RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/C/W/25
19September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3927)
Council forTrade inServices Original: English
COMMUNICATION FROM SWITZERLAND
Revised Schedule ofSpecific Commitments onBasic Telecommunications
Thefollowing communication hasbeenreceived fromthedelegation ofSwitzerland withthe
request thatitbecirculated toMembers oftheWTO.
_______________
Switzerland’sScheduleannexedtotheFourthProtocoloftheGATSonbasictelecommunications
contains anindication according towhich "following thedecision tobetaken bytheLegislator
(concerning thenewFederal LawonTelecommunication), theSwiss Government willimprove
thecommitmentsonbasictelecommunicationsundertheGATSsimultaneouslywiththeentering
intoforce ofthenewLaw".
Since theconclusion oftheGBT negotiations, thenewFederal LawonTelecommunication
hasbeenapproved byParliament andthethreemonths period opened forreferendum haselapsed
without anyopposition. TheSwiss Government intends toenact thenewTelecommunication
LawbyJanuary 1,1998.
Switzerland istherefore inaposition tosubmit arevised andsubstantially improved Schedule
ofcommitments onbasic telecommunications forconsideration byourWTO partners. This
improved Schedule ismeant toreplace theSwiss Schedule annexed totheFourth Protocol of
theGATS.
Thisimproved Schedule willenterintoforce onthedateofentry intoforce ofthenewFederal
LawonTelecommunication, subject totheentry intoforce oftheFourth Protocol andthe
acceptance ofthelatter bySwitzerland.
_______________
Ifnoobjection isnotified totheSecretariat within thirty days from thedateofthis
communication, theattached Schedule ofCommitments onBasic Telecommunications shallreplace
Switzerland 'sSchedule ofCommitments onBasic Telecommunications annexed totheFourth Prtocol
totheGATS subject totheentry intoforce oftheNewFederal LawonTelecommunications andthe
entry intoforce oftheFourth Protocol.WORLD TRADE
19September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0000)
Trade inServices
SWITZERLAND
Schedule ofSpecific Commitments
Supplement 3
Revision
(This isauthentic inEnglish andFrench only)
_______________-4-SWITZERLAND -REVISED SCHEDULE OFSPECIFIC COMMITMENTS ONBASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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
II. SECTORAL COMMITMENTS
2.C. Telecommunications Services
Telecommunication Services arethetransport ofelectro-magnetic signals -sound, data, image andcombinations thereof -,excluding broadcasting1
AllTelecommunications
Sectors
a) Voice telephone services
(CPC 7521)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartIAsannexed.
b) Packet switched data
transmission
(CPC 7523**)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI
c) Circuit-switched data
transmission
(CPC 7523**)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI
1Broadcasting isdefined astheuninterrupted chain oftransmission required forthedistribution ofTVandradio programme signals tothegeneral public, butdoesnot
cover contribution links between operators.-5-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
d) Telex services
(CPC 7523**)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI
e) Telegraph services
(CPC 7522)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI
f) Facsimile services
(CPC 7521** +7529**)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI
g) Private leased circuit
services (CPC 7522** +
7523**)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inPartI-6-
Annex
Switzerland: Additional Commitments onBasic Telecommunications
Scope
Thefollowing aredefinitions andprinciples ontheregulatory framework forthebasic
telecommunications 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.
i. Competitive safeguards
1.1Prevention ofanti-competitive practices intelecommunications
Appropriate measures shallbemaintained forthepurpose ofpreventing suppliers who, alone
ortogether, areamajor supplier from engaging inorcontinuing anti-competitive practices.
1.2Safeguards
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.-7-
2. Interconnection
2.1 Thissection applies tolinking withsuppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks orservices inorder toallow theusers ofonesupplier tocommunicate withusers ofanother
supplierandtoaccessservicesprovidedbyanothersupplier,wherespecificcommitmentsareundertaken.
2.2Interconnection 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.
2.3Public availability oftheprocedures forinterconnection negotiations
Theproceduresapplicableforinterconnectiontoamajorsupplierwillbemadepubliclyavailable.
2.4Transparency ofinterconnection arrangments
Itisensured thatanysupplier withadominant position 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.-8-
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.