companies hoping to provide satellite telecommunications services, thereby breaking INTELSAT's 20-year monopoly on such service. President Reagan signed a "finding" that it was in the national interest to have alter-natives to INTELSAT. The announcement came after the State and Commerce departments had fought for months over who would define the new international telecommunications policies. And, of course, INTELSAT and its U.S. representative, ComSatCorp, tried to block entry of private competitors into the international market.
David Markey, assistant secretary of commerce for telecommunications and information policy, said that the new policy would not permit private satellite networks to mount full-fledged competition against INTELSAT. "It will be clear that [such networks] should be restricted to non-public switched voice services," he added. (W Post, Nov 28/84, C-1)
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