WORLD TRADE GATS/SC/95/Suppl.1
11April 1997
ORGANIZATION
(97-1434)
Trade inServices
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
Schedule ofSpecific Commitments
Supplement 1
(This isauthentic inEnglish only)
_______________
Thistextsupplements theentries relating totheTelecommunication Services section contained
onpages 10to12ofdocument GATS/SC/95.GATS/SC/95/Suppl.1
Page2BRUNEI DARUSSALAM -SCHEDULE OFSPECIFIC COMMITMENTS
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
Telecommunication
services
1. Local service
a) Public switched
voice telephone
services(1) Subject tocommercial arrangements
withlicensed operator(s).
(2) Unbound
(3) Subject tolicence bytheappropriate
regulatory authority andBrunei
Darussalam Companies 'Act.
Local public switched voice telephone
services areprovided exclusively by
JTBwhich isagovernment
department.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) Unbound
(2) Unbound
(3) None except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionSeeannex
Theperiod ofexclusivity forlocal
public switched voice telephone
services willbeextended forupto
10years after privatisation ofJTB.
Thegovernment willconduct a
review ofpolicy withrespect to
whether topermit additional
suppliers ofsuch services upon the
expiry ofthisperiod.GATS/SC/95/Suppl.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
2. International
service
a) Public switched
voice telephone
services(1) Subject tocommercial arrangements
withlicensed operator(s).
(2) Unbound
(3) Subject tolicence bytheappropriate
regulatory authority andBrunei
Darussalam Companies 'Act.
International public switched voice
telephone services areexclusively
provided byJTB(government
department) andDSTCom (private
company).
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) Unbound
(2) Unbound
(3) None except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionTheperiod ofexclusivity forthe
twooperators expires inyear2010.
Thegovernment willconduct a
review ofpolicy withrespect to
whether topermit additional
suppliers ofsuch services upon the
expiry ofthisperiod.
3. Mobile services
a) Public cellular
mobile telephone
service(1) Subject tocommercial arrangements
withlicensed operator(s).
(2) Unbound
(3) Subject tolicence bytheappropriate
regulatory authority andBrunei
Darussalam Companies 'Act.
Public cellular mobile telephone
service using AMPS andGSM
technologies areexclusively provided
byDSTCom.
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section(1) Unbound
(2) Unbound
(3) None except asindicated inthe
horizontal section
(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal sectionIssuance ofalicence toprovide
public cellular mobile telephone
services employing other than
AMPS andGSM technologies will
beconsidered bythegovernment in
year2010 ifpublic interest and
economic conditions justify the
issuance ofsuch licence.GATS/SC/95/Suppl.1
Page4
ANNEX
REFERENCE PAPER
Scope
Thefollowingaredefinitionsandprinciplesontheregulatoryframeworkforthebasictelecommunications
services.
Definitions
Users mean service consumers andservice suppliers.
Essential facilities mean facilities ofapublic telecommunications transport network orservice 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
Appropriate measures shallbemaintained forthepurpose ofpreventing suppliers who, alone
ortogether, 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.GATS/SC/95/Suppl.1
Page5
2. Interconnection
2.1 Thissection applies tolinking withsuppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks orservices inorder toallow theusers ofonesupplier tocommunicate withusers ofanother
supplier and toaccess services provided byanother supplier, where specific commitments are
undertaken.
2.2 Interconnection tobeensured
Interconnection withamajor supplier willbeensured atanytechnically feasible point inthe
network. Such interconnection isprovided.
(a) under non-discriminatory terms, conditions (including technical standards and
specifications) andratesandofaquality nolessfavourable thanthatprovided forits
ownlikeservices orforlikeservices ofnon-affiliated service suppliers orforits
subsidiaries orother affiliates;
(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.GATS/SC/95/Suppl.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.