RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/NGBT/W/12/Add.6/Rev.1
4April 1996
ORGANIZATION
(96-1268)
Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications Original: English
COMMUNICATION FROM AUSTRALIA
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
Revision
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.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.6/Rev.1
Page2AUSTRALIA -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. 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
1July1997.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None[Australia isprepared to
consider commitments on
emerging regulatory
principles, subject to
satisfactory commitments
onthese principles being
offered byother
negotiating partners.]
(f) Facsimile services
(7521** +7529**)
(g) Private leased circuit
services (7522**+7523)There isarequirement formajority
Australian ownership ofthesecond
licensed general carrier andthesecond and
third licensed mobile carriers. Thefirst
licensed general carrier isgovernment
owned. Where appropriate, the
Broadcasting Services Act1992, applies to
other service providers. New arrangements
willapply from 1July1997.S/NGBT/W/12/Add.6/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
(4) Unbound except asindicated inhorizontal
section.(4) Unbound except asindicated inthe
horizontal section.
(o) Other
Digital Cellular services
(75213*)
Paging services (75291)
Personal
Communications Services
(75213*)
Trunked Radio System
services (7523**,
75213*)
Mobile Data Services
(7523**)Thenumber ofservice suppliers maybe
limited subject totheavailability ofradio
frequency spectrum.
Other Termination or
Interconnection Services
(The service provided by
aservice provider to
deliver orterminate a
telephone callforanother
service provider)(1)&(2) Theregulator candirect alicensed
general carrier tomake anagreement
withanoverseas operator which could
place limits onthequantity oftraffic
sentbytheoverseas operator to
licensed carriers inAustralia. Such a
direction would onlybeused where
there ismisuse ofmarket power by
theforeign operator.(1) None
(2) NoneS/NGBT/W/12/Add.6/Rev.1
Page4Modes 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
Theregulator candirect alicensed general
carrier tomake anagreement withan
overseas operator which could fixprices in
relation totheprovision of
termination/interconnection services. Such
adirection would onlybeused where there
ismisuse ofmarket power bytheforeign
operator.
Theregulator candeclare aninternational
public telecommunications service provided
byaservice provider other thanalicensed
general carrier andwhich isinterconnected
atbothends topublic switched networks to
beanunlicensed service ifitisconsidered
bytheregulator tobenotinthepublic
interest. Where such adeclaration ismade,
theregulator canensure thattheservice is
nolonger interconnected attheAustralian
end.
(3) Asforsub-sectors (a)to(g)above; and,
theregulator candeclare aninternational
public telecommunications service provided
byaservice provider other thanalicensed
general carrier andwhich isinterconnected
atbothends 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/Rev.1
Page5
NOTE TOTHE SCHEDULE -BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
(a) Licensing
A"general carrier" isaservice provider withtheexclusive righttoinstall ormaintain reserved
linelinksandtobetheprimary supplier ofsatellite services. Onlytwogeneral carriers willbelicensed
until30June1997. Amobile carrier hastheexclusive righttobetheprimary supplier ofcellular mobile
services. Onlythreemobile carriers willbelicensed until30June1997. Newarrangements willapply
after1July1997.
Services supplied byservice providers other thanlicensed general carriers mustbesupplied
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"notinthepublic interest", itcandeclare theservice
tobeanunlicensed service. Where suchadeclaration ismade, theregulator canensure service is
nolonger connected attheAustralian end. There isarequirement under thelicence insome
circumstances forresellers toenrolwiththeregulator where, forexample, thereisanintention tosupply
double-ended PSTN interconnected international services. Thisisanotification procedure, notan
approval process.
TheISPCL alsoallows forservices tobesupplied onfacilities from sources other thanthe
licensed general carriers asanexception. Inthiscasetheservices supplied canonlybeconnected to
thepublic switched network atoneend.
(b) Interconnection
Licensed general carriers andlicensed mobile carriers have more favourable access and
interconnection rights toeachothers networks thandoother service providers, andcanbeexempted
from specified State andlocal lawsforspecified activities. Licensed general carriers havevarious
landaccess andrights ofway. Other service providers donot.Licensed general carriers andlicensed
mobile carriers alsohavevarious responsibilities thatother service providers donothave, including:
- contributions towards payment foruniversal service;
- provision ofuntimed localcallstoresidential 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/Rev.1
Page6
- provision ofnetwork traffic andplanning 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 withlawenforcement 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.