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###### Office of the United States Trade Representative

# AGENCY:

Office of the United States Trade Representative.

# ACTION:

Notice of request for public comment and reply comment.

# SUMMARY:

Pursuant to section 1377 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3106) (`Section 1377'), the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) is reviewing and requests comments on the operation, effectiveness, and implementation of and compliance with the following agreements regarding telecommunications products and services of the United States: the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) General Agreement on Trade in Services; the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”); U.S. free trade agreements (“FTAs”) with Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Morocco, Oman, Peru, and Singapore; and the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (“CAFTA-DR”). The USTR will conclude the review by March 31, 2011.

# DATES:

Comments are due by noon on December 17, 2010 and reply comments by noon on January 14, 2011.

# ADDRESSES:

Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee, or Catherine Hinckley, Director, Telecom Trade Policy, ATTN: Section 1377 Comments, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508.

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Catherine Hinckley, Office of Services and Investment (202) 395-9539; or Will Martyn, Office of the General Counsel (202) 395-3582.

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 1377 requires the USTR to review annually the operation and effectiveness of all U.S. trade agreements regarding telecommunications products and services that are in force with respect to the United States. The purpose of the review is to determine whether any act, policy, or practice of a country that has entered into an FTA or other telecommunications trade agreement with the United States is inconsistent with the terms of such agreement or otherwise denies U.S. firms, within the context of the terms of such agreements, mutually advantageous market opportunities for telecommunications products and services. For the current review, the USTR seeks comments on:

                    (1) Whether any WTO member is acting in a manner that is inconsistent with its obligations under WTO agreements affecting market opportunities for telecommunications products or services,                     *e.g.,*                     the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services, including the Agreement on Basic Telecommunications Services, the                           ( print page 70771)                        Annex on Telecommunications, and any scheduled commitments, including the Reference Paper on Pro-Competitive Regulatory Principles;                

(2) Whether Canada or Mexico has failed to comply with its telecommunications obligations under the NAFTA;

(3) Whether Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, or Nicaragua has failed to comply with its telecommunications obligations under the CAFTA-DR;

                    (4) Whether Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Morocco, Oman, Peru, or Singapore has failed to comply with its telecommunications obligations under its FTA with the United States (                    *see http://www.ustr.gov/​trade-agreements/​free-trade-agreements*                     for links to U.S. FTAs);                

                    (5) Whether any country has failed to comply with its obligations under telecommunications trade agreements with the United States other than FTAs,                    *e.g.,*                     Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) for Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment (                    *see http://gsi.nist.gov/​global/​index.cfm/​L1-4/​L2-16*                     for links to certain U.S. telecommunications MRAs);                

                    (6) Whether any act, policy, or practice of a country cited in a previous section 1377 review remains unresolved (                    *see http://www.ustr.gov/​trade-topics/​services-investment/​telecom-e-commerce/​section-1377-review for recent reviews*); and                

(7) Whether any measures or practices impede access to telecommunications markets or otherwise deny telecommunications products and services market opportunities with respect to any country that is a WTO member or for which an FTA or telecommunications trade agreement has entered into force between such country and the United States. Measures or practices of interest include, for example, efforts by a foreign government or a telecommunications service provider to block services delivered over the Internet (including, but not limited to voice over Internet protocol services, social networking, and search services); requirements for access to or use of networks that limit the products or services U.S. suppliers can offer in specific foreign markets; the imposition of excessively high licensing fees; unreasonable wholesale roaming rates that mobile telecommunications services suppliers in specific foreign markets charge U.S. suppliers that seek to supply international mobile roaming services to their U.S. customers; discriminatory procedures that foreign governments apply in allocating or allowing use of spectrum or other scarce resources; and the imposition by foreign governments of unnecessary or discriminatory technical regulations or standards for telecommunications products or services.

## Public Comment and Reply Comment: Requirements for Submission

                    Comments in response to this notice must be written in English, must identify (on the first page of the comments) the telecommunications trade agreement(s) discussed therein, and must be submitted electronically by 5 p.m. on December 17, 2010. Reply comments must also be in English and must be submitted by 5 p.m. on January 14, 2011. Comments and reply comments, with the exception of business confidential comments, must be submitted using                     *http://www.regulations.gov*, docket number USTR-2010-0034. Instructions for submitted business confidential versions are provided below. In the unusual case where submitters are unable to make submissions through Regulations.gov, the submitter must contact Gloria Blue at (202) 395-3475 to make alternate arrangements.                

                    To submit comments using                     *http://www.regulations.gov*, enter docket number USTR-2010-0034 under “Key Word or ID” on the home page and click “Search”. The site will provide a search-results page listing all documents associated with this docket. Locate the reference to this notice by selecting “Notices” under “Document Type” on the search-results page, and click on the link entitled “Submit a Comment.” Follow the instructions given on the screen to submit a comment. The                     *http://www.regulations.gov*                     Web site offers the option of providing comments by filling in a “Type Comment” field or by attaching a document. While both options are acceptable, USTR prefers submissions in the form of an attachment.                

### Business Confidential Submissions

                    Persons wishing to submit business confidential information must submit that information by fax to (202) 395-3891. Business confidential submissions will not be accepted at                     *http://www.regulations.gov*. The submitter must include in the comments a written explanation of why the information should be protected in accordance with 15CFR 2007.7(b).                

                    In addition, a non-confidential version of the comments must be submitted to                     *http://www.regulations.gov*, docket number USTR-2010-0034. The submission must indicate, with asterisks, where confidential information was redacted or deleted. The top and bottom of each page of the non-confidential version must be marked either “PUBLIC VERSION” or “NON-CONFIDENTIAL”.                

Business confidential comments that are submitted without the required markings or that do not have a properly marked non-confidential version submitted to regulations.gov as set forth above may not be accepted or may be treated as public documents.

Submitters should provide updated information on all issues they cite in their filings; USTR will not review submissions that are copies of earlier submissions.

Carmen Suro-Bredie,

Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.

[FR Doc. 2010-29112 Filed 11-17-10; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3190-W1-P