Self-Regulatory Organizations; the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Modify Fees for Co-Location Services, 13686-13688 [2011-5763]
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13686
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 49 / Monday, March 14, 2011 / Notices
Reference Room on official business
days between the hours of 10 a.m. and
3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be
available for inspection and copying at
the principal offices of the Exchange.
All comments received will be posted
without change; the Commission does
not edit personal identifying
information from submissions. You
should submit only information that
you wish to make available publicly.
All submissions should refer to File
Number SR–Phlx–2011–30, and should
be submitted on or before April 4, 2011.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.7
Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–5764 Filed 3–11–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
[Release No. 34–64060; File No. SR–
NASDAQ–2011–035]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; the
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of
Proposed Rule Change To Modify Fees
for Co-Location Services
March 8, 2011.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
notice is hereby given that on March 1,
2011, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
(‘‘NASDAQ’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with
the Securities and Exchange
Commission (‘‘Commission’’) the
proposed rule change as described in
Items I, II, and III below, which Items
have been prepared by the Exchange.
The Commission is publishing this
notice to solicit comments on the
proposed rule change from interested
persons.
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of the Substance
of the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to modify
pricing for co-location services. The
Exchange will implement the proposed
change on March 1, 2011. The text of
the proposed rule change is available at
https://nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com/, at the
Exchange’s principal office, and at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room.
7 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
1 15
16:20 Mar 11, 2011
In its filing with the Commission, the
Exchange included statements
concerning the purpose of and basis for
the proposed rule change and discussed
any comments it received on the
proposed rule change. The text of these
statements may be examined at the
places specified in Item IV below. The
Exchange has prepared summaries, set
forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of
the most significant aspects of such
statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
1. Purpose
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
VerDate Mar<15>2010
II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
Jkt 223001
The Exchange is amending its colocation fee schedule to: (1) Institute a
monthly fee of $300 for
telecommunications and inter-cabinet
cross connections; and (2) fees for
additional patch and power cords.
Under the proposal, co-location
customers having telecommunications
cross-connections to approved
telecommunication carriers in the
datacenter will be assessed a monthly
fee of $300 per connection. For the
convenience of its customers, the
Exchange allows telecommunications
carriers to maintain a presence in the
data center free of charge. In addition,
inter-cabinet connections to other
customers in the datacenter will be
likewise assessed a $300 per-month,
per-connection fee. These fees will only
be assessed on the customer that
requested the initiation of the
connection, and cross-connections
between cabinets being used by the
same customer will not be assessed the
fee.
The Exchange is also proposing to
introduce fees for patch and power
cords. Under the proposal, the Exchange
will maintain an inventory of patch
cords (ethernet and fiber optic cables)
and power cords at the datacenter and
make them available to customers
should they desire to purchase them.
The proposed fees for patch cords vary
with their capabilities and length, with
copper patch cord being charged at
$4.50 + $.50 per foot; multi-mode fiber
patch cord being priced at $20 + $1.50
per-meter, and single-mode fiber patch
cord priced at $24 + $.75 per-meter. For
power cords, the Exchange proposes to
charge $5 for 5–15P—C13 cords of two
to four feet in length, and $10 for C14—
C19 cords also of two to four feet in
PO 00000
Frm 00090
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
length.3 The Exchange is making the
cords available as a convenience to
customers, and notes that use of
Exchange-provided patch and power
cords is completely voluntary, and that
such cords may be freely obtained by
[sic] other vendors for use by customers
in the datacenter.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the
proposed rule change is consistent with
the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,4
in general, and with Section 6(b)(4) of
the Act,5 in particular, in that it
provides for the equitable allocation of
reasonable dues, fees and other charges
among members and issuers and other
persons using any facility or system
which the Exchange operates or
controls.
The Exchange operates in a highly
competitive market, in which exchanges
offer co-location services as a means to
facilitate the trading activities of those
members who believe that co-location
enhances the efficiency of their trading.
Accordingly, fees charged for colocation services are constrained by the
active competitive [sic] for the order
flow of such members. If a particular
exchange charges excessive fees for colocation services, affected members will
opt to terminate their co-location
arrangements with that exchange, and
adopt a possible range of alternative
strategies, including co-locating with a
different exchange, placing their servers
in a physically proximate location
outside the exchange’s data center, or
pursuing trading strategies not
dependent upon co-location.
Accordingly, the exchange charging
excessive fees would stand to lose not
only co-location revenues but also
revenues associated with the execution
of orders routed to it by affected
members. The Exchange believes that
this competitive dynamic imposes
powerful restraints on the ability of any
exchange to charge unreasonable fees
for co-location services. Moreover, all of
the Exchange’s fees for co-location
services are equitably allocated and
non-discriminatory, in that all colocation customers are offered the same
range of products and services and there
is no differentiation among customers
with regard to the fees charged for a
particular product, service, or piece of
equipment.
It should be noted, however, that the
costs associated with operating a co3 The P, C, and number designations reflect
differences in the shape of a cord’s plug as well a
cord’s power throughput capability.
4 15 U.S.C. 78f.
5 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
E:\FR\FM\14MRN1.SGM
14MRN1
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 49 / Monday, March 14, 2011 / Notices
location facility, like the costs of
operating the electronic trading facility
with which the co-location facility is
associated, are primarily fixed costs,
and in the case of co-location are
primarily the costs of renting or owning
data center space and retaining a staff of
technical personnel. Accordingly, the
Exchange establishes a range of colocation fees with the goal of covering
these fixed costs, covering less
significant marginal costs, such as the
cost of electricity, and earning a return
on its investment. Because fixed costs
must be allocated among all customers,
the Exchange’s fee schedule reflects an
effort to assess a range of relatively low
fees for specific aspects of co-location
services, which, in the aggregate, will
allow the Exchange to cover its costs
and earn a return on investment.
In the case of inter-cabinet connection
fees, the proposed fee of $300 per month
covers the marginal costs of establishing
and maintaining such connections, and
also allows customers maintaining such
connections to contribute to the fixed
costs of data center operation. Notably,
because telecommunications providers
are provided with free data center space
as a convenience to co-located
customers, the Exchange believes that it
is reasonable to impose charges on
persons connecting to such providers as
a means of defraying the fixed rental
cost incurred in making such space
available to the telecommunications
providers. The Exchange further
believes that the number of data center
cross connections correlates to the
extent and complexity of a customer’s
operations within the data center.
Accordingly, the Exchange believes that
it is reasonable to use fees assessed on
this basis as a means to recoup a share
of fixed costs and earn a return on
investment.
The Exchange also notes that the New
York Stock Exchange (‘‘NYSE’’) imposes
charges for connections within the data
center that include a $500 per month
charge for connections between cabinets
of the same customer, and charges for
connectivity bundles that include a
limited number of connections to
telecommunications providers and
connections within the data center for
monthly fees ranging from $13,000 to
$61,000 per month, depending on the
number of connections and the
bandwidth. NYSEArca charges $600 per
month for all connections within its
data center. See https://www.nyse.com/
pdfs/nyse_equities_pricelist.pdf at page
14 and. https://www.nyse.com/pdfs/
nysearcaMarketplaceFees112011–
Clean.pdf at p. 10. Accordingly, the
Exchange believes that its proposed fee
of $300 per month is reasonable in
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:20 Mar 11, 2011
Jkt 223001
13687
comparison with fees already charged
for comparable services of other
exchanges offering co-location.
With respect to the Exchange’s
proposed fees for power cords, the
Exchange believes that its fees are a
reasonable reflection of its costs to
obtain and resell such cords as a
convenience to its customers. Notably,
the fees charged by the Exchange are
generally comparable to prices charged
by unregulated vendors for similar
products. See https://
www.comegacity.com/cables-computer/
power-cables/tripp-lite-p047-002-2ft-acpower-cord-c19-c14-10; and https://
www.cables.com/Products/NEMA-515P-TO-IEC320-C13-13a-4-Feet_PCRD4-13A.aspx. The same is true for the
proposed patch cord pricing. See https://
www.cablestogo.com/
product_list.asp?cat_id=3525; and
https://www.cablestogo.com/
product.asp?cat_id=2323&sku=33027.
institute proceedings to determine
whether the proposed rule should be
approved or disapproved.
B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Burden on Competition
The Exchange does not believe that
the proposed rule change will result in
any burden on competition that is not
necessary or appropriate in furtherance
of the purposes of the Act, as amended.
As discussed above, the Exchange
believes that fees for co-location
services are constrained by the robust
competition for order flow among
exchanges and non-exchange markets,
because co-location exists to advance
that competition, and excessive fees for
co-location services would serve to
impair an exchange’s ability to compete
for order flow rather than burdening
competition.
• Send paper comments in triplicate
to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary,
Securities and Exchange Commission,
100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC
20549–1090.
C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Comments on the
Proposed Rule Change Received From
Members, Participants, or Others
Written comments were neither
solicited nor received.
III. Date of Effectiveness of the
Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action
The foregoing rule change has become
effective pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act.6 At any time
within 60 days of the filing of the
proposed rule change, the Commission
summarily may temporarily suspend
such rule change if it appears to the
Commission that such action is
necessary or appropriate in the public
interest, for the protection of investors,
or otherwise in furtherance of the
purposes of the Act. If the Commission
takes such action, the Commission shall
6 15
PO 00000
U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(a)(ii). [sic]
Frm 00091
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
IV. Solicitation of Comments
Interested persons are invited to
submit written data, views, and
arguments concerning the foregoing,
including whether the proposed rule
change, as amended, is consistent with
the Act. Comments may be submitted by
any of the following methods:
Electronic Comments
• Use the Commission’s Internet
comment form (https://www.sec.gov/
rules/sro.shtml); or
• Send an e-mail to rulecomments@sec.gov. Please include File
Number SR–NASDAQ–2011–035 on the
subject line.
Paper Comments
All submissions should refer to File
Number SR–NASDAQ–2011–035. This
file number should be included on the
subject line if e-mail is used. To help the
Commission process and review your
comments more efficiently, please use
only one method. The Commission will
post all comments on the Commission’s
Internet website (https://www.sec.gov/
rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the
submission, all subsequent
amendments, all written statements
with respect to the proposed rule
change that are filed with the
Commission, and all written
communications relating to the
proposed rule change between the
Commission and any person, other than
those that may be withheld from the
public in accordance with the
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be
available for Web site viewing and
printing in the Commission’s Public
Reference Room on official business
days between the hours of 10 a.m. and
3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be
available for inspection and copying at
the principal offices of the Exchange.
All comments received will be posted
without change; the Commission does
not edit personal identifying
information from submissions. You
should submit only information that
you wish to make available publicly. All
submissions should refer to File
Number SR–NASDAQ–2011–035, and
should be submitted on or before April
4, 2011.
E:\FR\FM\14MRN1.SGM
14MRN1
13688
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 49 / Monday, March 14, 2011 / Notices
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.7
Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–5763 Filed 3–11–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and the
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–64058; File No. SR–C2–
2011–006]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; C2
Options Exchange, Incorporated;
Notice of Filing and Immediate
Effectiveness of Proposed Rule
Change Related to the Opening
System
March 8, 2011.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
notice is hereby given that on March 1,
2011, the C2 Options Exchange,
Incorporated (‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘C2’’) filed
with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) the
proposed rule change as described in
Items I and II below, which Items have
been prepared by the Exchange. The
Exchange has designated the proposal as
a ‘‘non-controversial’’ proposed rule
change pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act 3 and Rule
19b–4(f)(6) thereunder.4 The
Commission is publishing this notice to
solicit comments on the proposed rule
change from interested persons.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to modify
Rule 6.11, Openings (and sometimes
Closings). The text of the proposed rule
change is available on the Exchange’s
Web site (https://www.c2exchange.com/
Legal/RuleFilings.aspx), at the
Exchange’s Office of the Secretary and
at the Commission.
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
In its filing with the Commission, the
Exchange included statements
concerning the purpose of and basis for
the proposed rule change and discussed
any comments it received on the
7 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
3 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
4 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).
1 15
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:20 Mar 11, 2011
proposed rule change. The text of those
statements may be examined at the
places specified in Item IV below. The
Exchange has prepared summaries, set
forth in sections A, B, and C below, of
the most significant parts of such
statements.
1. Purpose
Rule 6.11 describes the Exchange’s
procedures for conducting trading
rotations. The Exchange is proposing to
amend Rule 6.11 in various respects.
First, to have more flexibility in a
manner that is consistent with other C2
rules with order eligibility provisions,
the Exchange is proposing to amend
Rule 6.11 to include an order eligibility
provision. In particular, Rule 6.11 will
be amended to provide that the
Exchange shall designate the eligible
order size, eligible order type, eligible
order origin code (i.e., public customer
orders, non-Market Maker broker-dealer
orders, and Market Maker broker-dealer
orders) that the System will accept for
rotations on a class-by-class basis. The
proposal would not, however, permit
the Exchange to discriminate among
individual market participants of the
same type (e.g., permit certain marketmaker orders but not others to be
eligible). The Rule will also be amended
to delete a reference to spread orders
and contingency orders not being
eligible to participate in opening trades
or in the determination of the opening
price, expected opening price or
expected opening size. (As revised, the
Exchange would determine whether to
designate these orders types as eligible
on a class-by-class basis, just as it would
for any other order type.) Any changes
to the order eligibility parameters
determined by the Exchange would be
announced to C2 Participants via
Regulatory Circular.
This proposed change to include
order eligibility requirements within
Rule 6.11 is consistent with the order
eligibility requirements contained in
other rules, such as the order eligibility
requirements for Rule 6.14, SAL (SAL is
a feature that auctions marketable orders
for price improvement over the national
best bid and offer). The proposed rule
change is also consistent with the
provisions of Rule 6.10, Orders Types
Defined,5 which provides that the
classes and/or systems for which the
orders types described in Rule 6.10 shall
be available will be as provided in the
5 The Exchange is also proposing to change the
title of Rule 6.10 to ‘‘Order Types Defined.’’
Jkt 223001
PO 00000
Frm 00092
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Exchange Rules, as the context may
indicate, or as otherwise specified via
Regulatory Circular.
Second, the Exchange is proposing to
adopt new Interpretation and Policy .01
to Rule 6.11 to provide that the
Exchange may determine on a class-byclass basis which electronic allocation
algorithm 6 would apply for rotations.
Currently Rule 6.11(g) provides that, in
determining priority of orders and
quotes to be traded at a single clearing
price, the System gives priority to
public customer market orders first
(with multiple orders ranked based on
time priority), then to non-public
customer market orders second (with
multiple orders being ranked based on
time priority), then to multiple quotes
and orders whose price is better than
the opening price (with multiple quotes
and orders being ranked in accordance
with the allocation algorithm in effect
for the option class), then to limit orders
and quotes at the opening price (with
multiple orders and quotes ranked in
accordance with the allocation
algorithm in effect for the class). Any
remaining marketable order(s) are then
exposed and allocated in accordance
with the matching algorithms in effect
for the class. The Exchange is proposing
to remove these specific allocation
algorithm descriptions. Instead, the
provision will be amended to provide
that, in determining the priority of
orders and quotes to be traded at a
single clearing price, the System will
give priority to market orders first, then
to limit orders and quotes whose price
is better than the opening price, and
then to resting orders and quotes at the
opening price. In addition, as indicated
above, the Exchange is proposing to
adopt new Interpretation and Policy .01
to Rule 6.11. Proposed Interpretation
and Policy .01 to Rule 6.11 will provide
that the Exchange may determine on a
class-by-class basis which electronic
allocation algorithm would apply for
rotations. This change will also provide
the Exchange with additional flexibility
to permit the allocation algorithm in
effect for a rotation to be different from
the allocation algorithm in effect for the
option class. All pronouncements
regarding allocation algorithm
determinations by the Exchange will be
announced to C2 Participants via
Regulatory Circular.
In conjunction with this change, the
Exchange is also proposing to modify
Rule 6.11 to codify and describe the
6 The allocation algorithms include base
execution algorithms (price-time, pro-rata, and
price-time with primary public customer priority
and secondary trade participation right priority)
and an optional market turner priority overlay. See
Rule 6.12, Order Execution and Priority.
E:\FR\FM\14MRN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13686-13688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5763]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-64060; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2011-035]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC;
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To
Modify Fees for Co-Location Services
March 8, 2011.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given that
on March 1, 2011, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``NASDAQ'' or
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II,
and III below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The
Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the
proposed rule change from interested persons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of the
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to modify pricing for co-location services.
The Exchange will implement the proposed change on March 1, 2011. The
text of the proposed rule change is available at https://nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com/, at the Exchange's principal office, and at
the Commission's Public Reference Room.
II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in
Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in
Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such
statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
1. Purpose
The Exchange is amending its co-location fee schedule to: (1)
Institute a monthly fee of $300 for telecommunications and inter-
cabinet cross connections; and (2) fees for additional patch and power
cords.
Under the proposal, co-location customers having telecommunications
cross-connections to approved telecommunication carriers in the
datacenter will be assessed a monthly fee of $300 per connection. For
the convenience of its customers, the Exchange allows
telecommunications carriers to maintain a presence in the data center
free of charge. In addition, inter-cabinet connections to other
customers in the datacenter will be likewise assessed a $300 per-month,
per-connection fee. These fees will only be assessed on the customer
that requested the initiation of the connection, and cross-connections
between cabinets being used by the same customer will not be assessed
the fee.
The Exchange is also proposing to introduce fees for patch and
power cords. Under the proposal, the Exchange will maintain an
inventory of patch cords (ethernet and fiber optic cables) and power
cords at the datacenter and make them available to customers should
they desire to purchase them. The proposed fees for patch cords vary
with their capabilities and length, with copper patch cord being
charged at $4.50 + $.50 per foot; multi-mode fiber patch cord being
priced at $20 + $1.50 per-meter, and single-mode fiber patch cord
priced at $24 + $.75 per-meter. For power cords, the Exchange proposes
to charge $5 for 5-15P--C13 cords of two to four feet in length, and
$10 for C14--C19 cords also of two to four feet in length.\3\ The
Exchange is making the cords available as a convenience to customers,
and notes that use of Exchange-provided patch and power cords is
completely voluntary, and that such cords may be freely obtained by
[sic] other vendors for use by customers in the datacenter.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The P, C, and number designations reflect differences in the
shape of a cord's plug as well a cord's power throughput capability.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent
with the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\4\ in general, and with
Section 6(b)(4) of the Act,\5\ in particular, in that it provides for
the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees and other charges
among members and issuers and other persons using any facility or
system which the Exchange operates or controls.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
\5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Exchange operates in a highly competitive market, in which
exchanges offer co-location services as a means to facilitate the
trading activities of those members who believe that co-location
enhances the efficiency of their trading. Accordingly, fees charged for
co-location services are constrained by the active competitive [sic]
for the order flow of such members. If a particular exchange charges
excessive fees for co-location services, affected members will opt to
terminate their co-location arrangements with that exchange, and adopt
a possible range of alternative strategies, including co-locating with
a different exchange, placing their servers in a physically proximate
location outside the exchange's data center, or pursuing trading
strategies not dependent upon co-location. Accordingly, the exchange
charging excessive fees would stand to lose not only co-location
revenues but also revenues associated with the execution of orders
routed to it by affected members. The Exchange believes that this
competitive dynamic imposes powerful restraints on the ability of any
exchange to charge unreasonable fees for co-location services.
Moreover, all of the Exchange's fees for co-location services are
equitably allocated and non-discriminatory, in that all co-location
customers are offered the same range of products and services and there
is no differentiation among customers with regard to the fees charged
for a particular product, service, or piece of equipment.
It should be noted, however, that the costs associated with
operating a co-
[[Page 13687]]
location facility, like the costs of operating the electronic trading
facility with which the co-location facility is associated, are
primarily fixed costs, and in the case of co-location are primarily the
costs of renting or owning data center space and retaining a staff of
technical personnel. Accordingly, the Exchange establishes a range of
co-location fees with the goal of covering these fixed costs, covering
less significant marginal costs, such as the cost of electricity, and
earning a return on its investment. Because fixed costs must be
allocated among all customers, the Exchange's fee schedule reflects an
effort to assess a range of relatively low fees for specific aspects of
co-location services, which, in the aggregate, will allow the Exchange
to cover its costs and earn a return on investment.
In the case of inter-cabinet connection fees, the proposed fee of
$300 per month covers the marginal costs of establishing and
maintaining such connections, and also allows customers maintaining
such connections to contribute to the fixed costs of data center
operation. Notably, because telecommunications providers are provided
with free data center space as a convenience to co-located customers,
the Exchange believes that it is reasonable to impose charges on
persons connecting to such providers as a means of defraying the fixed
rental cost incurred in making such space available to the
telecommunications providers. The Exchange further believes that the
number of data center cross connections correlates to the extent and
complexity of a customer's operations within the data center.
Accordingly, the Exchange believes that it is reasonable to use fees
assessed on this basis as a means to recoup a share of fixed costs and
earn a return on investment.
The Exchange also notes that the New York Stock Exchange (``NYSE'')
imposes charges for connections within the data center that include a
$500 per month charge for connections between cabinets of the same
customer, and charges for connectivity bundles that include a limited
number of connections to telecommunications providers and connections
within the data center for monthly fees ranging from $13,000 to $61,000
per month, depending on the number of connections and the bandwidth.
NYSEArca charges $600 per month for all connections within its data
center. See https://www.nyse.com/pdfs/nyse_equities_pricelist.pdf at
page 14 and. https://www.nyse.com/pdfs/nysearcaMarketplaceFees112011-Clean.pdf at p. 10. Accordingly, the Exchange believes that its
proposed fee of $300 per month is reasonable in comparison with fees
already charged for comparable services of other exchanges offering co-
location.
With respect to the Exchange's proposed fees for power cords, the
Exchange believes that its fees are a reasonable reflection of its
costs to obtain and resell such cords as a convenience to its
customers. Notably, the fees charged by the Exchange are generally
comparable to prices charged by unregulated vendors for similar
products. See https://www.comegacity.com/cables-computer/power-cables/tripp-lite-p047-002-2ft-ac-power-cord-c19-c14-10; and https://www.cables.com/Products/NEMA-5-15P-TO-IEC320-C13-13a-4-Feet_PCRD-4-13A.aspx. The same is true for the proposed patch cord pricing. See
https://www.cablestogo.com/product_list.asp?cat_id=3525; and https://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=2323&sku=33027.
B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will
result in any burden on competition that is not necessary or
appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act, as amended. As
discussed above, the Exchange believes that fees for co-location
services are constrained by the robust competition for order flow among
exchanges and non-exchange markets, because co-location exists to
advance that competition, and excessive fees for co-location services
would serve to impair an exchange's ability to compete for order flow
rather than burdening competition.
C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others
Written comments were neither solicited nor received.
III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action
The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act.\6\ At any time within 60 days of the filing
of the proposed rule change, the Commission summarily may temporarily
suspend such rule change if it appears to the Commission that such
action is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the
protection of investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of
the Act. If the Commission takes such action, the Commission shall
institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule should be
approved or disapproved.
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\6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(a)(ii). [sic]
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IV. Solicitation of Comments
Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule
change, as amended, is consistent with the Act. Comments may be
submitted by any of the following methods:
Electronic Comments
Use the Commission's Internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
Send an e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include
File Number SR-NASDAQ-2011-035 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NASDAQ-2011-035. This
file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used.
To help the Commission process and review your comments more
efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all
comments on the Commission's Internet website (https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments,
all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that
are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating
to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person,
other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance
with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site
viewing and printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room on
official business days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies
of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the
principal offices of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted
without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying
information from submissions. You should submit only information that
you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to
File Number SR-NASDAQ-2011-035, and should be submitted on or before
April 4, 2011.
[[Page 13688]]
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\7\
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\7\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-5763 Filed 3-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P