RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/NGBT/W/12/Add.30
23April 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1557)
Original: French Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications
COMMUNICATION FROM MOROCCO
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofMorocco tomembers ofthe
Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications.
________________
KINGDOM OFMOROCCO
Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications
Offer onBasic Telecommunications
Morocco 'srealandwhole-hearted participation inthework oftheNegotiating Group onBasic
Telecommunications (NGBT) demonstrates theKingdom 'sfirmresolve toreach anagreement onbasic
services before 30April 1996,thedatesetbytheMarrakesh Conference.
Hence, immediately following thatConference, Morocco decided torevise itscurrent legislation
onthesector, which wasdescribed inthereply tothequestionnaire andisbased onaStatemonopoly
forallbasic telecommunication services asdefined bytheWorld Trade Organization.
Adraft lawontelecommunication regulations istherefore currently being studied bythe
Moroccan Government, which intends tosubmit ittoParliament forapproval before theendofthis
year.
Thedraftlegislation inquestion provides for:
- opening uptocompetition enterprise networks, allmobile networks andservices, and
alldatanetworks andservices;
- retaining foraspecified period amonopoly forthepoint-to-point voice telephone
service.
Inaddition, thedraft lawestablishes aregulatory body thatisindependent ofany
telecommunication service andnetwork operator, aswellasaNational Posts andTelecommunications
Council consisting ofrepresentatives oftrade associations, users andoperators, which willgiveits
views onthegeneral principles oftheregulations applicable totelecommunications. Itwillalsogive
itsopinion ontheallocation ofoperators 'licences following invitations totender. Moreover, under
thisdraftlegislation thepresent principal operator willbecome aprivate-law company.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.30
Page2
TheKingdom ofMorocco therefore submits thisofferwhich willcome intoeffect onlyafter
thedraftlegislation inquestion hasbeenapproved.
Explanatory Note
Thisnotecontains further details onaspects ofMorocco 'sconditional offer relating tothe
regulatory body, interconnection, licensing system, approval andsafeguards against anti-competitive
practices.
Regulation
Aregulatory authority willbesetupbefore theendof1996. Theauthority willbeindependent
ofnetwork operators andtelecommunication services suppliers.
Itsmain functions willbe:
- toestablish thegeneral conditions covering therights andobligations ofoperators;
- toprocess applications forestablishment andoperating licences following theselection
ofoperators byinvitation totender;
- tomanage scarce resources (spectrum, blocks ofnumbers, geostationary orbits, high
points, etc.);
- toprepare technical standards incooperation with thevarious members ofthe
telecommunications sector (manufacturers, operators, service suppliers, etc.);
- tocontrol tariffs ofmonopoly services;
- tocarry outarbitration procedures intheevent ofdisputes between operators;
- toguarantee therightofinterconnection foralltelecommunication network operators.
Interconnection
Inprinciple,networkoperatorsnegotiateinterconnectiononacommercialbasisunderconditions
offairness, transparency andnon-discrimination.
Intheevent ofdispute, theregulatory authority willsettle disputes between operators.
Theauthority willensure inparticular thatinterconnection iscarried outunder transparent
technical conditions andatcost-oriented tariffs.
Thevarious operators holding licences toestablish andoperate public telecommunications
networks havetheobligation to:
- participate financially inthecosts ofthe"public service ";
- contribute toresearch anddevelopment andtraining inthetelecommunications area.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.30
Page3
Approval
Telecommunication terminal equipment mustbeapproved before being putintouse.Approval
isbased onthetechnical specifications established bytheregulatory authority.
Transparency
TheNational Council, comprising representatives oftrade associations, users andoperators,
gives itsopinion on:
- thegeneral regulatory principles applicable totelecommunications;
- theaward oflicences foroperators byinvitation totender.
Access toinformation concerning regulatory decisions andmatters isauthorized within the
limits laiddown bythelaw.
Safeguards against anti-competitive practices
Allmeasures willbetaken toavoid theestablishment ofadominant position oftheprincipal
operator, unfair competition anddumping.Kingdom ofMorocco -OFFER ONBASIC TELECOMMUNICATION SS/NGBT/W/12/Add.30
Page4
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
2.C.1
(a) Point-to-point voice
telephones services
(d) Telex services
(o) Integrated service data
network (ISDN)(1) Possible through theIAM
telecommunication network1
(2) None
(3) These services willremain anIAM
monopoly until 31December 2001
Foreign participation inthecapital ofIAM:
unbound
(4) Governed bytheMoroccan immigration
laws(1) None
(2) None
(3) Unbound
(4) Governed bytheMoroccan
immigration lawsExplanatory note:
- Regulatory principles
- Procedures forthegrant
oflicences, number
blocks andfrequency
allocation
- Approval
- Interconnection
1IAM: Itissalat Al-Maghrib.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.2S/NGBT/W/12/Add.30
Page5(b) Packet-switched data
transmission services
(o) Frame relaying services(1) Commercial presence required
(2) None
(3) Subject toanestablishment andoperation
licence iftheoperator installs hisown
transmission infrastructure
Subject todeclaration iftransmission
capacity isleased toother operators
Subject toavailability ofblocks ofnumbers
(4) Governed bytheMoroccan immigration
laws(1) None
(2) None
(3) Unbound
(4) Governed bytheMoroccan
immigration lawsModes 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.3S/NGBT/W/12/Add.30
Page6
(o) Mobile telephone services
(o) Paging services
(o) PCS(Personal
communication services)
(o) Mobile dataservices(1) Commercial presence required
(2) None
(3) Reserved foroperators selected bypublic
tendering procedure, inaccordance with
ANRT specifications2
Subject toanoperating andestablishment
licence (amobile telephone network -
NMT andGSM -isalready operated by
IAM)
Subject toavailability ofscarce resources
(radio frequency spectrum, number blocks,
etc.)(1) None
(2) None
(3) Unbound
(4) Governed bytheMoroccan immigation
laws(4) Governed bytheMoroccan
immigration laws
2Agence national deréglementation destélécommunications: National Telecommunication Regulatory Agency, newly established forthepurpose ofregulating thesector.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.4S/NGBT/W/12/Add.30
Page7Leased circuit services(1) Commercial presence required
(2) Possible through telecommunication
networks
(3) Reserved foroperators ofpublic
telecommunication networks
(4) Governed bytheMoroccan immigration
laws(1) None
(2) None
(3) Unbound
(4) Governed bytheMoroccan
immigration laws