RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/GBT/W/1/Add.40
14February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0603)
Original: English Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM SRILANKA
Draft Schedule onBasic Telecommunications
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofSriLanka tomembers oftheGroup
onBasic Telecommunications.
_______________
ThisscheduleisconditionalandSriLankareservestherighttomodifyorwithdrawtheschedule,
inwhole orinpart,atanytimepriortotheconclusion ofthenegotiations onbasictelecommunications.
SriLanka alsoreserves therighttomake technical changes totheschedule should theneedarise.S/GBT/W/1/Add.40
Page2SCHEDULE OFSPECIFIC COMMITMENTS
SRILANKA -DRAFT OFFER ONBASIC 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
2. COMMUNICATION
SERVICES
C. Telecommunication
Services
International basic voice
telecommunication services(1) Monopoly guaranteed forSriLanka
Telecom Ltd(SLT) until 31December
1999. Government ofSriLanka (GOSL)
proposes thereafter toissue anadditional
licence, depending mainly on
satisfactory progress having been made
withrespect totariff rebalancing.
(2) None
(3) Monopoly guaranteed forSLTuntil 31
December 1999. Government of
SriLanka (GOSL) proposes thereafter
toissue anadditional licence, depending
mainly onsatisfactory progress having
been made withrespect totariff
rebalancing
Foreign equity participation ofupto35
percentinvolving astrategic partner
permitted inSLT. Foreign equity
participation intelecom providers is
determined under BOISL related
provisions described inthehorizontal
section ofGOSI 'sschedule ofspecific
commitments(1) None
(2) None
(3) NoneSriLanka subscribes tothe
attached commitments on
regulatory disciplines.S/GBT/W/1/Add.40
Page3Modes 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
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
Domestic local andlong-
distance basic telephone
services covered:
Mobile cellular services(1) None
(2) None
(3) Four operators 'licences. Thisnumber
willbereviewed bytheGOSL inthe
year2000. Foreign equity participation
inthese enterprises determined perthe
horizontal section
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
Wireless Local Loop (WLL) to
provide basic telephony, data
transmission, payphone, voice
mailandfacsimile)(1) None
(2) None
(3) Two operators 'licences. Duopoly will
beguaranteed forfiveyears. Inaddition
SLTwillbepermitted toprovide WLL
services in800MHz Band. Foreign
equity participation inthese enterprises
determined perthehorizontal section.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionS/GBT/W/1/Add.40
Page4Modes 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
Public payphone services (1) None
(2) None
(3) Five service providers. Thisnumber
willbereviewed oneconomic needs
criteria. Foreign equity participation in
these enterprises determined perthe
horizontal section.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
Radio paging services (1) None
(2) None
(3) Five operators 'licences. Changes based
oneconomic needs criteria. Foreign
equity participation inthese enterprises
determined perthehorizontal section
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
Data Communication Services (1) None
(2) None
(3) Sixoperators 'licences. Nonewlicences
forfacilities-based operators until 1998.
Foreign equity participation asper
horizontal section.
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionS/GBT/W/1/Add.40
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
Other:
Satellite-based services
GMPCS services supplied
through owngateways(1) Unbound
(2) None
(3) Issuing oflicences isunder
consideration. Foreign equity
participation inthese enterprises
determined perthehorizontal section.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.S/GBT/W/1/Add.40
Page6
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.40
Page7
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.40
Page8
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.