RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/NGBT/W/12/Add.33/Rev.1
30April 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1747)
Original: English Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM ICELAND
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
Revision
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofIceland toMembers ofthe
Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications.
_______________
Iceland reserves therighttomodify, reduce orextend thisconditional offeratanytimeprior
totheconclusion ofthenegotiations onbasic telecommunications, depending ontheprogress ofwork
intheNGBT, thelevelofcommitments ofnegotiating partners anddevelopments inIceland.
Forthetimebeing, theprovision ofservices forwhich competition isallowed mustbebased
onleased circuits from PostandTelecom Iceland, which willcontinue tohaveamonopoly onthe
telecommunications infrastructure inIceland untilsuchtimethatnewlegislation willhavebeenpassed
bytheIcelandic Parliament. Voice telephony willnotbesubject tocompetition until1January 1998,
when thebasic telecommunications sector istobederegulated inaccordance withtheliberalization
process underway intheEuropean Union.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.33/Rev.1
Page2ICELAND -REVISED DRAFT OFFER
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 TELECOMMUNICATION
SERVICES
Services opened forcompetition
in1998:
a. Voice telephony
d. Telex services
e. Telegraph services
o. Other
- Mobile andpersonal
communications
services andsystems(1) None asof1January 1998
(2) None
(3) None asof1January 1998, theprovision
ofallservices issubject totheavailability
ofscarce resources, e.g.frequency
(4) Unbound except asindicated inhorizontal
commitments (asof1January 1998)(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated in
horizontal commitmentsIceland undertakes additional
commitments ascontained in
theattachment, allparts of
which areequally binding.
Services opened forcompetition:
b. Packet-switched data
transmission services
c. Circuit-switched data
transmission services
f. Facsimile services
g. Leased circuit services(1) None
(2) None
(3) None except for:
- Theprovision ofallservices is
subject totheavailability ofscarce
resources, e.g.frequency(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
- Forswitched voice capacity, resale of
excess leased circuit capacity isnot
allowed when there isconnection at
bothends tothepublic network. No
restrictions after 1January 1998.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.33/Rev.1
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
o.Other
- Data services
- Mobile digital cellular
telephony (GSM)
- Paging
- Satellite
communication and
network services
(including earth
stations)- ForMobile digital cellular telephony
(GSM), thenumber ofoperators/
providers ispresently limited toone.
Norestrictions after 1January 1998.
- Forsatellite communications,
provision ofpublic voice telephony is
notallowed until after 1January
1998.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inhorizontal
commitments(4) Unbound except asindicated in
horizontal commitments.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.33/Rev.1
Page4
Additional Commitment byIceland
Scope
Thefollowingaredefinitionsandprinciplesontheregulatoryframeworkforthebasictelecommunications
services underpinning themarket access commitments byIceland.
Definitions
Users mean service consumers andservice suppliers.
Essential facilities mean facilities ofapublic telecommunications transport network andservice 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
Appropriatemeasuresshallbemaintainedforthepurposeofpreventingsupplierswho,aloneortogether,
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.
2. Interconnection
2.1 Thissection applies tolinking withsuppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks orservices inorder toallow theusers ofonesupplier tocommunicate withusers ofanother
supplier andtoaccess services provided byanother supplier.
2.2 Interconnection tobeensuredS/NGBT/W/12/Add.33/Rev.1
Page5
Within thelimits ofpermitted market access, interconnection withamajor supplier willbe
ensured atanytechnically feasible point inthenetwork. Such interconnection isprovided1:
(a) under non-discriminatory terms, conditions (including technical standards and
specifications) andratesandofaquality nolessfavourable thanthatprovided forits
ownlikeservices orforlikeservices ofnon-affiliated service suppliers orforits
subsidiaries orother affiliates2;
(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.
1Suppliers ofservices ornetworks notgenerally available tothepublic, suchasclosed usergroups, have
guaranteedrightstoconnectwiththepublictelecommunicationstransportnetworkorservicesonterms,conditions
andrates which arenon-discriminatory, transparent andcost-oriented. Such terms, conditions andrates may,
however,varyfromtheterms,conditionsandratesapplicabletointerconnectionbetweenpublictelecommunications
networks orservices.
2Different terms, conditions andrates maybesetinIceland foroperators indifferent market segments,
onthebasis ofnon-discriminatory andtransparent national licensing provisions, where suchdifferences canbe
objectively justified because these services arenotconsidered 'likeservices '.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.33/Rev.1
Page6
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.