RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/NGBT/W/12/Add.12/Rev.1 .
30April 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1757)
Original: English Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM NORWAY
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
Revision
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofNorway tomembers ofthe
Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications.
____________
Norway reserves theright tomodify, reduce orextend thisoffer atanytimeprior tothe
conclusion ofthenegotiations onbasic telecommunications, depending ontheprogress ofwork inthe
NGBT, thelevelofcommitments ofnegotiating partners andthelegislative developments inNorway.
Forthetimebeing, theprovision ofservices forwhich competition isallowed, mustbebased
onleased circuits fromTelenor AS,which hasamonopoly onthetelecommunications infrastructure
inNorway. Voice telephony, telexservices andtelegraph services arenotsubject tocompetition.
TheGovernment intends under certain conditions topropose totheStorting (theNorwegian
national assembly) thatthesector bederegulated by1January 1998. Deregulation oftheNorwegian
telecommunications sector isconditional upon theapproval bytheStorting.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.12/Rev.1
Page2NORWAY -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 TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SERVICES
Services opened forcompetition in
1998:Norway undertakes additional
commitments ascontained inthe
attachment, allparts ofwhich are
equally binding.
a. Voice telephony 1) None asof1January 1998 1) None
d. Telex services 2) None 2) None
e. Telegraph services 3) None asof1January 1998, the
provision ofallservices is
subject totheavailability of
scarce resources, e.g.frequency3) None
o. Other
- Mobile andpersonal
communications services and
systems4) Unbound except asindicated in
horizontal commitments (asof
1January 1998)4) Unbound except asindicated in
horizontal commitments
Services opened forcompetition:
b. Packet-switched data
transmission services1) None 1) None
c. Circuit-switched data
transmission services2) None 2) None
f. Facsimile services 3) None except for: 3) None
g. Leased circuit services - Theprovision ofallservices is
subject totheavailability of
scarce resources, e.g.frequencyS/NGBT/W/12/Add.12/Rev.1
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
o. Other
- Data services
- Mobile digital cellular telephony
(GSM)
- Paging
- Satellite communication and
network services (including earth
stations)- Forswitched voice capacity,
resale ofexcess leased circuit
capacity isnotallowed when
there isconnection atbothends
tothepublic network, where
none asof1January 1998
- ForMobile digital cellular
telephony (GSM), thenumber of
operators/providers islimited to
two, changes inownership must
beaccepted bytheGovernment
andnetworks must bebased on
leased circuits from Telenor AS
except forownbasestations and
switches, where none asof
1January 1998
- Forsatellite communication,
provision ofpublic voice
telephony isnotallowed, where
none asof1January 1998
4) Unbound except asindicated in
horizontal commitments4) Unbound except asindicated in
horizontal commitmentsS/NGBT/W/12/Add.12/Rev.1
Page4
Additional Commitment byNorway
Scope
Thefollowingaredefinitionsandprinciplesontheregulatoryframeworkforthebasictelecommunications
services.
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.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.12/Rev.1
Page5
2.2 Interconnection tobeensured
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 maybesetinNorway 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.12/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.