RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/NGBT/W/3/Add.27
21July1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2090)
Original: French Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM TUNISIA
Response toQuestionnaire onBasic Telecommunications
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofTunisia tomembers ofthe
Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications.
_______________
PART I
Definition andMarket Structure
Definition
1. TheTunisian Telecommunications Code asdefined byLaw77-58 of3August 1977stipulates
thatalltelecommunication services areconsidered tobebasic telecommunications.
Inparticular, thetermbasic telecommunications covers:
- Thenational telecommunications network comprising:
- thecable, fibreoptic, radio andsatellite transmission network;
- thetelephone, telexanddataswitching facilities;
- thesubscriber distribution networks.
- Thefollowing services:
- telephone;
- telex;
- datatransmission;
- mobile communications;
- rural communications;
- maritime communications.S/NGBT/W/3/Add.27
Page2
2. Inthepresent context, theTunisian regulatory regime doesnotdistinguish between networks
andservices indefining basic telecommunications.
3. No.
Market structure
4. TheLawenacting theTelecommunications Code gives theMinistry ofCommunications a
monopoly ontelecommunications inTunisia.
5. UnderLaw95-36of17April1995establishingtheNationalTelecommunicationsOffice(Tunisia
Telecom), from1996thelatter willbetheexclusive supplier ofbasictelecommunications forthewhole
ofTunisian territory.
6. No.
7. None ofthebasic services issubject totherules ofcompetition.
(a) Thesupply oftelecommunications services from terminals andtheestablishment of
company networks using public telecommunications network circuits areauthorized.
(b) No.
8. Tunisia isamember ofthefollowing organizations:
- Intelsat;
- Arabsat;
- Inmarsat;
- RASCOM;
- SEAMEWE.
Tunisia alsohasobserver status withEutelsat andisamember ofITUandPATU.
PART II
Competition
A. Subsectors
Atpresent, theMinistry ofCommunications istheexclusive supplier ofthefollowing
communications services:
(a) voice telephone services;
(b) packet-switched datatransmission services;
(c) circuit-switched datatransmission services;S/NGBT/W/3/Add.27
Page3
(d) telexservices;
(e) telegraph services;
(f) facsimile services;
(g) private leased circuit services.
Thefollowing provisions apply toallthese subsectors:
(i) Overview
Thenational regulations (Law 77-58 of3August 1977) give theMinistry of
Communications amonopoly ontheservice.
(ii) Modes ofsupply
- cross-border supply: through theTunisian telecommunications network;
- consumption abroad: authorized byaccess through theTunisian
telecommunications network;
- commercial presence: notauthorized;
- presence ofnatural persons: governed byTunisian immigration law.
(iii) Market access: notapplicable.
(iv) National treatment: notapplicable.
(v) Licensing: notapplicable.
From 1996, theseservices willbeprovided bytheNational Telecommunications Office (Tunisia
Telecom) onanexclusive basis.
B. Categories
Thefollowing categories:
- local/long distance/domestic andinternational services;
- wire-based andcable systems, satellite systems
aresubject tothefollowing provisions:
1and2. TheMinistry ofCommunications hasamonopoly ontelecommunications inTunisia.
Accordingly, nodistinction ismade between localservices, longdistance services andinternational
services. They areallaccessible through thenational telecommunications network operator.
However, itshould benoted that,within themonopoly, certain ministries andpublic bodies
havetheirownnetworks.S/NGBT/W/3/Add.27
Page4
Resale basis
3. Theresale ofleased circuit capacity isnotauthorized.
4. Theresale ofleased circuit excess capacity isnotauthorized.
Facilities-based
5. TheMinistry ofCommunications (from 1996 theTelecommunications Office) isresponsible
fortheconstruction ofthetelecommunications network.
Itshould alsobenoted that,within themonopoly, certain ministries andpublic bodies have
their own autonomous networks which they construct incoordination with theMinistry of
Communications.
Public/non-public supply
6. No.
7. Allthetelecommunication services arebased onavailability tothepublic withtheexception
of:
- government telecommunications;
- security telecommunications.
8. SeeQuestion 7.
9. TheMinistry ofCommunications and,from 1996, theTelecommunications Office haveall
thepublic service obligations.
10. Notapplicable.
11. Pay-phones maybeoperated bysuppliers other thanthepublic network operator. Thesupply
ofthisservice issubject tospecifications andthesupplier must beapproved.
PART III
Regulatory Issues
Relationship between regulatory andoperational functions
1. TheMinistry ofCommunications isresponsible for:
- making regulatory policy;
- applying theregulations.S/NGBT/W/3/Add.27
Page5
2. TheMinistry ofCommunications isresponsible for:
- negotiating standards atinternational level;
- applying standards atnational level.
3. Thelawsconcerning telecommunications arepromulgated bythePresident oftheRepublic
afterbeing approved bytheChamber ofDeputies.
Asregards telecommunications regulations, theMinistry ofCommunications issues orders and
proposes draftdecrees.
Theadministrative tribunal isresponsible forsettling disputes.
Frequency allotment orassignment
4. UndertheTelecommunicationsCodetheMinistryofCommunicationsisresponsibleformanaging
thefrequency spectrum. Before aradio station canbesetuporafrequency used, authorization
(operating licence) must beobtained from theMinistry.
5. Yes,provided theyobtain thenecessary authorization.
Numbering andidentification codes
6. With respect tonumbering andidentification codes, theMinistry ofCommunications applies
procedures consistent withtherelevant provisions oftheinternational regulations.
7. Yes,provided theyobtain thenecessary authorization.
Standards, typeapproval andequipment attachment
8. Themandatory standards arethose ofthenational andinternational standardization bodies.
9. When astandard isbeing developed, thepublic isnotconsulted.
Neither foreigners northeprivate sector mayparticipate intheadoption process.
10. Alltelecommunications equipment intended tobeused inconnection with thepublic
telecommunications networks, whether produced locally orabroad, issubject toprior typeapproval
bytheMinistry ofCommunications.
Self-certification isnotauthorized. However, typeapproval inthecountry oftheproducer
istaken intoconsideration inconnection withthetypeapproval oftelecommunications equipment.
11. Theability toattach terminal equipment tothepublic network isregulated byrequiring type
approval oftheequipment tobeconnected.
12. TheTelecommunications Actgives theMinistry ofCommunications amonopoly on
telecommunications inTunisia, andtheTelecommunications Office istheonlyoperator authorized
touseitsownswitches forsupplying basic telecommunications.S/NGBT/W/3/Add.27
Page6
Private suppliers connected tothepublic network must obtain theprior approval ofthe
Administration tousetheirownswitches.
13. Terminal equipment canbeattached tothenetwork onlyafterithasbeenchecked andauthorized
bytheAdministration.
Interconnection
14. Since there isonlyonepublic telecommunications operator, theTunisian regulations donot
make anyspecial provision forinterconnection.
15. Notapplicable.
16. Interconnection between leased circuits andpublic datanetworks isprohibited.
17. Notapplicable.
Competitive safeguards
18. Notapplicable.
19. Notapplicable.
20. Notapplicable.
21. Notapplicable.
Pricing-related measures
22. Thetariffs forpublic telecommunications services areadjusted bytheAdministration andcan
beapplied onlywiththeagreement oftheGovernment.
23. Theinternal tariffs areestablished bydecree andpublished intheOfficial Journal oftheTunisian
Republic. International tariffs areestablished byministerial order.
24. There arenospecial discounts applied onadiscriminatory basis.
25. TheMinistry ofCommunications istheonlysupplier oftelecommunications services and
establishes itstariffs withtheagreement oftheGovernment.
26. Tariffs aredetermined onthebasis ofageneral evaluation ofthecosts andoverheads ofthe
telecommunications systems employed.
These tariffs areadjusted asafunction ofpurchasing power.
Asregards accounting rates, Tunisia, asamember oftheITU, follows thatbody's
recommendations when setting international rates.
27. Thetariffs foranewservice areestablished onthebasis ofacostanalysis.S/NGBT/W/3/Add.27
Page7
Rights ofwayfortheconstruction ofinfrastructure
28. TheMinistry ofCommunications, atpresent, andtheTelecommunications Office, from1996,
aretheonly national telecommunications network operators andtheonly suppliers ofbasic
telecommunications.
Theconstruction oftelecommunications infrastructure isentrusted toacompany under the
supervision oftheMinistry ofCommunications, afteritsownservices havemade studies anddesigns.
Asregards subscriber linenetworks, theprivate sector isauthorized toparticipate incivilengineering
andcable pulling projects, andevenintheconnection ofsubscribers, inaccordance withaprogramme
developed byitsownservices.
29. Seereply toQuestion 28.
Newtelecommunications services
30. Theintroduction ofanewservice issubject totheapproval oftheMinistry ofCommunications
which, inparticular, issues anorder establishing thetariffs applicable.
31. Thestatus ofanynewservice isdetermined bytheMinistry ofCommunications.