RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/C/W/29
19November 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-5093)
Council forTrade inServices Original: English
THE REPUBLIC OFSURINAME
CERTIFICATION
SCHEDULE OFCOMMITMENTS INBASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Theattached draft Schedule ofCommitments inBasic Telecommunications hasbeen
communicated totheWTO bytheGovernment ofSuriname witharequest toinitiate theappropriate
procedures forittobeadded to,andconstitute anintegral partof,Suriname 'sSchedule ofSpecific
Commitments under theGeneral Agreement onTrade inServices (GATS/SC/80). TheGovernment
ofSuriname proposes thatthese commitments enter intoforce on1January 1998.
Accordingly, ifnoobjections arecommunicated totheSecretariat within thirty daysfromthe
dateofthiscommunication theattached Schedule ofCommitments inBasic Telecommunications will
bedeemed toconstitute anintegral partoftheSchedule ofSpecific Commitments ofSuriname under
theGATS.
ThisdraftSchedule willbesubmitted totheCouncil forTrade inServices foritsconsideration
atitsmeeting on26November 1997.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATION(97-0000)
Council forTrade inServices Original: English
SURINAME
Schedule ofSpecific Commitments
Supplement 1
(This isauthentic inEnglish only)
_______________S/C/W/29
Page4SURINAME -SCHEDULE OFSPECIFIC COMMITMENTS INBASIC 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
COMMUNICATION SERVICES
C. Telecommunications
servicesSeeattached additional
commitments on
regulatory disciplines.
Forpublic use
- Fixed network infrastructure
- Local, domestic, long
distance andinternational
(a) Voice telephone services
(including public pay
telephone services, operator
andemergency services)
(d) Telex services
(f) Facsimile services
(g) Private leased circuit
services
(o) Other services
Fixed satellite services(1) Bypass oftheduopoly operators isnot
permitted. Long distance andinternational
traffic must berouted through the
operators thatarelicensed tosupply long-
distance services. Deliberately reversing
therealdirection ofthisinternational
traffic isnotallowed.
(2) Long distance andinternational traffic
must berouted through theoperators that
arelicensed tosupply long-distance
services. Deliberately reversing thereal
direction ofthisinternational traffic isnot
allowed.
(3) Theduopoly operators aregranted
exclusivity foraperiod offiveyears
ending on1January 2003. Before the
expiration ofthisperiod, theGovernment
willdetermine thecircumstances under
which additional operators canbelicensed.
Foreign equity participation which is
applicable asof1January 1998 islimited
to40%.(1) None
(2) None
(3) NoneAregulatory body will
beestablished in1998.
TheGovernment will
submit toParliament a
newdraft lawon
Telecommunication.
Thislawwillprovide
thelegislative
framework forthe
provision oftele-
communication
services reflecting
technological advances
andpro-competitive
practices inthesector.
Duopoly was
established toprovide
services in
competition. Duopoly
operators have the
obligation toprovide
services tothe
underserved population
centers.
(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measures.(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measures.S/C/W/29
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
Forpublic useandnon-public use
onleased lines only:
(b) Packet-switched data
transmission services
(c) Circuit-switched data
transmission services
(o) Other services: Internet and
Internet access services
(except voice)
Teleconferencing services(1) Bypass ofthenetwork facilities ofthe
duopoly operators isnotpermitted. Long
distance andinternational traffic must be
routed through theoperators thatare
licensed tosupply longdistance and
international transmission facilities.
(2) None
(3) None, except thatbypass ofthenetwork
facilities oftheduopoly operators isnot
permitted.
(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measures(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measures
Fornon-public use:
(a) Voice telephone services(1) Only onnetwork facilities supplied bythe
exclusive duopoly operators. Bypass and
resale ofexcess capacity arenotpermitted.
(2) None
(3) Only onnetwork facilities supplied bythe
exclusive operators. Bypass andresale of
excess capacity arenotpermitted.
(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measures(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measuresS/C/W/29
Page6Modes 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
Forpublic use:
(o) Other services:
Mobile services (terrestrial
andsatellite based)
- Cellular/mobile telephone
services
- Personal communications
services(1) Licenses aregranted foraperiod offive
years ending on1January 2003. Before
theexpiration ofthisperiod, the
Government willdetermine the
circumstances under which additional
operators canbelicensed. Bypass ofthe
network facilities oftheduopoly operators
isnotpermitted.
(2) None
(3) Licenses aregranted foraperiod offive
years ending on1January 2003. Before
theexpiration ofthisperiod the
Government willdetermine the
circumstances under which additional
operators canbelicensed. Foreign equity
participation which isapplicable asof1
January 1998 islimited to40%.
(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measures.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measuresS/C/W/29
Page7Modes 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
Forpubic use
(c) Other services:
- Mobile dataservices
- Paging services
- Trunked radio systems
services (excluding phone
patching)
- Telecommunications
equipment sales
- Telecommunications
equipment, rental
maintenance, connection,
repair andconsulting
services(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measures(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated under
horizontal measuresS/C/W/29
Page 8
REFERENCE PAPER
Scope
Thefollowingaredefinitionsandprinciplesontheregulatoryframeworkforthebasictelecommunications
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.
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.S/C/W/29
Page 9
2. Interconnection
2.1 Thissection applies tolinking withsuppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks orservices inorder toallow theusers ofonesupplier tocommunicate withusers ofanother
supplier and toaccess services provided byanother supplier, where specific commitments are
undertaken.
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) 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.
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.S/C/W/29
Page 10
3. Universal service
AnyMember hastherighttodefine thekindofuniversal service obligation itwishes tomaintain.
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
andrights ofway,willbecarried outinanobjective, timely, transparent andnon-discriminatory manner.
Thecurrent stateofallocated frequency bands willbemade publicly available, butdetailed identification
offrequencies allocated forspecific government usesisnotrequired.