RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/C/W/106
12 May 1999
(99-1990)
Council for Trade in Services
SCHEDULE OF COMMITMENTS IN BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Certification
UGANDA
The attached revised Schedule of Commitments in Basic Telecommunications has been
communicated to the WTO by the Government of Uganda with a request to initiate the appropriate
procedures for it to replace Uganda's Schedule of Specific commitments on basic telecommunications
(GATS/SC/89 /Suppl.1).
Accordingly, if no objections are communicated to the Secretariat within 90 days from the
date of this communication the attached Schedule of Commitments in Basic Telecommunications will
be deemed to constitute an integral part of the Schedule of Specific Commitments of Uganda under
the GATS.
This draft Schedule will be submitted to the Council for Trade in Services for its
consideration at its next meeting.S/C/W/106
Page 2
WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATION
(99-0000)
Council for Trade in Services Original:  English
UGANDA
Schedule of Specific Commitments
Supplement 1
Revision
(This is authentic in English only)
_______________S/C/W/106
Page 3UGANDA – REVISION - SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS IN BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Modes of supply:        (1)    Cross-border supply     (2)    Consumption abroad       (3)    Commercial presence      (4)    P resence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
2.C. Telecommunications Services*
Facilities based public-switched voice
telecommunication services on fixednetwork infrastructure:Uganda undertakes the obligations
contained in the reference paperattached hereto.
(a) Basic voice services, includin g over
value-added networks such asInternet
(b) Private voice network services to
third parties
*Excludes video and audio broadcast
services(1) International basic voice telephony traffic must
be carried through networks of the duopolymajor licence holders and other pre-existinglicence holders, according to the terms of thoselicences..
(2) None(3) SNO inaugurated service 21 October 1998.
Thereafter,  Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) and
Second National Operator (SNO)
1 duopoly
exclusivity, subject to Uganda Governmentreview after 2003. Neither UTL nor its affiliatesshall hold interests in the SNO or its affiliates
nor shall SNO or its affiliates hold ownership inthe UTL or its affiliates. Company must beregistered in Uganda.(1) None
(2) None
(3) NoneThe interpretation of "Major
licence" and "Minor licence" are asby the definitions given by theUganda Communications Act1997.
2
                                                     
1"SNO" means the first public operator other than UTL issued with a major licence.
2i.e. Major licence includes a licence for the provision of local, long distance or international telephone services, trunk capa city resale rural telecommunications, store and
forward messaging, cellular or mobile services and;  minor licence includes all other licences not being major licences.S/C/W/106
Page 4Modes of supply:        (1)    Cross-border supply     (2)    Consumption abroad       (3)    Commercial presence      (4)    P resence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
(4) Unbound except for technical personnel
unless Ugandans are or become available.Entry and temporary stay of foreign servicesuppliers subject to compliance with laws,regulations and guidelines in force inUganda.(4) Unbound except for technical
personnel stipulated under marketaccess.
Private voice & data for closed user groups
(group of people with stable common andlong-term economic interest)(1) None, except cross-border access alternative
for voice should be through the duopolymajor licence holders.
(2) None(3) Resale of excess capacity not allowed.
Company must be registered in Uganda.
(4) Unbound except for technical personnel
unless Ugandans are or become available.Entry and temporary stay of foreign servicesuppliers subject to compliance with laws,regulations and guidelines in force inUganda.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None(4) Unbound except for technical
personnel stipulated under marketaccess.S/C/W/106
Page 5Modes of supply:        (1)    Cross-border supply     (2)    Consumption abroad       (3)    Commercial presence      (4)    P resence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
(o) Other
- Mobile cellular voice
and data(1) Roaming is allowed but cross-border access
permitted only via network of duopoly majorlicence operator.
(2) None(3) Two operators existing. Up to 2003 a
maximum of (three) (3)  operators to havecellular mobile licences as a service .  The
third operator will be UTL. Company mustbe registered in Uganda.
(4) Unbound except for technical personnel
unless Ugandans are or become available.Entry and temporary stay of foreign servicesuppliers subject to compliance with laws,regulations and guidelines in force inUganda.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except for technical
personnel stipulated under marketaccess.
- Data services  TCP/IP
(Internet)(1) None, except international voice over
Internet, not permitted during the five yearexclusivity period of the duopoly majorlicence holders.
(2) None(3) Company must be registered in Uganda(4) Unbound  except for technical personnel
unless Ugandans are or become available.Entry and temporary stay of foreign servicesuppliers subject to compliance with laws,regulations and guidelines in force inUganda .(1) None
(2) None
(3) None(4) Unbound  except for technical
personnel stipulated under marketaccess.S/C/W/106
Page 6Modes of supply:        (1)    Cross-border supply     (2)    Consumption abroad       (3)    Commercial presence      (4)    P resence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
- Paging services (1) Cross border permitted only via networks of
duopoly major licence operator.
(2) None(3) Company must be registered in Uganda(4) Unbound, except for technical personnel
unless Ugandans are or become available.Entry and temporary stay of foreign servicesuppliers subject to compliance with laws,regulations and guidelines in force inUganda.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None(4) Unbound except for technical
personnel stipulated under marketaccess.
- Private mobile radio &
- Trunked mobile radio(1) Cross-border supply only via networks of
duopoly major licence operator.
(2) None(3) Company must be registered in Uganda(4) Unbound except for technical personnel
unless Ugandans are or become available.Entry and temporary stay of foreign servicesuppliers subject to compliance with laws,regulations and guidelines in force inUganda.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None(4) Unbound except for technical
personnel stipulated under marketaccess.S/C/W/106
Page 7Modes of supply:        (1)    Cross-border supply     (2)    Consumption abroad       (3)    Commercial presence      (4)    P resence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Global mobile personal communications by
satellite operations (1) Permitted only with agreement with one or
both duopoly operators as well asarrangements under GMPCS-MoU, to whichUganda is a signatory.
(2) None(3) Company must be registered in Uganda(4) Unbound  except for technical personnel
unless Ugandans are or become available.Entry and temporary stay of foreign servicesuppliers subject to compliance with laws,regulations and guidelines in force inUganda .(1) None
(2) None
(3) None(4) Unbound except for technical
personnel stipulated under marketaccessS/C/W/106
Page 8
REFERENCE PAPER
Scope
The following are definitions and principles on the regulatory framework for the basic
telecommunications services.
Definitions
Users mean service consumers and service suppliers.
Essential facilities mean facilities of a public telecommunications transport network or service
that:
(a) Are exclusively or predominantly provided by a single or limited number of
suppliers;  and
(b) cannot feasibly be economically or technically substituted in order to provide a
service.
A major supplier is a supplier which has the ability to materially affect the terms of
participation (having regard to price and supply) in the relevant market for basic telecommunications
services as a result of:
(a) Control over essential facilities;  or(b) use of its position in the market.
1. Competitive safeguards
1.1 Prevention of anti-competitive practices in telecommunications
Appropriate measures shall be maintained for the purpose of preventing suppliers who, alone
or together, are a major supplier from engaging in or continuing anti-competitive practices.
1.2 Safeguards
The anti-competitive practices referred to above shall include in particular:(a) Engaging in anti-competitive cross-subsidization;(b) using information obtained from competitors with anti-competitive results;  and(c) not making available to other services suppliers on a timely basis technical
information about essential facilities and commercially relevant information whichare necessary for them to provide services.S/C/W/106
Page 9
2. Interconnection
2.1 This section applies to linking with suppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks or services in order to allow the users of one supplier to communicate with users of another
supplier and to access services provided by another supplier, where specific commitments are
undertaken.
2.2 Interconnection to be ensured
Interconnection with a major supplier will be ensured at any technically feasible point in the
network.  Such interconnection is provided:
(a) Under non-discriminatory terms, conditions (including technical standards and
specifications) and rates and of a quality no less favourable than that provided for itsown like services or for like services of non-affiliated service suppliers or for its
subsidiaries or other affiliates;
(b) in a timely fashion, on terms, conditions (including technical standards and
specifications) and cost-oriented rates that are transparent, reasonable, having regardto economic feasibility, and sufficiently unbundled so that the supplier need not pay
for network components or facilities that it does not require for the service to be
provided;  and
(c) upon request, at points in addition to the network termination points offered to the
majority of users, subject to charges that reflect the cost of construction of necessary
additional facilities.
2.3 Public availability of the procedures for interconnection negotiations
The procedures applicable for interconnection to a major supplier will be made publicly
available.
2.4 Transparency of interconnection arrangements
It is ensured that a major supplier will make publicly available either its interconnection
agreements or a reference interconnection offer.
2.5 Interconnection:  dispute settlement
A service supplier requesting interconnection with a major supplier will have recourse, either:
(a) At any time;  or
(b) after a reasonable period of time which has been made publicly known
to an independent domestic body, which may be a regulatory body as referred to in paragraph 5
below, to resolve disputes regarding appropriate terms, conditions and rates for interconnection within
a reasonable period of time, to the extent that these have not been established previously.
3. Universal service
Any Member has the right to define the kind of universal service obligation it wishes to
maintain.  Such obligations will not be regarded as anti-competitive per se , provided they areS/C/W/106
Page 10
administered in a transparent, non-discriminatory and competitively neutral manner and are not more
burdensome than necessary for the kind of universal service defined by the Member.
4. Public availability of licensing criteria
Where a licence is required, the following will be made publicly available:
(a) All the licensing criteria and the period of time normally required to reach a decision
concerning an application for a licence;  and
(b) the terms and conditions of  individual licences.The reasons for the denial of a licence will be made known to the applicant upon request.
5. Independent regulators
The regulatory body is separate from, and not accountable to, any supplier of basic
telecommunications services. The decisions of and the procedures used by regulators shall be
impartial with respect to all market participants.
6. Allocation and use of scarce resources
Any procedures for the allocation and use of scarce resources, including frequencies, numbers
and rights of way, will be carried out in an objective, timely, transparent and non-discriminatory
manner. The current state of allocated frequency bands will be made publicly available, but detailed
identification of frequencies allocated for specific government uses is not required.
__________