RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/GBT/W/1/Add.19
7February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0455)
Original: English Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM MAURITIUS
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
Revision
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofMauritius tomembers oftheGroup
onBasic Telecommunications.
_______________
Inview oftheagreed deadline of15February 1997 forthecurrent negotiations onbasic
telecommunicationsservices,theGovernmentoftheRepublicofMauritiuswishestosubmititsimproved
offerwhich isdrafted inamanner consistent withthetechnology neutral approach asoutlined inthe
Chairman 'sNote of16January 1997 (Ref: S/GBT/W/2/Rev.1).
Iampleased toinform youthataccess tosatellite-based mobile services inMauritius would
beunrestricted asfromthedateitbecomes commercially available. Accordingly, Iwould appreciate
ifthefollowing changes could bemade toourprevious offerascontained inWTO document bearing
Ref.No:S/NGBT/W/12/Add.23/Rev.1:
- Onpage2,under thesecond column -Limitation onMarket Access, thesentence in
paragraph 3:"Asecond cellular telephone operator willbelicensed from 01.05.96"
should bereplaced by"Asecond cellular telephone operator isoperational asfrom
5September 1996".
- Onpage3inthefirstcolumn -Sector orsub-sector under O.(Others) insert (vi)Mobile
services (Satellite-based).
- Inthesecond column under Limitation onMarket Access insert: (1)None asfrom
thedateitbecomes commercially available.S/GBT/W/1/Add.19
Page2MAURITIUS -REVISED DRAFT OFFER
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.C. TELECOMMUNICATION
SERVICES
a. Voice telephone services
b. Packet switched data
transmission services
c. Circuit switched data
transmission services(1) Alternative calling practices such asCall-
Back andrefile arenotpermitted.
"Country Direct" calling cardservice is
possible under theauspices ofagreements
concluded between operators.
(2) None(1) None
(2) None
d. Telex services
e. Telegraph services
f. Private leased circuit
services(3) Theprovision ofthese services isat
present reserved, onade-facto basis, to
monopoly orexclusive supplier; resale is
notpermitted. Asecond cellular
telephone operator isoperational asfrom
5September 1996
Monopoly andexclusive rights in
domestic andinternational services will
endby2004.(3) TheCompanies Act1994 requires foreign
companies tohave aregistered office in
Mauritius.Mauritius willincorporate
theprovisions contained
inthe"Reference Paper"
inthepending legislation,
which willcome before
parliament shortly.
(4) Unbound except aslisted under horizontal
commitments.(4) Unbound except aslisted under horizontal
commitments.S/GBT/W/1/Add.19
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
g. Facsimile services
o. Others
(i)Paging
(ii)Private Mobile Radio(1) None
(2) None
(3) TheTelecommunication Authority hasthe
legal power toextend licences to
additional suppliers ofthese services
subject totheavailability offrequencies.
(4) Unbound except aslisted under horizontal
commitments.(1) None
(2) None
(3) TheCompanies Act1994 requires foreign
companies tohave aregistered office in
Mauritius.
(4) Unbound except aslisted under horizontal
commitments.
(iii)Equipment rental
services
(iv)Equipment sales
services
(v)Equipment
maintenance services(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except aslisted under horizontal
commitments.(1) None
(2) None
(3) TheCompanies Act1994 requires foreign
companies tohave aregistered office in
Mauritius.
(4) Unbound except aslisted under horizontal
commitments.
(vi)Mobile services
(satellite-based)(1) None asfrom thedateitbecomes
commercially available.
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except aslisted under horizontal
commitments.(1) None
(2) None
(3) TheCompanies Act1994 requires foreign
companies tohave aregistered office in
Mauritius.
(4) Unbound except aslisted under horizontal
commitments.