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Before the
               Federal Communications Commission
                     Washington, D.C. 20554




In the Matter of                    )   IB Docket No. 98-192
Direct Access to the INTELSAT System         )    File No. 60-SAT-ISP-99
                                     

                             ORDER


     Adopted:  October 15, 1999         Released: October 15, 1999


By the Deputy Chief, International Bureau:

          1.   We have before us an October 6, 1999 request by Comsat Corporation ("Comsat") for
          stay of the Commission's September 16, 1999 Report and Order permitting Level 3 direct
          access to the INTELSAT sytem in the United States, pending judicial review of that
          Commission action ("Stay Request).  Opposition to Comsat's Stay Request has been filed
          jointly by AT&T Corp., MCI WorldCom, Inc., and Sprint Communications Company
          L.P., as the Satellite Users Coalition, and Spacelink International.
          2.   On September 16, 1999, the Federal Communications Commission released the Direct
          Access R&O permitting Level 3 direct access to the INTELSAT system in the United
          States for the provision of international satellite services.  "Direct access" refers to the
          means by which users of the INTELSAT system obtain space segment capacity directly
          from INTELSAT rather than through an INTELSAT Signatory in the respective
          Signatory's country.  Comsat Corporation is the U.S. INTELSAT Signatory.  Comsat
          seeks an immediate stay from the Commission on implementation of the Direct Access
          R&O.  On October 13, 1999, Comsat filed a similar petition with the United States Court
          of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, also seeking a stay de novo of the
          Commission's Direct Access R&O.
          3.   Comsat relies on the four prong test for issuance of a stay set forth in Virginia Petroleum
          Jobbers Ass'n v. FPC ("Virginia Petroleum"), as modified in Washington Metropolitan
          Area Transit Comm'n v. Holiday Tours, Inc.  Under this test, a stay is warranted if the
          movant can demonstrate that:  (1) it is likely to prevail on the merits; (2) it will suffer
          irreparable harm absent a stay; (3) interested parties will not be harmed if the stay is
          granted; and (4) the public interest would favor a grant of the stay.  Upon examination of
          the Stay Request, we find that Comsat's arguments fail to meet the standards set forth in
          Virginia Petroleum and Washington Metropolitan.
          4.   Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that Comsat Corporation's Request for Stay IS DENIED.

                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


                              
                              Anna M. Gomez 
                              Deputy Chief, International Bureau