WORLD TRADE GATS/SC/76/Suppl.2
11April 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1455)
Trade inServices
SINGAPORE
Schedule ofSpecific Commitments
Supplement 2
(This isauthentic inEnglish only)
_______________
Thistextsupplements theentries relating totelecommunications contained onpage 20of
document GATS/SC/76.GATS/SC/76/Suppl.2
Page2SINGAPORE -SCHEDULE OFSPECIFIC COMMITMENTS
Modes ofsupply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orSub-sector Limitations onMarket Access Limitations onNational Treatment Additional
Commitments
General conditions statement
Commitments undertaken inthisschedule aresubject tothefollowing conditions:
1) Each service listed insubsectors 1and2must belicensed through apublic tender process.
2) Thenumber oflicences maybelimited duetoscarce resources, such asrights ofway.
2.C. Telecommunications
Services*Asannexed
1. Basic Telecommunication
Services (facilities-based):
a) Public Switched Services1
(local andinternational)
b) Leased Circuit Services
(local andinternational)
*Excludes services
regulated under the
Singapore Broadcasting
Authority Act.(1) Subject tocommercial arrangements with
licensed operator(s)
(2) None.
(3) Uptotwoadditional operators willbe
licensed in1998 fortheprovision ofthese
services commencing 1April 2000.
Thereafter, additional licences willbe
granted.
Acumulative total of73.99% foreign
shareholding, based on49% direct
investment and24.99% indirect
investment inthese operators isallowed.
(4) Unbound, except asindicated in
horizontal commitments.(1) None.
(2) None.
3) None, except asindicated inhorizontal
commitments.
(4) Unbound, except asindicated in
horizontal commitments.
1Thisincludes voice, dataandfacsimile services.GATS/SC/76/Suppl.2
Page3Modes ofsupply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orSub-sector Limitations onMarket Access Limitations onNational Treatment Additional
Commitments
2. Mobile Services:
a) Public Mobile Data Service
(PMDS)
b) Public Trunked Radio
Service (PTRS)
c) Public Radio Paging
Service (PRPS)
d) Public Cellular Mobile
Telephone Service
(PCMTS)(1) Subject tocommercial arrangements with
licensed operator(s).
(2) None.
(3) None except for(d),where more licences
willbegranted from 1April 2000.
Acumulative total of73.99% foreign
shareholding, based on49% direct
investment and24.99% indirect
investment inthese operators isallowed.
(4) Unbound, except asindicated inthe
horizontal commitments.(1) None.
(2) None.
(3) None, except asindicated inhorizontal
commitments.
(4) Unbound, except asindicated in
horizontal commitments.Asannexed.
3. Resale basis:
a) Public Switched Services
(local andinternational)
(notincluding theuseof
leased circuits connected to
thepublic switched
network)
b) Leased Circuit Services
(local andinternational)
(without connection tothe
public switched network)
c) Public Cellular Mobile
Telephone Services
d) Public Radio Paging
Services(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound, except asindicated in
horizontal commitments.(1) None.
(2) None.
(3) None, except asindicated inhorizontal
commitments.
(4) Unbound, except asindicated in
horizontal commitments.GAT/SC/76/Suppl.2
Page4
ANNEX
REFERENCE PAPER
Scope
Thefollowingaredefinitionsandprinciplesontheregulatoryframeworkforthebasictelecommunications
services.
Definitions
Users mean service consumers andservice suppliers.
Essential facilities mean facilities ofapublic telecommunications transport network orservice that
(a) areexclusively orpredominantly provided byasingle orlimited number ofsuppliers;
and
(b) cannot feasibly beeconomically ortechnically substituted inorder toprovide aservice.
Amajor supplier isasupplier which hastheability tomaterially affect theterms ofparticipation (having
regard toprice andsupply) intherelevant market forbasic telecommunications services asaresult
of:
(a) control overessential facilities; or
(b) useofitsposition inthemarket.
1. Competitive safeguards
1.1 Prevention ofanti-competitive practices intelecommunications
Appropriate measures shallbemaintained forthepurpose ofpreventing suppliers who, alone
ortogether, areamajor supplier from engaging inorcontinuing anti-competitive practices.
1.2 Safeguards
Theanti-competitive practices referred toabove shallinclude inparticular:
(a) engaging inanti-competitive cross-subsidization;
(b) using information obtained from competitors withanti-competitive results; and
(c) notmaking available toother services suppliers onatimely basistechnical information
about essential facilities andcommercially relevant information which arenecessary
forthem toprovide services.GATS/SC/76/Suppl.2
Page5
2. Interconnection
2.1 Thissection applies tolinking withsuppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks orservices inorder toallow theusers ofonesupplier tocommunicate withusers ofanother
supplier and toaccess services provided byanother supplier, where specific commitments are
undertaken.
2.2 Interconnection tobeensured
Interconnection withamajor supplier willbeensured atanytechnically feasible point inthe
network. Such interconnection isprovided.
(a) under non-discriminatory terms, conditions (including technical standards and
specifications) andratesandofaquality nolessfavourable thanthatprovided forits
ownlikeservices orforlikeservices ofnon-affiliated service suppliers orforits
subsidiaries orother affiliates;
(b) inatimely fashion, onterms, conditions (including technical standards and
specifications) andcost-oriented ratesthataretransparent, reasonable, having regard
toeconomic feasibility, andsufficiently unbundled sothatthesupplier neednotpay
fornetwork components orfacilities thatitdoesnotrequire fortheservice tobe
provided; and
(c) upon request, atpoints inaddition tothenetwork termination points offered tothe
majority ofusers, subject tocharges thatreflect thecostofconstruction ofnecessary
additional facilities.
2.3 Public availability oftheprocedures forinterconnection negotiations
Theproceduresapplicableforinterconnectiontoamajorsupplierwillbemadepubliclyavailable.
2.4 Transparency ofinterconnection arrangements
Itisensured thatamajor supplier willmake publicly available either itsinterconnection
agreements orareference interconnection offer.
2.5 Interconnection: dispute settlement
Aservice supplier requesting interconnection withamajor supplier willhaverecourse, either:
(a) atanytimeor
(b) afterareasonable period oftimewhich hasbeenmade publicly known
toanindependent domestic body, which maybearegulatory bodyasreferred toinparagraph 5below,
toresolve disputes regarding appropriate terms, conditions andrates forinterconnection within a
reasonable period oftime, totheextent thatthese havenotbeenestablished previously.GAT/SC/76/Suppl.2
Page6
3. Universal service
AnyMemberhastherighttodefinethekindofuniversalserviceobligationitwishestomaintain.
Such obligations willnotberegarded asanti-competitive perse,provided theyareadministered in
atransparent, non-discriminatory andcompetitively neutral manner andarenotmore burdensome than
necessary forthekindofuniversal service defined bytheMember.
4. Public availability oflicensing criteria
Where alicence isrequired, thefollowing willbemade publicly available:
(a) allthelicensing criteria andtheperiod oftimenormally required toreach adecision
concerning anapplication foralicence and
(b) theterms andconditions ofindividual licences.
Thereasons forthedenial ofalicence willbemade known totheapplicant upon request.
5. Independent regulators
Theregulatory body isseparate from, andnotaccountable to,anysupplier ofbasic
telecommunications services. Thedecisions ofandtheprocedures usedbyregulators shallbeimpartial
withrespect toallmarket participants.
6. Allocation anduseofscarce resources
Anyprocedures fortheallocation anduseofscarce resources, including frequencies, numbers
andrightsofway,willbecarriedoutinanobjective,timely,transparentandnon-discriminatorymanner.
Thecurrent stateofallocated frequency bands willbemade publicly available, butdetailed identification
offrequencies allocated forspecific government usesisnotrequired.