RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/NGBT/W/12/Add.6
6September 1995
ORGANIZATION
(95-2638)
Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications Original: English
COMMUNICATION FROM AUSTRALIA
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
TheattachedcommunicationiscirculatedattherequestofAustraliatomembersoftheNegotiating
Group onBasic Telecommunications.
_______________
The offer isconditional upon satisfactory initial commitments being received from other
negotiating partners. TheAustralian Government reserves theright towithdraw, modify orreduce this
offer, inwhole orinpart, atanytime onorbefore April 1996 ifsatisfactory offers arenotmade by
Australia 'snegotiating partners. Australia further reserves theright tomake technical amendments
andcorrections totheoffer.AUSTRALIA -DRAFT OFFERS/NGBT/W/12/Add.6
Page 2 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. Telecommunications
services
Covers thefollowing sub-
sectors from theServices
Sectoral Classification List
(a) Voice telephone services
(7521)
(b) Packet-switched data
transmission services
(7523**)
(c) Circuit-switched data
transmission services
(7523**)
(d) Telex services (7523**)
(e) Telegraph services
(7522)(1) None
(2) None
(3) Primary supply ofsatellite services limited
totwoservice providers (licensed general
carriers) until 30June 1997.
Primary supply ofpublic mobile cellular
telecommunications services limited to
three service providers (licensed mobile
carriers) until 30June 1997.
New arrangements willapply from
1July 1997.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(f) Facsimile services
(7521** +7529**)There isarequirement formajority
Australian Ownership ofthesecond
licensed general carrier andthesecond and
third licensed mobile carriers.
(g) Private leased circuit
services (7522**+7523)Thefirst licensed general carrier is
government owned. Where appropriate, the
Broadcasting Services Act1992, applies to
other service providers. New arrangements
willapply from 1July 1997.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inhorizontal
section.(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.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
(o) Other Termination orS/NGBT/W/12/Add.6
Page 3Interconnection Services
(The service provided by
aservice provider to
deliver orterminate a
telephone callforanother
service provider)(1)&(2) theregulator candirect alicensed
general carrier tomake anagreement with an
overseas operator which could place limits on
thequantity oftraffic sentbytheoverseas
operator tolicensed carriers inAustralia. Such
adirection would only beused where there is
misuse ofmarket power bytheforeign operator.(1) None
(2) None
Theregulator candirect alicensed general
carrier tomake anagreement with anoverseas
operator which could fixprices inrelation tothe
provision oftermination/interconnection
services. Such adirection would only beused
where there ismisuse ofmarket power bythe
foreign operator.
Theregulator candeclare aninternational public
telecommunications service provider byaservice
provider other than alicensed general carrier
andwhich isinterconnected atboth ends to
public switched networks tobeanunlicensed
service ifitisconsidered bytheregulator tobe
notinthepublic interest. Where such a
declaration ismade, theregulator canensure that
theservice isnolonger interconnected atthe
Australian end.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 commitmentsS/NGBT/W/12/Add.6
Page 4
(3) Asforsub-sectors (a)to(g)above andthe
regulator candeclare aninternational
public telecommunications service provided
byaservice provider other than alicensed
general carrier andwhich isinterconnected
atboth ends topublic switched networks to
beanunlicensed service ifitisconsidered
bytheregulator tobenotinthepublic
interest. Where such adeclaration ismade,
theregulator canensure thattheservice is
nolonger interconnected attheAustralian
end.(3) None
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.6
Page 5
NOTE TOTHE SCHEDULE -BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
(a) Licensing
A"general carrier" isaservice provider with theexclusive right toinstall ormaintain reserved
linelinks andtobetheprimary supplier ofsatellite services. Only twogeneral carriers willbelicensed
until 30June 1997. Amobile carrier hastheexclusive right tobetheprimary supplier ofcellular mobile
services. Only three mobile carriers willbelicensed until 30June 1997. New arrangements willapply
after 1July 1997.
Services supplied byservice providers other than licensed general carriers must besupplied
inaccordancewithclasslicencesissuedandadministeredbyAUSTEL. Therearenopracticalrestrictions
ontheprovision ofservices supplied oncapacity leased from alicensed general ormobile carrier,
includingswitchedvoiceservicesinterconnectedwiththePublicSwitchedTelecommunicationsNetwork
(PSTN).
International services supplied under theInternational Service Providers Class Licence (ISPCL)
canbesupplied unless theindependent regulator considers theservice tobe"notinthepublic interest".
Should theregulator consider theservice tobe"not inthepublic interest", itcandeclare theservice
tobeanunlicensed service. Where such adeclaration ismade, theregulator canensure service is
nolonger connected attheAustralian end. There isarequirement under thelicence insome
circumstances forresellers toenrol withtheregulator where, forexample, there isanintention tosupply
double-ended PSTN interconnected international services. This isanotification procedure, notan
approval process.
TheISPCL alsoallows forservices tobesupplied onfacilities from sources other than the
licensed general carriers asanexception. Inthiscase theservices supplied canonly beconnected to
thepublic switched network atoneend.
(b) Interconnection
Licensed general carriers andlicensed mobile carriers have more favourable access and
interconnection rights toeach others networks than doother service providers, andcanbeexempted
from specified State andlocal news forspecified activities. Licensed general carriers have various
landaccess andrights ofway. Other service providers donot. Licensed general carriers andlicensed
mobile carriers alsohave various responsibilities thatother service providers donothave, including:
- contributions towards payment foruniversal service;
- provision ofuntimed local calls toresidential customers;
- prompt identification andrepair offaults;
- provision ofaccurate callcharging;
- network rollout obligations;
- network modernization obligations;
- provision ofdirectory services;
- obligations toprovide services forcertain categories ofusers;S/NGBT/W/12/Add.6
Page 6
- provision ofnetwork traffic and planning information toother carriers for
interconnection andnetwork development purposes;
- billing information;
- provision ofequal access technologies;
- access tosupplementary services andinfrastructure;
- industry development plans, interconnection andtariffing obligations andanumber
ofother obligations;
- requirement tocooperate with lawenforcement organizations;
- theprovision ofanindustry ombudsman.
(c) Transparency
RelevantlegislationistheTelecommunicationsAct1991,Telecommunications(UniversalService
Levy) Act1991, Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Fees) Act1991, Telecommunications (Public
Mobile Licence Charge) Act 1992, Telecommunications (Numbering Fees) Act 1991,
RadiocommunicationsAct1992,TelstraAct1991,BroadcastingServicesAct1992,ForeignAcquisitions
andTakeovers Act1975, Trade Practices Act1974.