Any entity that is licensed by the Commission (“licensee”) to land or operate a submarine cable landing in a particular foreign destination market that becomes, or seeks to become, affiliated with a foreign carrier that is authorized to operate in that market, including an entity that owns or controls a cable landing station in that market, shall notify the Commission of that affiliation.

(a) Affiliations requiring prior notification: Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the licensee must notify the Commission, pursuant to this section, forty-five (45) days before consummation of either of the following types of transactions:

(1) Acquisition by the licensee, or by any entity that controls the licensee, or by any entity that directly or indirectly owns more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the capital stock of the licensee, of a controlling interest in a foreign carrier that is authorized to operate in a market where the cable lands; or

(2) Acquisition of a direct or indirect interest greater than twenty-five percent (25%), or of a controlling interest, in the capital stock of the licensee by a foreign carrier that is authorized to operate in a market where the cable lands, or by an entity that controls such a foreign carrier.

(b) Exceptions:

(1) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, the notification required by this section need not be filed before consummation, and may instead by filed pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, if either of the following is true with respect to the named foreign carrier, regardless of whether the destination market where the cable lands is a World Trade Organization (WTO) or non-WTO Member:

(i) The Commission has previously determined in an adjudication that the foreign carrier lacks market power in that destination market (for example, in an international section 214 application or a declaratory ruling proceeding); or

(ii) The foreign carrier owns no facilities in that destination market. For this purpose, a carrier is said to own facilities if it holds an ownership, indefeasible-right-of-user, or leasehold interest in a cable landing station or in bare capacity in international or domestic telecommunications facilities (excluding switches).

(2) In the event paragraph (b)(1) of this section cannot be satisfied, notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, the notification required by this section need not be filed before consummation, and may instead be filed pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, if the licensee certifies that the destination market where the cable lands is a WTO Member and provides certification to satisfy either of the following:

(i) The licensee demonstrates that its foreign carrier affiliate lacks market power in the cable's destination market pursuant to §63.10(a)(3) of this chapter (see §63.10(a)(3) of this chapter); or

(ii) The licensee agrees to comply with the reporting requirements contained in §1.767(l) effective upon the acquisition of the affiliation. See §1.767(l).

(c) Notification after consummation: Any licensee that becomes affiliated with a foreign carrier and has not previously notified the Commission pursuant to the requirements of this section shall notify the Commission within thirty (30) days after consummation of the acquisition.

(d) Cross-reference: In the event a transaction requiring a foreign carrier notification pursuant to this section also requires a transfer of control or assignment application pursuant to the requirements of the license granted under §1.767 or §1.767(g), the foreign carrier notification shall reference in the notification the transfer of control or assignment application and the date of its filing. See §1.767(g).

(e) Contents of notification: The notification shall certify the following information:

(1) The name of the newly affiliated foreign carrier and the country or countries at the foreign end of the cable in which it is authorized to provide telecommunications services to the public or where it owns or controls a cable landing station;

(2) Which, if any, of those countries is a Member of the World Trade Organization;

(3) The name of the cable system that is the subject of the notification, and the FCC file number(s) under which the license was granted;

(4) The name, address, citizenship, and principal business of any person or entity that directly or indirectly owns at least ten percent (10%) of the equity of the licensee, and the percentage of equity owned by each of those entities (to the nearest one percent (1%));

(5) Interlocking directorates. The name of any interlocking directorates, as defined in §63.09(g) of this chapter, with each foreign carrier named in the notification. See §63.09(g) of this chapter.

(6) With respect to each foreign carrier named in the notification, a statement as to whether the notification is subject to paragraph (a) or (c) of this section. In the case of a notification subject to paragraph (a) of this section, the licensee shall include the projected date of closing. In the case of a notification subject to paragraph (c) of this section, the licensee shall include the actual date of closing.

(7) If a licensee relies on an exception in paragraph (b) of this section, then a certification as to which exception the foreign carrier satisfies and a citation to any adjudication upon which the licensee is relying. Licensees relying upon the exceptions in paragraph (b)(2) of this section must make the required certified demonstration in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section or the certified commitment to comply with the reporting requirements in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section in the notification required by paragraph (c) of this section.

(f) If the licensee seeks to be excepted from the reporting requirements contained in §1.767(l), the licensee should demonstrate that each foreign carrier affiliate named in the notification lacks market power pursuant to §63.10(a)(3) of this chapter. See §63.10(a)(3) of this chapter.

(g) Procedure. After the Commission issues a public notice of the submissions made under this section, interested parties may file comments within fourteen (14) days of the public notice.

(1) If the Commission deems it necessary at any time before or after the deadline for submission of public comments, the Commission may impose reporting requirements on the licensee based on the provisions of §1.767(l). See §1.767(l).

(2) In the case of a prior notification filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, the authorized U.S. licensee must demonstrate that it continues to serve the public interest for it to retain its interest in the cable landing license for that segment of the cable that lands in the non-WTO destination market. Such a showing shall include a demonstration as to whether the foreign carrier lacks market power in the non-WTO destination market with reference to the criteria in §63.10(a) of this chapter. In addition, upon request of the Commission, the licensee shall provide the information specified in §1.767(a)(8). If the licensee is unable to make the required showing or is notified by the Commission that the affiliation may otherwise harm the public interest pursuant to the Commission's policies and rules under 47 U.S.C. 34 through 39 and Executive Order No. 10530, dated May 10, 1954, then the Commission may impose conditions necessary to address any public interest harms or may proceed to an immediate authorization revocation hearing.

(h) All licensees are responsible for the continuing accuracy of information provided pursuant to this section for a period of forty-five (45) days after filing. During this period if the information furnished is no longer accurate, the licensee shall as promptly as possible, and in any event within ten (10) days, unless good cause is shown, file with the Commission a corrected notification referencing the FCC file numbers under which the original notification was provided.

(i) A licensee that files a prior notification pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section may request confidential treatment of its filing, pursuant to §0.459 of this chapter, for the first twenty (20) days after filing.

(j) Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all notifications described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Bureau Filing System (IBFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the IBFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see part 1, §§1.1000 through 1.10018 and the IBFS homepage at http://www.fcc.gov/ibfs. See also §§63.20 and 63.53.

[67 FR 1622, Jan. 14, 2002, as amended at 70 FR 38797, July 6, 2005; 79 FR 31877, June 3, 2014]