RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/GBT/W/1/Add.44
14February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0779)
Original: English Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
Theattached communication iscirculated attherequest ofAntigua andBarbuda toMembers
oftheGroup onBasic Telecommunications.
_____________S/GBT/W/1/Add.44
Page2ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA -OFFER ONBASIC TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES
Modes ofsupply: (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
2.C. Telecommunications
services
AllSub-Sectors
a.Voice telephone services
(7521)1),3) Subject totheavailability offrequency
(1)Bypass ofexclusive operators notpermitted
until 2012.
(2)None
(3)Domestic telephone reserved toGovernment
owned exclusive operator. International
Telephone Reserved toInternational
exclusive operator until 2012.
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1)None
(2)None
(3)None
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionSeeattached additional
commitments on
regulatory disciplines.
Forpublic use
b.Packet-switched data
transmission services
(7523**)
c.Circuit-switched data
transmission service
(7523**)
d.Telex services (7523**)
e.Telegraph services (7522)
g.Private leased circuit
services (7522**, 7523**)(1)Bypass ofexclusive operations not
permitted until 2012.
(2)None
(3)Reserved toexclusive operators until 2012
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1)None
(2)None
(3)None
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionS/GBT/W/1/Add.44
Page3Modes ofsupply: (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
Fornon-public use(i.e.
Closed usergroups):
b.Packet-switched data
transmission services
(7523**)
c.Circuit-switched data
transmission services
(7523**)(1)Only onnetwork facilities supplied bythe
exclusive operators andbypass ofexclusive
operators notpermitted.
(2)None
(3)Only onnetwork facilities supplied bythe
exclusive operators andbypass ofexclusive
operators notpermitted andresale ofexcess
capacity arenotpermitted.
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1)None
(2)None
(3)None
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
f.Facsimile services (7521**,
7529**)
h.Electronic mail(7523**)
i.Voice mail(7523**)
j.On-line information and
databaseretrieval (7523**)
k.Electronic datainterchange
(7523**)
l.Enhance/value-added
facsimile services incl.
Store andforward Store
andretrieve (7523**)(1)Only onnetwork facilities supplied bythe
exclusive operators.
(2)None
(3)Only onnetwork facilities supplied bythe
exclusive operators.
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1)None
(2)None
(3)None
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionS/GBT/W/1/Add.44
Page4Modes ofsupply: (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
m.Code andprotocol
conversion
n.On-line information and/or
dataProcessing (incl.
Transaction Processing)
(843**)
o.Other
Internet andinternet access
(Except voice) (75260)
Mobile service (terrestrial
based)
-Cellular/mobile telephone
services
-Mobile dataservices
-Personal communications
services
-Paging (75291)
-Trunked radio system
services(1)Unbound
(2)None
(3)Foreign ventures permitted onlyifcapital
invested isgreater thanUS$500,000,
ventures lessthanUS$500,000 reserved to
nationals.
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1)None
(2)None
(3)None
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionS/GBT/W/1/Add.44
Page5Modes ofsupply: (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
Mobile services (satellite-
based)
-Mobile telephone services
-Mobile dataservices
-Personal communications
services
-Paging
-Trunked radio system
services(1)Only through arrangements between
satellite transport service suppliers and
exclusive international operator, whois
under obligation nottolimit thenumber of
suppliers withwhom such arrangements
willbeentered into
(2)None
(3)Reserved tosupply byexclusive operator in
accordance witharrangements noted above.
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(1)None
(2)None
(3)None
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
Fixed satellite services (1)Only through arrangements between
satellite transport service suppliers and
exclusive international operator, whois
under obligation nottolimit thenumber of
suppliers withwhom such arrangements
willbeentered into
(2)None
(3)Only onsatellite network capacity supplied
bytheexclusive international operator and
bypass ofexclusive international operator
notpermitted.
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1)None
(2)None
(3)None
(4)Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionS/GBT/W/1/Add.44
Page6Modes ofsupply: (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
Teleconferencing services
(75292)(1)Only onnetwork facilities supplied bythe
exclusive operators.
(2)None
(3)Only onnetwork facilities supplied bythe
exclusive operators.
(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 andconsulting services
(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 sectionS/GBT/W/1/Add.44
Page7
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/GBT/W/1/Add.44
Page8
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/GBT/W/1/Add.44
Page9
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 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
andrightsofway,willbecarriedoutinanobjective,timely,transparentandnon-discriminatorymanner.
Thecurrent stateofallocated frequency bands willbemade publicly available, butdetailed identification
offrequencies allocated forspecific government usesisnotrequired.