RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/C/W/207
19 April 2002
(02-2201)
Council for Trade in Services Original:  English
CERTIFICATION
Schedule of Commitments in Basic Telecommunications
EGYPT
The attached draft Schedule of Commitments in Basic Telecommunications has been
submitted to the WTO Secretariat by the Government of Egypt with a request to initiate its
certification in accordance with the "Procedures for the Certification of Rectifications orImprovements to Schedules of Specific Commitments" adopted by the Council for Trade in Services
(S/L/84).
Accordingly, if no objections are communicated to the Secretariat within 45 days from the
date of this communication, this certification pr ocedure shall be considered concluded and the
attached draft Schedule of Commitments in Basic Telecommunications shall enter into force and will
be deemed to constitute an integral part of the Schedule of Specific Commitments of Egypt under the
GATS (GATS/SC/30).S/C/W/207
Page 2 EGYPT – SCHEDULE OF SP ECIFIC COMMITMENTS
 Modes of supply:  1)  Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial Presence 4) Presence  of  natural persons
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limit ations on National Treatment Additional Commitments
2.C. Telecommunications 
Services
This schedule does not
includetelecommunication
services supplied for
distribution of radio ortelevision programmingfor direct reception byservice consumer.(3) a) Licenses for the provision of all
telecommunication services in Egypt are tobe granted by the TelecommunicationsRegulatory Authority. A transparent and
non-discriminatory Economic Needs Test
shall be the main basis for granting licensesuntil 31/12/2005.
1
b) Licenses are to be provided only to
companies registered in Egypt.The government of Egypt
undertakes additionalcommitments as set out in theattached reference paper hereto.
Egypt is currently in the process
of presenting a newTelecommunications Act to thePeople's Assembly (EgyptianParliament).
c) Telecom Egypt has exclusive rights to
provide cross-border transmission into orout of  Egypt using any means oftechnology for an exclusivity period thatterminates no later than 31/12/2005.
Licensees providing international data
communication services have to leaseinternational private lines from TelecomEgypt throughout the period of exclusivity.
d) Companies working in the
telecommunications sector must train local
human resources.
                                                     
1 Continuation of ENT beyond 31/12/2005 shall be subject to consultations between Egypt and WTO Members, taking into considerati on progress of the CTS
discussions on ENT.S/C/W/207
Page 3 Modes of supply:  1)  Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial Presence 4) Presence  of  natural persons
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limit ations on National Treatment Additional Commitments
International and domestic services
using any means of technology:2.C.a Voice telephone
services
2.C.d Telex services2.C.e Telegraph services2.C.f Facsimile services2.C.g Private leased lines
(International Only)(1) Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date,
none.
2
(2) None.
(3) a) Telecom Egypt has an exclusivity for the
provision of the services that terminates nolater than 31/12/2005. After that date,none.(1) None
(2) None(3) None
b) Resale of services is allowed based on
agreements with Telecom Egypt.
c) Telecom Egypt is currently privatizing
part of its shares through an initial public
offering or sale to a strategic investor.
Telecom Egypt may continue theprivatization up to 49% of its shares insubsequent stages.
d) Public payphones, none.
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the
horizontal section.(4) Unbound, except as indicated in
the horizontal section.
International services using anymeans of technology:
2.C.b&c Data services
2.C.o Internet Services(1) Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date,
none.
2
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in
the horizontal section.
                                                     
2 A license is required.S/C/W/207
Page 4 Modes of supply:  1)  Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial Presence 4) Presence  of  natural persons
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limit ations on National Treatment Additional Commitments
Domestic services using any
means of technology:2.C.b&c Data services
2.C.g Private leased
lines
2.C.o Internet Services(1) Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date,
none.
2
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the
horizontal section.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in
the horizontal section.
Other services:2.C.o Mobile services 
(Digital Only)(1) Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date,
none.
2
(2) None(3) Two private GSM900 operators have
licenses to provide the services in Egyptwith exclusive right until 30/11/2002.After that date, none.
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the
horizontal section.(1) None.
(2) None.
(3) None.
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in
the horizontal section.
Other services using any means of
technology:2.c.o Paging services2.c.o VSAT
2.c.h.-n. Value Added Services(1) Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date,
none.
2
(2) None(3) None(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the
horizontal section(1) None.
(2) None.
(3) None.(4) Unbound, except as indicated in
the horizontal section
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2 A license is requiredS/C/W/207
Page 5
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 te lecommunications 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 compe titors 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 which are necessary for
them to provide services.
2. Interconnection
2.1 This section applies to linking with supplie rs 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 a nother supplier, where specific commitments are
undertaken.S/C/W/207
Page 6
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, conditi ons (including technical standards and
specifications) and rates and of a quality no le ss favourable than that provided for its
own 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 ar e transparent, reasonable, having regard to
economic feasibility, and sufficiently unbundled so that the supplier need not pay fornetwork components or facilities that it does not  require for the service to be provided;
and
(c) upon request, at points in addition to th e network termination points offered to the
majority of users, subject to charges that reflect the cost of construction of necessaryadditional facilities.
2.3 Public availability of the proced ures 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 any supplier with a dominant position 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 are
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.S/C/W/207
Page 7
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 ob jective, 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.
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