Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Modify NASDAQ Connectivity Options and Fees, 71018-71021 [2013-28420]

Download as PDF 71018 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2013 / Notices will post all comments on the Commission’s Internet Web site (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, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office 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– NYSEARCA–2013–128 and should be submitted on or before December 18, 2013. been prepared by the Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons. IV. Solicitation of Comments Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods: For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.13 Kevin M. O’Neill, Deputy Secretary. A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Purpose of, and the Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change Electronic Comments • Use the Commission’s Internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/ rules/sro.shtml); or • Send an email to rule-comments@ sec.gov. Please include File Number SR– NYSEARCA–2013–128 on the subject line. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the proposed rule change. emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action The foregoing rule change is effective upon filing pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) 10 of the Act and subparagraph (f)(2) of Rule 19b–4 11 thereunder, because it establishes a due, fee, or other charge imposed by the Exchange. At any time within 60 days of the filing of such 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 under Section 19(b)(2)(B) 12 of the Act to determine whether the proposed rule change should be approved or disapproved. 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–NYSEARCA–2013–128. This file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). CFR 240.19b–4(f)(2). 12 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B). [FR Doc. 2013–28417 Filed 11–26–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P [Release No. 34–70915; File No. SR– NASDAQ–2013–140] Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Modify NASDAQ Connectivity Options and Fees November 21, 2013. 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 November 8, 2013, 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 and II below, which Items have 10 15 13 17 11 17 1 15 VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:02 Nov 26, 2013 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). 2 17 CFR 240.19b–4. Jkt 232001 PO 00000 Frm 00104 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The Exchange proposes to modify NASDAQ connectivity options and fees. The text of the proposed rule change is available from NASDAQ’s Web site at https://nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com/ Filings/, at NASDAQ’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. 1. Purpose The Exchange proposes to modify Rule 7034(b) regarding connectivity to NASDAQ. Specifically, the Exchange proposes to establish connectivity and installation fees for a 1Gb Ultra low latency fiber connection option, and to adopt installation fees for subscriptions through January 31, 2014. The Exchange currently offers various bandwidth and speed options for connectivity to NASDAQ, including copper, fiber, and wireless options in bandwidths ranging from 1Gb to 40Gb. Thus, for example, NASDAQ currently offers both a 1Gb fiber connection, and a 1Gb copper connection.3 In keeping with changes in technology, the Exchange now proposes to provide another 1Gb fiber connection offering, which uses new lower latency switches.4 A switch is a type of network hardware that acts as the ‘‘gatekeeper’’ for all of a co-located client’s orders sent to the System 5 at the NASDAQ co3 Rule 7034(b). term ‘‘latency’’ for these purposes is a measure of the time it takes for an order to enter into a switch and then exit for entry into the System. 5 As defined by Rule 4751(a). 4 The E:\FR\FM\27NON1.SGM 27NON1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2013 / Notices location facility and orders them in sequence for entry into the System for execution. Each of NASDAQ’s current connection offerings (copper, fiber, wireless) uses different switches, but the switches are of uniform type within each offering (i.e., all fiber connectivity options currently use the same switches). As a consequence, all colocated client subscribers to a particular connectivity option receive the same latency in terms of the capabilities of their switches. The 1Gb Ultra offering will use a low latency switch, which provides faster processing of orders sent to it in comparison to the current 1G switch in use for co-location connectivity. As a consequence, colocated clients needing only 1Gb of bandwidth, but that seek faster processing of those orders as they enter NASDAQ’s co-location facility now have the option to subscribe to a faster and more efficient connection to the Exchange.6 The Exchange proposes a monthly subscription fee of $2,500 for a 1Gb Ultra connection, and a one-time installation fee of $1,500. NASDAQ believes that the pricing reflects the hardware and other infrastructure and maintenance costs to NASDAQ associated with offering technology that is at the forefront of the industry. The $1,500 installation fee for the 1Gb Ultra product exceeds the $1,000 installation fee for the existing 1Gb product due to the added complexity of installing the Ultra product. In order to achieve lower latency, the Ultra product requires not only the installation of a fiber telecommunications line; it also requires the additional installation of sophisticated switching equipment. The new low latency service will be completely optional based on whether potential users perceive sufficient value to adopt the new service. This new low latency service decreases the time individual orders are processed and market data is transmitted by these new switches. The Exchange’s proposal provides the co-located client the option for faster switch processing, which is highly-valued among some market participants. NASDAQ notes that other markets have adopted low-latency connectivity options for their users. For example, the International Securities Exchange LLC (‘‘ISE’’) offers a 10Gb low latency Ethernet connectivity option to its users, which provides a ‘‘higher 6 The Exchange is not offering a low latency option for other bandwidth connections at this time, but may do so in the future. VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:02 Nov 26, 2013 Jkt 232001 speed network to access [ISE’s] Optimise trading system.’’ 7 The Exchange also proposes to provide a waiver of the installation fees for client orders of 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity to NASDAQ completed between the effectiveness of this proposal and January 31, 2014. The Exchange is providing the waiver to assist its co-located clients in upgrading to lower latency connections to meet the growing needs of co-located clients’ business operations. NASDAQ is also deleting text that refers to an installation fee waiver time period for 10Gb Ultra connections, which has since expired, and replacing it with the fee waiver for the 1Gb Ultra offering. 2. Statutory Basis The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act,8 in general, and with Section 6(b)(4) of the Act,9 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 also believes the proposal furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act 10 in that it is designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general to protect investors and the public interest and is not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customer, issuers, brokers and dealers. The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 6(b)(4) of the Act because the fees assessed for 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity allow the Exchange to cover the costs associated with the purchase of new equipment for this new offering. NASDAQ is offering 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity at a premium to the current 1Gb offering but at a discount to the 10Gb and 40Gb fiber connectivity offerings as these provide more bandwidth available on NASDAQ, which is important for co-located clients that have high order flow and ingest large amounts of market data and demand the greatest bandwidth possible to handle such message flow. Some colocated clients, however, do not have bandwidth demands that would require 10Gb or 40Gb fiber bandwidth but 7 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 66525 (March 7, 2012), 77 FR 14847 (March 13, 2012) (SR– ISE–2012–09). 8 15 U.S.C. 78f(b). 9 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4). 10 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5). PO 00000 Frm 00105 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 71019 rather put a premium on reducing latency. The 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity it designed to meet this demand. NASDAQ believes that the proposed one-time installation fee is consistent with Section 6(b)(4) of the Act because it is identical to the installation fees assessed for 40Gb fiber connectivity and 10Gb Ultra connectivity under the rule. NASDAQ notes that it will incur the same costs associated with setting up a subscriber with either 40Gb fiber or 10Gb Ultra fiber connectivity. As a consequence, NASDAQ believes that it is reasonable to assess the same installation fee as 40Gb fiber and 10Gb Ultra. The Exchange also believes that its proposal to waive temporarily the 1Gb Ultra fiber connection installation fee is reasonable because it will assist its co-located clients in upgrading to lower latency connections to meet the growing needs of the co-located clients’ business operations at a time in the industry when speed continues to be a driver of the U.S. securities markets. Moreover, the Exchange notes that it has previously waived the installation fees for the 10Gb Ultra and 40Gb fiber connections for a limited time after these connectivity options were first introduced.11 In addition to covering costs, the proposed fees provide the Exchange a profit while providing customers the ability to reduce the latency of their orders sent via these new connections. As discussed above, ISE offers different connectivity options with respect to latency, charging higher fees for lower latency options.12 Therefore, the Exchange believes it is reasonable also to charge higher fees for lower latency options. Also, NASDAQ’s fee compares favorably to fees at NYSE Arca, Inc. NYSE Arca offers a 1Gb connection for a monthly fee of $5,000, which is double NASDAQ’s proposed monthly fee for the 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity option.13 NASDAQ notes that the 1Gb Ultra fiber option provides connectivity to all seven of the NASDAQ OMX Group markets, whereas the offerings of 11 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 66428 (February 21, 2012), 77 FR 11602 (February 27, 2012) (SR–NASDAQ–2012–028). 12 ISE offers both an Ethernet connectivity option and an Ethernet/Low Latency connectivity option. At 10Gb, the Ethernet option costs $4,000 monthly and the Ethernet/Low Latency option costs $7,000 monthly. See https://www.ise.com/assets/ documents/OptionsExchange/legal/fee/fee_ schedule.pdf. 13 NYSE charges $5,000 per month for a 1Gb LCN (Liquidity Center Network) Connection. See https: //usequities.nyx.com/sites/usequities.nyx.com/files/ nyse_price_list_9_3_13_-_corrected.pdf, page 14. E:\FR\FM\27NON1.SGM 27NON1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES 71020 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2013 / Notices other exchanges provide far fewer.14 For these reasons, the Exchange believes the proposed fees for 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity to NASDAQ are reasonable. The Exchange also believes the proposed 1Gb Ultra fiber installation and connectivity fees are equitably allocated in that all co-located clients that voluntarily select this service option will be charged the same amount to cover the hardware, installation, testing and connection costs to maintain and manage the enhanced connection. The proposed fees allow the Exchange to recoup costs associated with providing the 1Gb Ultra fiber connection and provide the Exchange a profit while providing customers with the more efficient connection to the System in terms of latency. All colocated clients have the option to select this voluntary co-location connectivity option; however, NASDAQ is not currently eliminating any existing connectivity options. Accordingly, a colocated client may elect not to subscribe to the 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity option and retain the option to which it is currently subscribed. The Exchange also believes the proposal furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act 15 in that it is designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general to protect investors and the public interest and is not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customer, issuers, brokers and dealers. The 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity option assists co-located clients in making their network connectivity more efficient by reducing the time orders take to reach the System once sent from their colocated server and also the time that market data takes to reach their colocated server. Speed and efficiency are important drivers of the U.S. securities markets and NASDAQ is offering a colocation connectivity solution that promotes these drivers by providing technology that is available to all colocated clients. The Exchange believes the enhanced 1Gb Ultra connection will remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system because NASDAQ will provide this switching technology to market participants, which will improve the speed and 14 The ISE connectivity offering provides access to one market and the NYSE Arca connectivity offering provides connectivity to the four markets of NYSE Euronext. 15 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5). VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:02 Nov 26, 2013 Jkt 232001 efficiency of processing orders arriving at the market from clients’ co-located servers. The Exchange also believes that the reduction in latencies attributed to the enhanced 1Gb Ultra connection option serves to protect investors and the public interest. The reduction in latency will provide investors with the most efficient means of processing orders once they reach the Exchange. Not all clients require the Higher bandwidth options like NASDAQ’s current 10Gb, 10Gb Ultra and 40Gb fiber connectivity, so this new option enables clients to lower their latency while not increasing the bandwidth. The Exchange also believes the proposed installation and subscription fees for the 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity option are not unfairly discriminatory because all users have the option to subscribe to co-locate with NASDAQ and subscribe to the 1Gb Ultra connection. There is no differentiation among co-located clients with regard to the fees charged for these services. The Exchange believes the proposal to waive the 1Gb Ultra fiber connection installation fee is not unfairly discriminatory because the waiver of fees is provided to all co-located clients that volunteer for this particular service option during the prescribed timeframe, and there is no differentiation among co-located clients with regard to the waiver of fees for this option. 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. To the contrary, the Exchange believes that the proposed changes will promote competition by offering co-located clients an additional connectivity option that will enhance their trading operations and ultimately bring greater speed and efficiency to trading in the marketplace. NASDAQ further notes that the proposed option is voluntary in that the Exchange is not required to offer this connectivity, and the user is not required to utilize it. The competitiveness of the offering will determine whether a particular user will adopt the option or not. 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. PO 00000 Frm 00106 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action The Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act 16 and Rule 19b–4(f)(6) thereunder.17 Because the foregoing proposed rule change does not: (1) Significantly affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (2) impose any significant burden on competition; and (3) by its terms does not become operative for 30 days after the date of this filing, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate if consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest, the proposed rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act 18 and Rule 19b– 4(f)(6) thereunder.19 A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b–4(f)(6) 20 normally does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii),21 the Commission may designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has asked the Commission to waive the 30-day operative delay so that the proposal may become operative immediately upon filing. The Exchange represented that its proposal provides co-located clients an option to enhance the efficiency of their trading through the 1Gb Ultra connectivity and believes that the benefits gained in the facilitation of trading activities warrants the waiver of the 30-day operative delay. The Exchange stated it is also providing a waiver of the installation fee for the 1Gb Ultra connection service to allow the colocated clients who select this service to receive its benefits immediately. For the above reasons, the Commission believes waiver of the operative delay is appropriate and hereby grants the Exchange’s request and designates the proposal operative upon filing.22 16 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii). CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6). 18 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). 19 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b– 4(f)(6)(iii) requires a self-regulatory organization to provide the Commission with written notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change, along with a brief description and text of the proposed rule change, at least five business days prior to the date of filing of the proposed rule change, or such shorter time as designated by the Commission. The Exchange has met this requirement. 20 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6). 21 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6)(iii). 22 For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay, the Commission has also considered the proposed rule’s impact on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f). 17 17 E:\FR\FM\27NON1.SGM 27NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2013 / Notices At any time within 60 days of the filing of such 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 under Section 19(b)(2)(B) 23 of the Act to determine whether the proposed rule change should be approved or disapproved. IV. Solicitation of Comments Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods: emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES Electronic Comments • Use the Commission’s Internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/ rules/sro.shtml); or • Send an email to rule-comments@ sec.gov. Please include File Number SR– NASDAQ–2013–140 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–2013–140. This file number should be included on the subject line if email 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 Web site (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, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for 23 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B). VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:02 Nov 26, 2013 inspection and copying at the principal office 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–2013–140 and should be submitted on or before December 18, 2013. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.24 Kevin M. O’Neill, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2013–28420 Filed 11–26–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [File No. 500–1] Life Stem Genetics Inc.; Order of Suspension of Trading November 25, 2013. It appears to the Securities and Exchange Commission that there is a lack of current and accurate information concerning the securities of Life Stem Genetics Inc. because of questions regarding the accuracy of assertions by the company, and by others, including in press releases to investors concerning, among other things, the company’s operations. The Commission is of the opinion that the public interest and the protection of investors require a suspension of trading in the securities of the above-listed company. Therefore, it is ordered, pursuant to Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that trading in the securities of the above-listed company is suspended for the period from 9:30 a.m. EST, on November 25, 2013 through 11:59 p.m. EST, on December 9, 2013. By the Commission. Jill M. Peterson, Assistant Secretary. [FR Doc. 2013–28607 Filed 11–25–13; 11:15 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 24 17 Jkt 232001 PO 00000 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). Frm 00107 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 71021 DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8530] Certification Under the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act Certification Pursuant to Section 7041(a) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012 (DIV. I, Pub. L. 112–74) as Carried Forward by the Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (DIV. F, Pub. L. 113–6) By virtue of the authority vested in me as Secretary of State pursuant to section 7041(a) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012 (Div. I, Pub. L. 112–74), as carried forward by the Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (Div. F, Pub. L. 113–6), I hereby certify that the Government of Egypt is meeting its obligations under the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. This determination shall be published in the Federal Register and, along with the accompanying Memorandum of Justification, shall be reported to Congress. Dated: May 3, 2013. John F. Kerry, Secretary of State. Editorial Note: This document arrived at the Federal Register on November 20, 2013. [FR Doc. 2013–28227 Filed 11–26–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4710–31–P DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8536] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ‘‘Antonio Canova: The Seven Last Works’’ Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Act of October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority No. 236–3 of August 28, 2000 (and, as appropriate, Delegation of Authority No. 257 of April 15, 2003), I hereby determine that the objects to be included in the exhibition ‘‘Antonio Canova: The Seven Last Works,’’ imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\27NON1.SGM 27NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 27, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71018-71021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28420]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-70915; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2013-140]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Modify NASDAQ Connectivity Options and Fees

November 21, 2013.
    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 November 8, 2013, 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 and 
II 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.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to modify NASDAQ connectivity options and 
fees.
    The text of the proposed rule change is available from NASDAQ's Web 
site at https://nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com/Filings/, at NASDAQ'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 the 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to modify Rule 7034(b) regarding connectivity 
to NASDAQ. Specifically, the Exchange proposes to establish 
connectivity and installation fees for a 1Gb Ultra low latency fiber 
connection option, and to adopt installation fees for subscriptions 
through January 31, 2014.
    The Exchange currently offers various bandwidth and speed options 
for connectivity to NASDAQ, including copper, fiber, and wireless 
options in bandwidths ranging from 1Gb to 40Gb. Thus, for example, 
NASDAQ currently offers both a 1Gb fiber connection, and a 1Gb copper 
connection.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Rule 7034(b).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In keeping with changes in technology, the Exchange now proposes to 
provide another 1Gb fiber connection offering, which uses new lower 
latency switches.\4\ A switch is a type of network hardware that acts 
as the ``gatekeeper'' for all of a co-located client's orders sent to 
the System \5\ at the NASDAQ co-

[[Page 71019]]

location facility and orders them in sequence for entry into the System 
for execution. Each of NASDAQ's current connection offerings (copper, 
fiber, wireless) uses different switches, but the switches are of 
uniform type within each offering (i.e., all fiber connectivity options 
currently use the same switches). As a consequence, all co-located 
client subscribers to a particular connectivity option receive the same 
latency in terms of the capabilities of their switches. The 1Gb Ultra 
offering will use a low latency switch, which provides faster 
processing of orders sent to it in comparison to the current 1G switch 
in use for co-location connectivity. As a consequence, co-located 
clients needing only 1Gb of bandwidth, but that seek faster processing 
of those orders as they enter NASDAQ's co-location facility now have 
the option to subscribe to a faster and more efficient connection to 
the Exchange.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The term ``latency'' for these purposes is a measure of the 
time it takes for an order to enter into a switch and then exit for 
entry into the System.
    \5\ As defined by Rule 4751(a).
    \6\ The Exchange is not offering a low latency option for other 
bandwidth connections at this time, but may do so in the future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange proposes a monthly subscription fee of $2,500 for a 
1Gb Ultra connection, and a one-time installation fee of $1,500. NASDAQ 
believes that the pricing reflects the hardware and other 
infrastructure and maintenance costs to NASDAQ associated with offering 
technology that is at the forefront of the industry. The $1,500 
installation fee for the 1Gb Ultra product exceeds the $1,000 
installation fee for the existing 1Gb product due to the added 
complexity of installing the Ultra product. In order to achieve lower 
latency, the Ultra product requires not only the installation of a 
fiber telecommunications line; it also requires the additional 
installation of sophisticated switching equipment.
    The new low latency service will be completely optional based on 
whether potential users perceive sufficient value to adopt the new 
service. This new low latency service decreases the time individual 
orders are processed and market data is transmitted by these new 
switches. The Exchange's proposal provides the co-located client the 
option for faster switch processing, which is highly-valued among some 
market participants. NASDAQ notes that other markets have adopted low-
latency connectivity options for their users. For example, the 
International Securities Exchange LLC (``ISE'') offers a 10Gb low 
latency Ethernet connectivity option to its users, which provides a 
``higher speed network to access [ISE's] Optimise trading system.'' \7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 66525 (March 7, 
2012), 77 FR 14847 (March 13, 2012) (SR-ISE-2012-09).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange also proposes to provide a waiver of the installation 
fees for client orders of 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity to NASDAQ 
completed between the effectiveness of this proposal and January 31, 
2014. The Exchange is providing the waiver to assist its co-located 
clients in upgrading to lower latency connections to meet the growing 
needs of co-located clients' business operations.
    NASDAQ is also deleting text that refers to an installation fee 
waiver time period for 10Gb Ultra connections, which has since expired, 
and replacing it with the fee waiver for the 1Gb Ultra offering.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 
6(b) of the Act,\8\ in general, and with Section 6(b)(4) of the Act,\9\ 
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 also believes the proposal furthers the 
objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act \10\ in that it is designed to 
promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments 
to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national 
market system, and, in general to protect investors and the public 
interest and is not designed to permit unfair discrimination between 
customer, issuers, brokers and dealers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 
6(b)(4) of the Act because the fees assessed for 1Gb Ultra fiber 
connectivity allow the Exchange to cover the costs associated with the 
purchase of new equipment for this new offering. NASDAQ is offering 1Gb 
Ultra fiber connectivity at a premium to the current 1Gb offering but 
at a discount to the 10Gb and 40Gb fiber connectivity offerings as 
these provide more bandwidth available on NASDAQ, which is important 
for co-located clients that have high order flow and ingest large 
amounts of market data and demand the greatest bandwidth possible to 
handle such message flow. Some co-located clients, however, do not have 
bandwidth demands that would require 10Gb or 40Gb fiber bandwidth but 
rather put a premium on reducing latency. The 1Gb Ultra fiber 
connectivity it designed to meet this demand.
    NASDAQ believes that the proposed one-time installation fee is 
consistent with Section 6(b)(4) of the Act because it is identical to 
the installation fees assessed for 40Gb fiber connectivity and 10Gb 
Ultra connectivity under the rule. NASDAQ notes that it will incur the 
same costs associated with setting up a subscriber with either 40Gb 
fiber or 10Gb Ultra fiber connectivity. As a consequence, NASDAQ 
believes that it is reasonable to assess the same installation fee as 
40Gb fiber and 10Gb Ultra. The Exchange also believes that its proposal 
to waive temporarily the 1Gb Ultra fiber connection installation fee is 
reasonable because it will assist its co-located clients in upgrading 
to lower latency connections to meet the growing needs of the co-
located clients' business operations at a time in the industry when 
speed continues to be a driver of the U.S. securities markets. 
Moreover, the Exchange notes that it has previously waived the 
installation fees for the 10Gb Ultra and 40Gb fiber connections for a 
limited time after these connectivity options were first 
introduced.\11\
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    \11\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 66428 (February 21, 
2012), 77 FR 11602 (February 27, 2012) (SR-NASDAQ-2012-028).
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    In addition to covering costs, the proposed fees provide the 
Exchange a profit while providing customers the ability to reduce the 
latency of their orders sent via these new connections. As discussed 
above, ISE offers different connectivity options with respect to 
latency, charging higher fees for lower latency options.\12\ Therefore, 
the Exchange believes it is reasonable also to charge higher fees for 
lower latency options. Also, NASDAQ's fee compares favorably to fees at 
NYSE Arca, Inc. NYSE Arca offers a 1Gb connection for a monthly fee of 
$5,000, which is double NASDAQ's proposed monthly fee for the 1Gb Ultra 
fiber connectivity option.\13\ NASDAQ notes that the 1Gb Ultra fiber 
option provides connectivity to all seven of the NASDAQ OMX Group 
markets, whereas the offerings of

[[Page 71020]]

other exchanges provide far fewer.\14\ For these reasons, the Exchange 
believes the proposed fees for 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity to NASDAQ 
are reasonable.
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    \12\ ISE offers both an Ethernet connectivity option and an 
Ethernet/Low Latency connectivity option. At 10Gb, the Ethernet 
option costs $4,000 monthly and the Ethernet/Low Latency option 
costs $7,000 monthly. See https://www.ise.com/assets/documents/OptionsExchange/legal/fee/fee_schedule.pdf.
    \13\ NYSE charges $5,000 per month for a 1Gb LCN (Liquidity 
Center Network) Connection. See https://usequities.nyx.com/sites/usequities.nyx.com/files/nyse_price_list_9_3_13_-_corrected.pdf, page 14.
    \14\ The ISE connectivity offering provides access to one market 
and the NYSE Arca connectivity offering provides connectivity to the 
four markets of NYSE Euronext.
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    The Exchange also believes the proposed 1Gb Ultra fiber 
installation and connectivity fees are equitably allocated in that all 
co-located clients that voluntarily select this service option will be 
charged the same amount to cover the hardware, installation, testing 
and connection costs to maintain and manage the enhanced connection. 
The proposed fees allow the Exchange to recoup costs associated with 
providing the 1Gb Ultra fiber connection and provide the Exchange a 
profit while providing customers with the more efficient connection to 
the System in terms of latency. All co-located clients have the option 
to select this voluntary co-location connectivity option; however, 
NASDAQ is not currently eliminating any existing connectivity options. 
Accordingly, a co-located client may elect not to subscribe to the 1Gb 
Ultra fiber connectivity option and retain the option to which it is 
currently subscribed.
    The Exchange also believes the proposal furthers the objectives of 
Section 6(b)(5) of the Act \15\ in that it is designed to promote just 
and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and perfect 
the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, 
and, in general to protect investors and the public interest and is not 
designed to permit unfair discrimination between customer, issuers, 
brokers and dealers. The 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity option assists 
co-located clients in making their network connectivity more efficient 
by reducing the time orders take to reach the System once sent from 
their co-located server and also the time that market data takes to 
reach their co-located server. Speed and efficiency are important 
drivers of the U.S. securities markets and NASDAQ is offering a co-
location connectivity solution that promotes these drivers by providing 
technology that is available to all co-located clients. The Exchange 
believes the enhanced 1Gb Ultra connection will remove impediments to 
and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national 
market system because NASDAQ will provide this switching technology to 
market participants, which will improve the speed and efficiency of 
processing orders arriving at the market from clients' co-located 
servers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange also believes that the reduction in latencies 
attributed to the enhanced 1Gb Ultra connection option serves to 
protect investors and the public interest. The reduction in latency 
will provide investors with the most efficient means of processing 
orders once they reach the Exchange. Not all clients require the Higher 
bandwidth options like NASDAQ's current 10Gb, 10Gb Ultra and 40Gb fiber 
connectivity, so this new option enables clients to lower their latency 
while not increasing the bandwidth.
    The Exchange also believes the proposed installation and 
subscription fees for the 1Gb Ultra fiber connectivity option are not 
unfairly discriminatory because all users have the option to subscribe 
to co-locate with NASDAQ and subscribe to the 1Gb Ultra connection. 
There is no differentiation among co-located clients with regard to the 
fees charged for these services. The Exchange believes the proposal to 
waive the 1Gb Ultra fiber connection installation fee is not unfairly 
discriminatory because the waiver of fees is provided to all co-located 
clients that volunteer for this particular service option during the 
prescribed timeframe, and there is no differentiation among co-located 
clients with regard to the waiver of fees for this option.

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. To 
the contrary, the Exchange believes that the proposed changes will 
promote competition by offering co-located clients an additional 
connectivity option that will enhance their trading operations and 
ultimately bring greater speed and efficiency to trading in the 
marketplace. NASDAQ further notes that the proposed option is voluntary 
in that the Exchange is not required to offer this connectivity, and 
the user is not required to utilize it. The competitiveness of the 
offering will determine whether a particular user will adopt the option 
or not.

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 Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \16\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\17\ 
Because the foregoing proposed rule change does not: (1) Significantly 
affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (2) impose 
any significant burden on competition; and (3) by its terms does not 
become operative for 30 days after the date of this filing, or such 
shorter time as the Commission may designate if consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest, the proposed rule 
change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act 
\18\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\19\
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    \16\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \17\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \18\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \19\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) 
requires a self-regulatory organization to provide the Commission 
with written notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change, 
along with a brief description and text of the proposed rule change, 
at least five business days prior to the date of filing of the 
proposed rule change, or such shorter time as designated by the 
Commission. The Exchange has met this requirement.
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \20\ normally 
does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the 
filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\21\ the Commission 
may designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has asked 
the Commission to waive the 30-day operative delay so that the proposal 
may become operative immediately upon filing. The Exchange represented 
that its proposal provides co-located clients an option to enhance the 
efficiency of their trading through the 1Gb Ultra connectivity and 
believes that the benefits gained in the facilitation of trading 
activities warrants the waiver of the 30-day operative delay. The 
Exchange stated it is also providing a waiver of the installation fee 
for the 1Gb Ultra connection service to allow the co-located clients 
who select this service to receive its benefits immediately. For the 
above reasons, the Commission believes waiver of the operative delay is 
appropriate and hereby grants the Exchange's request and designates the 
proposal operative upon filing.\22\
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    \20\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \21\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \22\ For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay, 
the Commission has also considered the proposed rule's impact on 
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 
78c(f).

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[[Page 71021]]

    At any time within 60 days of the filing of such 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 under 
Section 19(b)(2)(B) \23\ of the Act to determine whether the proposed 
rule change should be approved or disapproved.
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    \23\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule 
change 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 email to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include 
File Number SR-NASDAQ-2013-140 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-2013-140. This 
file number should be included on the subject line if email 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 Web site (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, 100 F Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available 
for inspection and copying at the principal office 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-2013-140 and should 
be submitted on or before December 18, 2013.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\24\
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    \24\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-28420 Filed 11-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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