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

In the Matter of                )
                                )
SSI Atlantic Crossing LLC       )
                                )       File No. SCL-97-002(M)
Application for modification of license to)
land and operate in the United States a digital)
submarine cable system extending between)
the United States and the United Kingdom)
and Germany                     )

              MODIFICATION OF CABLE LANDING LICENSE

   Adopted:  April 6, 1998              Released:  April 7, 1998

By the Chief, Telecommunications Division:

     1.  In this order, we modify the cable landing license recently granted to SSI Atlantic Crossing,
LLC ("SSI").  That license authorized SSI, pursuant to the Cable Landing License Act, to land and
operate a digital fiber optic submarine cable system to be called "Atlantic Crossing" or "AC-1," extending
between the United States and the United Kingdom and Germany.  AC-1 will be operated on a
non common carrier basis.  We here grant the licensee's request to modify the license to include a landing
point in the Netherlands.

     2.  Under the proposed modification, the U.K. Germany segment, to comprise four fiber pairs
operating at 10 Gbps per fiber pair, will be replaced by two segments, one between the United Kingdom
and the Netherlands and the other between the Netherlands and Germany.  The U.K. Netherlands segment
will comprise four fiber pairs, with two of the fiber pairs terminating in the Netherlands.  The
Netherlands Germany segment will comprise four fiber pairs, all of which will terminate in Germany.  In
its request for a modification, SSI has provided information about the specific point in the Netherlands
where AC-1 will land.  In all other respects, the operational characteristics and ownership information for
AC-1 will remain as described in the cable landing license.

                             Comments

     3.  The application was placed on public notice on January 9, 1998.  No comments were received. 
Pursuant to Section 1.767(b) of the Commission's rules, the Cable Landing License Act, and Executive
Order No. 10530, we informed the Department of State of the application.  The Department of State, after
coordinating with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of
Defense, stated that it has no objection to the modification of the cable landing license.

                            Discussion

     4.  We agree with SSI that no new issues are raised by this proposed modification.  According to
its original application, SSI is not affiliated with any foreign carrier operating in the Netherlands.  The
modification would not affect the ownership of the cable system, its status as a non common carrier
system, or the location or control of the U.S. landing point.  The modification would serve the public
interest by providing an additional point of access to northern Europe, thereby promoting competition in the
provision of telecommunications services between the United States and northern Europe.  Accordingly, we
find that grant of the modification would serve the public interest.

                         Ordering Clauses

     5.  In consideration of the foregoing and pursuant to the Cable Landing License Act and Executive
Order 10530, IT IS ORDERED that the application, File No. SCL-97-002(M), is GRANTED, and the
AC-1 cable landing license is MODIFIED to add to the AC-1 system two new segments, one between
Germany and the Netherlands and a second between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, in place of
the currently authorized segment running between the United Kingdom and Germany.

     6.  This Order is issued under Section 0.261 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.261, and is
effective upon release.  Petitions for reconsideration under Section 1.106 or applications for review under
Section 1.115 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.106, 1.115, may be filed within 30 days of the
date of public notice of this order (see 47 C.F.R.  1.4(b)(2)).

                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 




                              Diane J. Cornell
                              Chief, Telecommunications Division
                              International Bureau