Issues covered by the WTO’s committees and agreements

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES: OVERVIEW TABLE

Overview table of the results of the negotiations 

For all services shown in the table, shaded areas mean a commitment has been made.  A service has been shaded if the schedule concerned indicates that it may be supplied by at least two or more suppliers.

Explanatory notes for the overview table 

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Criteria used in compiling the table: 

Listings for voice telephone are broken down by market segment (local, long distance, international) and also show the whether or not the commitment is to be phased in on a date subsequent to the entry into force of the results as a whole.  For other service sub-sectors listed in the table, although commitments on these may also be subject to such distinctions, the table entries are simplified and therefore do not reflect these; the relevant details are usually provided in the highlights of schedules.  Therefore, for the sub-sectors other than voice telephone, the table lists it as subject to commitment if the schedule indicates that (i) it may be supplied by at least two or more suppliers, (ii) it may be supplied in at least one market segment, (iii) it is committed upon entry into force of the results or through phased-in implementation, and  (iv) it may be supplied on either as a public service or on a non-public (e.g. closed-user-group) basis. 
 
  
 
Table notes: 

(1) Key to categories used for listing commitments on public voice telephone services: 

 L  =  Local 
 LD  = Domestic long-distance 
 I   =  International 
 (  )  =  Phased-in commitments 
 R  = Resale of public voice 

(2) Includes circuit switched and/or packet switched data transmission. 
(3) Includes analog and/or digital. 
(4) Includes  personal communication services, paging, and/or mobile data services. 
(5) Where these are indicated the schedule concerned explicitly listed these services as separate entries.  However, it is important to note that some schedules may implicitly cover such services in their commitments. 
(6) Incorporated the Reference Paper on regulatory principles with few, if any, modifications. 
(7) Included some portions of the Reference Paper or  independently drafted texts 
(8) Commitments made conditional upon  the passage of relevant national legislation. 
(9) Commits to improve offer once pending national legislation has been adopted. 
(10) Phase-in of facilities-based voice service applies for Greece, Ireland, and Portugal. 
(11) Where no public voice telephone commitments are indicated, voice over closed user groups is nonetheless committed. 
(12) Commits to review the possibility of allowing market access for additional suppliers.