RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/GBT/W/1/Add.55
15February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0748)
Original: Spanish Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM ARGENTINA
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
Revision
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofArgentina tomembers oftheGroup
onBasic Telecommunications.
_______________
Inaccordance withthedecision adopted intheGroup onBasic Telecommunications ofthe
World Trade Organization, Argentina hereby submits itsdraft conditional schedule onbasic
telecommunications.
Theaccompanyingdraftscheduleisconditionalonasatisfactoryfinaloutcomeofthenegotiations
onabroad MFN basis.
Argentina reserves therighttomodify, reduce orwithdraw allorpartofthisschedule atany
timeprior totheconclusion ofthenegotiations onbasic telecommunications.
Argentina considers direct-to-home television services, direct broadcast television services,
digital audio services andfreereception broadcasting services tobeoutside thescope ofthisofferand
reserves therightsotospecify explicitly intheoffer.
Italsoreserves theright tointroduce changes, modifications andcorrections ofatechnical
nature andalsotocorrect errors andemission.
Thisschedule contains commitments which reflect thelegalandregulatory framework currently
inforce inArgentina.
With respect toregulatory principles, Argentina isadopting asadditional commitments the
principles setoutintheannex which forms partofthepresent offer.
The horizontal notes contained indocuments MTN.GNS/W/125/Rev.4 and
MTN.GNS/W/125/Rev.4/Corr.1. apply tothisoffer.
Theservices included inthesectors column maybesupplied byanytechnological means
(e.g.fibreoptics, radiolinks, satellites, cable), except asotherwise stated inthelimitations inthemarket
access column.S/GBT/W/1/Add.55
Page2
Thecommitments oftheconditional offer takeintoaccount thenote(S/GBT/W/3) bythe
Chairman oftheGroup onBasic Telecommunications entitled "Market access limitations onspectrum
availability" ,of3February 1997, andtherefore thehorizontal note"Inservices based ontheuseof
thespectrum subject toavailability" iseliminated from theArgentine offer.
Allorpartofthecontents ofArgentina 'soffer onBasic Telecommunications canenter into
fulleffectonlyafterapprovalbytheNationalCongressandratificationbytheGovernment,inaccordance
withtheconstitutional provisions inforce.ARGENTINA -REVISED DRAFT OFFERS/GBT/W/1/Add.55
Page3Modes ofsupply: (1)Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3)Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
2.C. TELECOMMUNICATION
SERVICES
Allsubsectors Thisoffer does notinclude theprovision of
satellite facilities ofgeostationary artificial
satellites fortheFixed Satellite Service.SeeAnnex.
Telephone services
-Local anddomestic long
distance basic telephone
services
(CPC 7521)(1) None from 8November 2000
(2) None
(3) None from 8November 2000
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizonal section
-International telephone
services
(CPC 7521)(1) None from 8November 2000
(2) None
(3) None from 8November 2000
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizonal sectionModes ofsupply: (1)Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3)Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
-Domestic dataservicesS/GBT/W/1/Add.55
Page4
(CPC 7523**)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizontal section
-Domestic telex services
(CPC 7523**)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizontal section
-Domestic facsimile
services, store-and-
forward
(CPC 7521** +7529**)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizontal sectionSeeAnnex.Modes ofsupply: (1)Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3)Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
-International dataservicesS/GBT/W/1/Add.55
Page5(CPC 7523**)(1) None from 8November 2000
(2) None
(3) None from 8November 2000
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizonal section
-International telex services
(CPC 7523**)(1) None from 8November 2000
(2) None
(3) None from 8November 2000
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizonal section
-International facsimile
services, store-and-
forward
(CPC 7521** +7529**)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None, except thatupto
8November 2000 thelinks used for
supplying these services must belong
totheenterprise holding the
exclusive rights toprovide
international connections.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizontal sectionModes ofsupply: (1)Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3)Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
-Leased telephone circuitsS/GBT/W/1/Add.55
Page6
(1) None
(2) None
(3) None, except thatupto
8November 2000 thepresent basic
telephone service licence-holders
have apreferential installation period
of60or180days depending on
whether theyareinside oroutside
basic tariff areas.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizontal sectionSeeAnnex.
-Leased circuits for
international voice and
data(1) None
(2) None
(3) None, except thatupto
8November 2000 theinternational
operator hasapreferential
installation period of120days
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizontal sectionModes ofsupply: (1)Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3)Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
Mobile services:S/GBT/W/1/Add.55
Page7-Mobile Telephone
Services (MTS)
-Personal communications
(PCS)
-Paging
-SMR trunking
-Mobile dataservices(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
MTS aresupplied under aduopolistic
regime, theavailable spectrum being
assigned inalltheservice areas.
InthecaseofPCS, the
administrative authority willdecide
onanumber ofsuppliers per
operating areainthelight ofpresent
andfuture needs.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
thehorizontal sectionS/GBT/W/1/Add.55
Page8
REFERENCE PAPER
Scope
Thefollowing aredefinitions andprinciples ontheregulatory framework forthebasic
telecommunications services.
Definitions
Users mean service consumers andservice suppliers.
Essential facilities mean thefunctions andelements ofapublic telecommunications transport
network orservice that:
(a) Areexclusively orpredominantly provided byasingle orlimited number ofsuppliers;
and
(b) cannot feasibly beeconomically ortechnically substituted inorder toprovide aservice.
Adominant supplier isasupplier which hastheability tomaterially affect theterms of
participation (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.
2. Interconnection
2.1 Thissection applies totheaccess provided between suppliers inorder toallow access toclients,
users, services orelements ofanetwork.S/GBT/W/1/Add.55
Page9
2.2 Interconnection tobeensured
Interconnection withadominant supplier willbeensured atanytechnically viable 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, andsufficiently
unbundled sothatthesupplier neednotpayfornetwork components orfacilities that
itdoesnotrequire fortheservice tobeprovided.
2.3 Public availability oftheprocedures forinterconnection negotiations
Theprocedures applicable forinterconnection toadominant supplier willbemade publicly
available.
2.4 Transparency ofinterconnection arrangements
Itisensured thatadominant supplier willmake publicly available either itsinterconnection
agreements orareference interconnection offer.
2.5 Interconnection: dispute settlement
Aservice supplier requesting interconnection withamajor supplier willhaverecourse, either:
(a) Atantime; or
(b) afterareasonable period oftimewhich hasbeenmade publicly known
toanindependent domestic body, toresolve disputes regarding appropriate terms, conditions andrates
forinterconnection within areasonable period oftime, totheextent thatthesehavenotbeenestablished
previously.
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.S/GBT/W/1/Add.55
Page10
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.