RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/NGBT/W/3/Add.28/Rev.1
16September 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-3626)
Original: Spanish Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM URUGUAY
Response toQuestionnaire onBasic Telecommunications
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofUruguay tomembers ofthe
Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications.
_______________
QUESTIONNAIRE ONBASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Reply from Uruguay
PART I
Definition andMarket Structure
Definition
1. Ourlegislation doesnotdefine basic telecommunications.
2. Ditto.
3. Notapplicable.
Market structure
4. TheNational Telecommunications Administration (ANTEL) istheenterprise thatsupplies
telecommunication services inthecountry.
5. Under theregime inforce, ANTEL provides services nationally. ANTEL isaStateenterprise.
6. No.
7. Intheareaofcellular telephony, bandBisoperated byaprivate enterprise. BandAisoperated
directly byANTEL.
8. Notapplicable.S/NGBT/W/3/Add.28/Rev.1
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PART II
Competition
A. Subsectors
ANTEL isthesupplier oftheservices identified inthissection.
B. Categories
Competition exists intheradio transmission category. Inthecellular mobile telephony sector,
ANTEL hasleased theoperation ofband Btoaprivate enterprise through abidding procedure.
Competition alsoexists inpaging services.
Local/long distance/international
1. There isnodistinction.
2. No.
Resale basis
3. Resale isnotpermitted.
4. No.
Facilities-based
5. There isonlyonetelecommunications supplier atthenational level.
Public/non-public supply
6. Nodistinction ismade.
7.8.and9.
Decree Law14.235 creates adecentralized public service, called ANTEL:
- Tomeeturgent collective needs;
- ensure direct andimmediate supply toindividuals;
- under thepublic-law regime.
Features ofthepublic service:
- Continuous anduninterrupted supply;
- regular supply, under reasonably good operating conditions;
- useoftheservice under equal conditions;S/NGBT/W/3/ Add.28/Rev.1
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- supply oftheservice isanobligation, andmust beperformed without distinction as
between persons.
10. Private networks arecircuits leased fromANTEL forinternal use,which cannot beconnected
tothepublic network, suchasadirect lineforcommunications between twosubsidiaries ofanenterprise.
11. Notapplicable.
PART III
Regulatory Issues
Relationship between regulatory andoperational functions
1. Yes.
2. There isnoregulatory authority.
3. National government level.
Frequency allotment orassignment
4. Frequencies areassigned through theprocedures recommended byITU.
5. Yes.
Numbering andidentification codes
6. Numbering isassigned inaccordance withtheANTEL numbering plan.
7. Yes.
Standards, typeapproval andequipment attachment
8. Theterminals market hasbeenliberalized. There isnotypeapproval control. Inthecase
ofcellular telephone terminals, theUnited States AMPS standard isused, andtype-approval ofcellular
terminals bytheUnited States Federal Communications Commission istherefore required.
9. Notapplicable.
10.and11. ANTEL establishes thespecific technical standards tobemetbytheterminal equipment
which users connect tothenetwork.
12. Notapplicable.
13. Notapplicable.S/NGBT/W/3/Add.28/Rev.1
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Interconnection
14. There arenoprovisions inthisregard. Interconnection between thecellular network ofthe
enterprise operating onbandBandthepublic network wasagreed contractually between ANTEL and
theenterprise concerned.
15. Notapplicable.
16. Yes,butnotforresale.
17. Inthecaseofinterconnection mentioned inpoint 14,thecriterion usedforpricing wascost.
Competitive safeguards
18.to21. Notapplicable. However, ANTEL ispreparing forcompetition.
Pricing-related measures
22. ANTEL proposes ratesandtariffs totheExecutive, which approves them intheframework
oftheGovernment 'seconomic policy.
23. Rates andtariffs arepublished intheOfficial Journal, thusconstituting anadministrative act
ofageneral nature thatdoesnotneedtobenotified.
24. There aredifferential tariffs toencourage traffic; theyareofageneral character anddonot
involve discrimination intheprices ofservices. Accounting ratesareagreed individually witheach
correspondent, andtheExecutive neither prescribes nordefines anycriteria.
25. ANTEL participates insetting tariffs forthesector.
26. Article 13ofLaw16.211 onpublic enterprises establishes thatANTEL tariffs shallbeseton
thebasis ofthecostofservices, taking intoaccount depreciation offixed assets, renewal fundand
profit margin.
27. No.
Rights ofwayfortheconstruction ofinfrastructure
28. Decree Law14.235 setting upANTEL establishes thelegalrightofwayandtheenterprise
usesthisprovision where network development sorequires.
29. Notapplicable.
Newtelecommunications services
30. There arenogeneral regulatory processes thatcould beapplied totheintroduction ofnew
services. TheITUrecommendations forthevarious sectors areusedasabasis forsupplying new
services.
31. Nodefinition exists.