Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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terminal has now been delayed for over a year in an attempt to compromise the conflicting
interests between the international telegraph carriers, the Communications Satellite
Corporation, and our domestic common carriers. By 1968 a second communications satellite
terminal will be needed in Hawaii and another one on the West Coast. Both of these
stations should be under construction now. They are not. A major factor in the delay has
been the general disorder in the U.S. international communications structure and the
continuing pattern of conflict between the carriers.
C. Confusion and Conflict Resulting from the Foreign Interests of U.S. International
Common Carriers
The need for communications satellite earth stations in foreign countries where U.S.
international common carriers have business interests has created dissension among these
carriers and had a very serious impact on the U.S. image overseas. In the Philippines, controversy
between U.S. common carriers concerning responsibility for assisting in the organization
of communications satellite activities and the construction of an earth terminal
resulted in a long period of stalemate and confusion. The ultimate decision on the part
of the Philippine Government was to sharply reduce the activity of U.S. carriers within the
Philippines.
A similar situation has developed in Central and South America where certain of our
international carriers are fighting a rear guard action against loss of their operating franchises.
These conflicts and controversies are delaying the construction of satellite earth terminals
in direct opposition to the announced United States policy to promote a rapid growth
of satellite communications capability so as to strengthen bonds within this hemisphere.
Document I-25
Document title: Leonard H. Marks, Ambassador, Chairman, “Report of the United States
Delegation to the Plenipotentiary Conference on Definitive Arrangements for the
International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium (First Session), Washington,
D.C., February 24–March 21, 1969,” April 10, 1969.
Source: NASA Historical Reference Collection, History Office, NASA Headquarters,
Washington, D.C.
The 1964 Interim Agreement that created INTELSAT specified that after five years a conference would
be called to develop a definitive agreement for the organization. Accordingly, a Plenipotentiary
Conference on Definitive Arrangements for the International Telecommunications Satellite
Consortium convened in Washington, D.C., on February 24, 1969. The report of the U.S. delegation
on the first session of that conference detailed the many areas of disagreement that would have to be
resolved before a definitive agreement was possible. It took several years of difficult negotiations before
that objective was achieved. The definitive agreements for INTELSAT went into effect on May 21,
1971.
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THE HISTORY OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS