RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/GBT/W/1/Add.48
15February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0828)
Original: English Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Schedule ofSpecific Commitments onBasic Telecommunications
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofTrinidad andTobago tomembers
oftheGroup onBasic Telecommunications.
_______________
Attached istheSchedule ofCommitments oftheGovernment ofTrinidad andTobago regarding
theGATS Negotiations onBasic Telecommunications.S/GBT/W/1/Add.48
Page2TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO -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
I. HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS
Allsectors included inthis
schedule(3) Alicence isrequired fortheacquisition
ofland, theareaofwhich exceeds five
acres fortrade orbusiness oroneacre
forresidential purposes.(3) None
Alicence isrequired fortheacquisition
ofshares inalocal pubic company
where theholding ofsuch shares either
directly orindirectly results in30per
centormore ofthetotal cumulative
shareholding ofthecompany being held
byforeign investors.
Aforeign investor wishing toinvest in
Trinidad andTobago must register with
theRegistrar ofCompanies.
(4) Theentry andresidence offoreign
natural persons issubject toTrinidad
andTobago 'sImmigration Laws.(4) None
Theemployment offoreign natural
persons inexcess ofthirty days is
subject totheobtention ofawork
permit, which isgranted onacase-by-
casebasis. Foreign natural persons
shall beemployed onlyasmanagers,
executives, specialists andexperts.S/GBT/W/1/Add.48
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. COMMUNICATION
SERVICES
C. Telecommunication
services
Allsubsectors 1),3) Subject totheavailability of
frequency.Seeattached additional
commitments onregulatory
disciplines.
ForPublic use:
a. Voice telephone services
(CPC 7521)
b. Packet-switched data
transmission services
(CPC 7523)
c. Circuit-switched data
transmission services
(CPC 7523**)
d. Telex services (7523**)
e. Telegraph services (7522)
g. Private-leased circuit
services
(CPC 7522** +7523**)(1) Until 2010 bypass ofexclusive public
operator notpermitted.
(2) None
(3) Reserved toexclusive supply until 2010.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.
j. On-line information and
databaseretrieval
(CPC 7523**)
k. Electronic datainterchange
(CPC 7523**)
l. Enhanced/value-added
facsimile services, incl.
store andforward ,store
andretrieve (CPC 7523**)(1) Until 2010 bypass ofexclusive public
operator notpermitted.
(2) None
(3) Until 2010, onlyonnetwork facilities
supplied bytheexclusive public
operator(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
m. Code andProtocol
conversionS/GBT/W/1/Add.48
Page4Modes 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
n. On-line information and/or
dataprocessing (incl.
transaction processing)
(CPC 843**)(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
o. Other
Internet andInternet
access services
(CPC 75260)(1) Unconfirmed offer tobenegotiated.
(2) None
(3) Unconfirmed offer tobenegotiated.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.
Fornon-public use:
Mobile services (satellite-based)
- Mobile telephone services
- Mobile dataservices
- Personal communications
services
Fixed satellite services(1) Unconfirmed tobenegotiated.
(2) None
(3) Until 2000 onlyonsatellite network
capacity supplied bytheexclusive public
operator.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.
Trunked radio system services (1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.S/GBT/W/1/Add.48
Page5Modes 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
Teleconferencing services
(CPC 75292)(1) Unconfirmed offer tobenegotiated.
(2) None
(3) Unconfirmed offer tobenegotiated.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.
ForPublic use:
Mobile services (terrestrial
based)
- Cellular/mobile/telephone
services
- Mobile dataservices
- Personal communications
services
- Paging (CPC 75291)(1) Unconfirmed offer tobenegotiated.
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.
ForPublic use:
Mobile services (satellite based)
- Mobile telephone services
- Mobile dataservices
- Personal communications
services
Fixed satellite services(1) Subject tolicence.
(2) None
(3) Subject tolicence.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.
Telecommunications equipment
sales, rental, maintenance,
connection, repair and
consulting services
(CPC 75410, 75450)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.S/GBT/W/1/Add.48
Page6
ANNEX
ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS SCHEDULE
ONBASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
Scope
Thefollowing aredefinitions andprinciples ontheregulatory framework forthebasic
telecommunications services.
Definitions
Users mean service consumers andservice suppliers.
Essential facilities mean facilities ofapublic telecommunications transport network ofservice
that:
(a) areexclusively predominantly 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 as
aresult of:
(a) control overessential facilities; or
(b) useofitsposition inthemarket.
1. Competitive safeguards
1.1. Prevention ofanti-competitive practices intelecommunications
Appropriate measures shallbeintroduced 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;
(c) notmaking available toother services suppliers onatimely basistechnical information
about essential facilities andcommercially relevant information which arenecessary
forthem toprovide services.S/GBT/W/1/Add.48
Page7
2. Interconnection
2.1. Thissection applies tolinking withsuppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks orservices inorder toallow theusers ofonesupplier tocommunicate withusers ofanother
supplierandtoaccessservicesprovidedbyanothersupplier,wherespecificcommitmentsareundertaken.
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) andratesofaquality nolessfavourable thanthatprovided foritsown
likeservices orforlikeservices ofnon-affiliated services suppliers orforitssubsidiaries
orother affiliates;
(b) inatimely fashion, onterms, conditions (including technical standards and
specifications) andcost-oriented rates, thataretransparent, reasonable, having regard
toeconomic feasibility, andsufficiently unbounded sothatthesupplier neednotpay
fornetwork components orfacilities thatitdoesnotrequire fortheservice tobe
provided;
(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) atanytime; or
(b) afterareasonable period oftimewhich hasbeenmade publicly known
toanindependent domestic body, which maybearegulatory bodyasreferred toinparagraph 5
below, toresolve disputes regarding appropriate terms, conditions andratesforinterconnection
within areasonable period oftime, totheextent thatthesehavenotbeenestablished previously.
3. Universal service
AnyMemberhastherighttodefinethekindofuniversalserviceobligationitwishestomaintain.
Such obligations willnotberegarded asanti-competitive perse,provided theyareadministered inS/GBT/W/1/Add.48
Page8
atransparent, non-discriminatory andcompetitively neutral manner andnotmore 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;
(b) theterms andconditions ofindividual licences.
Thereasons forthedenial ofalicence bemade known totheapplicant upon request.
5. Independent regulators
Theregulatory body isseparate from, andnotaccountable to,anyprivate supplier ofbasic
telecommunications services. Thedecision 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.