RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/GBT/W/1/Add.41
14February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0703)
Original: Spanish Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM GUATEMALA
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
Theattached communication iscirculated attherequest ofGuatemala tomembers oftheGroup
onBasic Telecommunications.
_______________
ThePermanentMissionofGuatemalatotheUnitedNationsandOtherInternationalOrganizations
withheadquarters inGeneva presents itscompliments totheSecretariat oftheWorld Trade Organization
andhasthehonour, pursuant tothedecisions oftheGroup onBasic Telecommunications, toattach
theDraft Conditional Offer onBasic Telecommunications bytheGovernment ofGuatemala andto
request thatitbecirculated tomembers oftheGroup onBasic Telecommunications.
TheGovernment ofGuatemala reserves theright tomodify, reduce orextend thepresent
Conditional Offer atanytime, inthelight ofprogress inthework oftheGroup onBasic
Telecommunications, thelevelofcommitments oftheparticipants inthenegotiations anddevelopments
inthesituation inGuatemala. TheGovernment ofGuatemala alsoreserves therighttomake technical
changes andcorrections totheoffer.
Guatemala ismindful ofthebenefits tothecountry 'sdevelopment ofunilaterally liberalizing
thetelecommunications sector andpromoting theparticipation ofprivate operators.
Inorder toopenupGuatemala 'stelecommunications market, theGovernment hasprepared
thepresent initial offerforsubmission atthesectoral negotiations intheWorld Trade Organization.
Thiscommunication offers unlimited market access andnational treatment fornational and
foreign private suppliers andservices onthelocalandinternational telecommunications market.
Guatemala reserves therighttomodify, reduce orextend thepresent offeratanytime, inthe
lightofprogress inthework oftheNegotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications, thelevel of
commitments oftheparticipants inthenegotiations andthesuccessful development ofthenewlegal
framework andconsolidation oftheinstitutional regime foratleasttheyear1997, forthepurposes
ofnotifying Members whether theoffer willbemodified before 1January 1998, atwhich timethe
commitments undertaken enter intoforce.
TheGovernment ofGuatemala guarantees thatanypossible changes made inGuatemala 'soffer
willatnotimelimitaccess forforeign service suppliers; onthecontrary, theywillkeeptothebasic
principles ofnational treatment andmarket access. Possible changes would beaimed atimproving
andnever atdiminishing theoffer, inthelight, above all,oftechnical andprocedural matters.S/GBT/W/1/Add.41
Page2GUATEMALA -LIST OFSPECIFIC COMMITMENTS
Modes ofsupply: (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational
treatmentAdditional commitments
2. COMMUNICATIONS
SERVICES
C. Telecommunications
servicesTheGovernment ofGuatemala
undertakes additional commitments
assetoutintheannex, based onthe
General Telecommunications Lawin
force since 19November 1996.
ALL SECTORS (1),(2),(3)and(4)
Frequency bands specified intheGeneral
Telecommunications Lawarereserved forthe
exclusive useofState bodies.
(1),(2),(3)and(4)
Frequency bands specified intheGeneral
Telecommunications Lawareallocated toradio
amateurs
(1),(2),(3)and(4)
Frequency bands granted prior totheentry into
force oftheGeneral Telecommunications Law,
arereserved andtheexisting rights shall remain
operative until expiry.(1),(2),(3)and(4)None
(1),(2),(3)and(4)None
(1),(2),(3)and(4)None
(a) Telephone services (7521)
(b) Packet-switched data
transmission services (7523)
(c) Circuit-switched data
transmission services (7523)
(d) Telex services (7523)
(e) Telegraph services (7522)(1) International traffic must berouted
through thefacilities ofanenterprise with
afrequency user'stitleand/or
Telecommunications Registration
Certificate issued bytheSuperintendency
ofTelecommunications.
(2) None(1) None
(2) NoneS/GBT/W/1/Add.41
Page3Modes ofsupply: (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational
treatmentAdditional commitments
(f) Facsimile services (7521,
7529)
(g) Private leased circuit
services (7522, 7523)(3) *Subject totheissue ofafrequency user's
titleand/or Telecommunications
Registration Certificate bythe
Superintendency ofTelecommunications
*Subject toavailability offrequency(3) None
(o) Other
* Paging services (75291)
* Cellular services (75213)
* Personal Communications
services
* Mobile dataservices
* Satellite services(4) *Subject totheissue ofafrequency user's
titleand/or Telecommunications
Registration Certificate bythe
Superintendency ofTelecommunications
*Subject toavailability offrequency
*Unbound, except asindicated by
horizontal commitments(4) Unbound, except asindicated
byhorizontal commitmentsS/GBT/W/1/Add.41
Page4
ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS BYGUATEMALA INREGARD
TOREGULATIONS TOFACILITATE COMPETITION
Scope
Thefollowing aredefinitions andprinciples ontheregulatory framework forthebasic
telecommunications services.
Definitions
Users mean telecommunications service consumers.
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 as
aresult 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 tolinking withsuppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks orservices inorder toallow theusers ofonesupplier tocommunicate withusers ofanother
supplier andtoaccess services provided byanother supplier.S/GBT/W/1/Add.41
Page5
2.2 Interconnection tobeensured
Withthelimits towhich market access ispermitted, interconnection withamajor supplier will
beensured atanytechnically feasible point inthenetwork. 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.
2.3 Public availability oftheprocedures forinterconnection negotiations
Theproceduresapplicableforinterconnectiontoamajorsupplierwillbemadepubliclyavailable.
2.4 Transparency ofinterconnection arrangements
Itisensured thatamajor supplier willmake publicly available either itsinterconnection
agreements orareference interconnection offer only during theperiod from 18May 1997 to
18May2000.
2.5 Interconnection: dispute settlement
If,within aperiod of40(working) days, theparties havenotreached agreement onaccess
toessential resources, theSuperintendency ofTelecommunications (SIT) shallissue aruling under
theprocedure specified intheGeneral Telecommunications Law.
Only anappeal forreview maybelodged against adecision bytheSuperintendency of
Telecommunications, anditshallbesettled bytheMinistry ofCommunications, Transport andPublic
Works. Anadministrative appeal shalllieagainst anydecision bytheMinistry ofCommunications,
Transport andPublic Works resulting from anappeal forreview.
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 ofcriteria forgranting auser'stitle
Where auser'stitleisrequired, thefollowing willbemade publicly available:S/GBT/W/1/Add.41
Page6
(a) Allthecriteria forgranting auser'stitleandtheperiod oftimenormally required to
reach adecision concerning anapplication forauser'stitle; and
(b) theterms andconditions ofindividual titles.
Thereasons forthedenial ofauser'stitlewillbemade 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.