FCC allowed Motient and TMI to transfer space and earth station l...

TMI 39.9% of new company. Other owners are Columbia Capital (3.8%), Spectrum Equity Investors (3.8%), Telecom Ventures (4.3%). Non-U.S. entities hold ownership interests in Motient, TMI, Columbia Capital and Spectrum Equity Interests. Request to launch and operate next-generation satellite system, along with waiver to deploy terrestrial base stations, will be considered in another proceeding. Petitions by Dept. of Justice (DoJ) and FBI were granted to condition authority based on compliance of agreement with DoJ and FBI on law enforcement, national security and public safety issues. Commission also held that public interest wouldn’t be served by prohibiting proposed indirect foreign ownership of MSV in excess of 25%. Foreign ownership may be as high as 45%, applicants said. FCC also dismissed as moot petition to deny filed by Deere & Co. Satellite systems of TMI and Motient are linked and jointly secured. Motient offers land, maritime and aeronautical mobile satellite services (MSS) in upper L-band in contiguous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Virgin Islands. Motient received license in 1989 and launched first satellite in 1995, beginning service following year. TMI is subsidiary of BCE of Canada. It operates L-Band MSS system via MSAT-1 satellite. In last 2 years, Commission has granted TMI blanket earth station licenses to provide MSS to mobile terminals located in U.S.