Agency information collection activities: Telecommunications carriers, foreign, presumed to possess power in foreign telecommunications markets; list,

[Federal Register: June 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 124)]

[Notices]

[Page 34799-34803]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr29jn99-69]

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[DA 99-809]

List of Foreign Telecommunications Carriers that are Presumed To Possess Market Power in Foreign Telecommunications Markets

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This document contains a list of carriers that are presumed to possess market power in foreign telecommunications markets. Carriers will be precluded from exchanging traffic outside of the international

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settlements policy with carriers on the list unless otherwise allowed by the rules. The Commission developed this list to provide carriers with a means of identifying carriers that lack market power in the foreign market.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert McDonald, Attorney-Advisor, Policy and Facilities Branch, Telecommunications Division, International Bureau, (202) 418-1470.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Released: May 6, 1999.

In the 1998 Biennial Regulatory Review--Reform of the International Settlements Policy and Associated Filing Requirements, IB Docket No. 98-148 and CC Docket No. 90-337, Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration FCC 99-73 (released May 6, 1999 and published elsewhere in this issue), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) modified its rules to remove its requirement that agreements between U.S. telecommunications carriers and foreign carriers that lack market power in the foreign telecommunications market conform to the Commission's international settlements policy (ISP). The Commission's rules include a presumption that a foreign carrier does not possess market power on the foreign end of a U.S. international route if it possesses less than 50 percent market share in each of three relevant foreign product markets: international transport facilities, including cable landing station access and backhaul facilities; intercity facilities and services; and local access facilities and services on the foreign end.

The Commission stated that it would issue a list of carriers that do not qualify for this presumption. U.S. international carriers would be precluded from exchanging traffic outside of the ISP with carriers on the list unless otherwise allowed. U.S.-authorized carriers would also be precluded from agreeing to accept special concessions (as defined in Section 63.14 of the Commission's rules) from carriers on the list unless otherwise allowed under the Commission's rules. The Commission found that this approach best advances the policy of allowing U.S. carriers to enter into arrangements with foreign carriers that lack market power with a minimum of regulatory oversight, while maintaining the ISP for certain arrangements with foreign carriers that possess market power in the foreign market.

The following list specifies particular foreign carriers that do not qualify for this presumption. The list is based on publicly available information, compiled from official sources, including the International Telecommunication Union. Interested parties may challenge the inclusion or exclusion of any carrier on the list by submitting a petition for declaratory ruling and the appropriate supporting documentation to demonstrate that a carrier included on the list lacks market power or that a carrier not included does not lack market power. This list applies only for purposes of determining those foreign carriers that are subject to our ISP, our rules on providing switched services over private lines, and the No Special Concessions rule. It does not apply for purposes of market power determination under Sections 63.10 (Regulatory classification of international carriers) or 63.18 (Contents of applications for international common carriers).

The list below will be posted on the International Bureau's World Wide Web site. (http://www.fcc.gov/ib).

Destination market

Dominant operators

Afghanistan:................. Cable Alcao Kabul. Albania...................... Albania Telecom. Algeria...................... Ministere des Postes et Telecommunications (MPT). Angola....................... Angola Telecom. Antigua and Barbuda.......... Cable & Wireless. Argentina.................... Telintar. Armenia...................... Armentel. Australia.................... Telstra. Austria...................... Post and Telekom Austria AG (PTA). Azerbaijan................... Ministry of Communication. Bahamas...................... Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation (Batelco). Bahrain...................... Bahrain Telecommunications Company (BATELCO). Bangladesh................... Bangladesh Telegraph & Telephone Board. Barbados..................... Barbados External Telecommunications Ltd. (BET). Belarus...................... Beltelecom. Belgium...................... Belgacom. Belize....................... Belize Telecommunications Ltd. Benin........................ Office des postes et telecommunications (OPT). Bermuda...................... Cable & Wireless Bermuda. Bhutan....................... Bhutan Telecom. Bolivia...................... Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones S.A. Bosnia and Herzegovina....... Post Telephone & Telegraph of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Telekom Republike Srpske. Botswana..................... Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC). Brazil....................... Embratel. Brunei....................... Jabatan Telekom Brunei (JTB). Bulgaria..................... Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC). Burkino Faso................. Office national des telecommunications (ONATEL). Burma........................ Myanmar Posts & Telecommunications. Burundi...................... Office National des Telecommunications (ONATEL). Cambodia..................... Directorate of Posts and Telecommunications (DPTK). Cameroon..................... Societe des Telecommunications Internationales du Cameroun (INTELCAM). Canada....................... Stentor Alliance (BC Tel, Bell Canada, Island Tel. Manitoba Telecom Services, Inc., Maritiem Tel&Tel, NewTel Communications, NBTel, and Telus). Cape Verde................... Cabo Verde Telecom Sarl. Central African Rep.......... Societe Centrafricaine des Telecommunications (SOCATEL). Chad......................... Societe des Telecommunications Internationales du Tchad (TIT). Chile........................ CTC.

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China........................ China Telecom. Colombia..................... Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones. Comoros...................... Societe Nationale des Postes et Telecommunications (SNPT). Congo........................ Office National des Postes et des Telecommunications (ONPT). Costa Rica................... Instituto Costariccense de Electicidad (ICE). Cote d'Ivoire................ Societe Cote d'Ivoire-TELECOM (CI- TELECOM). Croatia...................... Croatian Post and Telecommunications (HPT). Cuba......................... Empresa Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA). Cyprus....................... Cyprus Telecommunications Company. Czech Rep.................... SPT Telecom. Dem. Rep. of Congo........... Office Congolais des Postes et des Telecommunications (OCPT). Denmark...................... Tele Danmark A/S. Djibouti..................... Societe Telecom International (STID). Dominica..................... Telecommunications of Dominica. Dominican Republic........... Compania Dominicana de Telefonos (CODETEL). Ecuador...................... Emetel. Andinatel. Pacifictel. Egypt........................ Egypt Telecom. El Salvador.................. Compania de Telecomunicaciones de El Salvador. Equatorial Guinea............ La Sociedad Anonima de Telecomunicaciones de la. Republica de................. Guinea Ecuatorial (GETESA). Eritrea...................... Telecommunications Services of Eritrea (TSE). Estonia...................... Estonian Telephone Company. Ethiopia..................... Ethipian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC). Finland...................... Sonera Ltd. France....................... France Telecom. Gabon........................ Telecommunications Internationales Gabonaises (TIG). Gambia....................... Gambia Telecommunications Company, Ltd. (GAMTEL). Georgia...................... Georgia Telecom. Germany...................... Deutsche Telekom AG. Ghana........................ Ghana Telecommunications Company. Greece....................... Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE). Grenada...................... Grenada Telecommunications. Guatemala.................... Telecomunicaciones de Guatemala (Telgua). Guinea....................... Societe des Telecommunications de Guinee (SOTELGUI). Guinea-Bissau................ Companhia de Telecomunicaoes da Guine- Bissau, sarl (Guine-Telecom). Guyana....................... Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Ltd. Haiti........................ Telecommunications d'Haiti S.A.M. Holy See (Vatican City)...... Telecom Italia. Honduras..................... Empresa Hondurena de Telecomunicaciones. Hong Kong.................... Hong Kong Telecom. Hungary...................... Hungarian Telecommunication Co. (MATAV). Iceland...................... Landssiminn. India........................ Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL). Indonesia.................... PT Indosat. Iran......................... Telecommunciations Company of Iran. Iraq......................... Ministry of Telecommunications. Ireland...................... Telecom Eireann. Israel....................... Bezeq. Italy........................ Telecom Italia. Jamaica...................... Cable & Wireless Jamaica. Japan........................ Kokusai Denshin Denwa Co., Ltd. (KDD). Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation (NTT). Jordan....................... Jordan Telecommunications Corporation (JTC). Kazakhstan................... Kazakhtelecom. Kenya........................ Kenya Posts and Telecommunication Corporation (KPTC). Kiribati..................... Telecom Services Kiribati Limited. Korea (South)................ Korea Telecom. Korea (North)................ Pycompute Pyongyang. Kuwait....................... Ministry of Communications. Kyrgyszstan.................. Kyrgyztelecom. Laos......................... Enterprise of Telecommunications Lao (ETL). Lao Shinawatra Telecom Company. Latvia....................... Lattelekom. Lebanon...................... Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Lesotho...................... Lesotho Telecommunications Corporation (LTC). Liberia...................... Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Libya........................ General Post and Telecommunications Company (GPTC). Liechtenstein................ Swiss Telecom PTT. Lithuania.................... Lietuvos Telekom. Luxembourg................... Luxembourg PTT. Macedonia.................... Macedonian Telecom. Madagascar................... Telecom Malagasy (TELMA).

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Malawi....................... Malawi Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (MPTC). Malaysia..................... Telecom Malaysia. Maldives..................... DHIRAAGU. Mali......................... Societe des Telecommunications du Mali (SOTELMA). Malta........................ Telemalta Corporation. Marshall Islands............. National Telecommunications Authority. Mauitania.................... Office des postes et des telecommunications (OPT). Mauritius.................... Mauritius Telecom Limited. Mayotte...................... France Telecom. Mexico....................... Telefonos de Mexico (TelMex). Micronesia................... FSM Telecommunications. Moldova...................... Moldtelecom. Monaco....................... France Telecom. Mongolia..................... Mongolia Telecommunications Company. Morocco...................... Itissalat Al Maghrib. Mozambique................... Telecomunicacoes de Mocambique. Namibia...................... Telecom Namibia. Nauru........................ Nauru Telcom. Nepal........................ Nepal Telecommunications Company. Netherlands.................. KPN Telecom N.V. Netherlands Antilles......... Antelecom N.V. New Zealand.................. Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Ltd. (TCNZ). Nicaragua.................... Enitel. Niger........................ Societe nigerinne des telecommunications (SONITEL). Nigeria...................... Negerian Telecommunications plc. Norway....................... Telenor AS. Oman......................... General Telecommunications Organization (GTO). Pakistan..................... PAK-Telecom. Palau........................ Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC). Palestine.................... Palestine Telecommunications Company P.L.C. (PALTEC). Panama....................... INTEL. Papua New Guinea............. Post & Telecommunications Commission. Paraguay..................... Antelco. Peru......................... Telefonica del Peru. Philippines.................. Philippines Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT). Poland....................... Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. Portugal..................... Portugal Telecom S.A. Qatar........................ Qatar Public Telecommunications Corporation. Reunion...................... France Telecom. Romania...................... Romtelecom. Russia....................... Rostelecom. Rwanda....................... Rwandatel S.A. (RWANDATEL). St. Kitts and Nevis.......... Cable & Wirless. St. Lucia.................... Cable & Wireless. St. Vincent and the

Cable & Wireless. Grenadines. San Marino................... Telecom Italia. Sao Tome & Principe.......... Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicacoes, s.a.r.l. (CST). Saudi Arabia................. Saudi Telecommunications Company. Senegal...................... Societe Nationale des Telecommunications du Senegal (SONATEL). Serbia and Montenegro........ Serbija Telecom. Seychelles................... Cable & Wireless (Seychelles) Ltd. Sierra Leone................. Sirra Leone Telecommunications Company (SIRRATEL). Singapore.................... Singapore Telecom. Slovakia..................... Slovak Telecom (ST). Slovenia..................... Telecom Slovenia. Solomon Islands.............. Solomon Telekom Company. Somalia...................... Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. South Africa................. Telkom SA Limited. Spain........................ Telefonica. Sri Lanka.................... Sri Lanka Telecom. Sudan........................ Sudan Telecommunications Company Ltd. (Sudatel). Suriname..................... Telesur. Swaziland.................... Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC). Sweden....................... Telia. Switzerland.................. Swisscomm. Syria........................ Syrian Telecommunications Establishment (STE). Taiwan....................... Chunghwa Telecom. Tajikistan................... Tajiktelecom. Tanzania..................... Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL). Thailand..................... Telephone Organization of Thailand (TOT). Togo......................... Societe des Telecommunications du Togo (TOGO TELECOM). Trinidad and Tobago.......... Telecom Services of Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia...................... Tunisie Telecom. Turkey....................... Turk Telekomunikasyon A.S.

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Turkmenistan................. Turkmentelecom. Tuvalu....................... Ministry of Labor, Works and Communications. Uganda....................... Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (UPTC). Ukraine...................... Utel. United Arab Emirates......... The Emirates Telecommunications Corp. Ltd. (Etisalat). United Kingdom............... British Telecom. Uruguay...................... Administracion Nacional de Telecomunicationes. Uzbekistan................... Halqaro Telecom. Vanuatu...................... Vanuatu Telecom. Venezuela.................... Compania Anonima Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela. Vietnam...................... Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Corporation (VNPT). Western Samoa................ Postal and Telecommunications Department. Yemen........................ Yemen International Telecommunications Company (TELEYEMEN). Zambia....................... Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited (Zamtel). Zimbabwe..................... Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC).

Additional Carriers Included on This List

All incumbent local exchange carriers in the destination markets above.

All carriers that control, are controlled by, or are under common control with, a carrier listed above in the particular destination market.

For additional information, please contact Robert McDonald or Kathy O'Brien, Telecommunications Division, International Bureau, (202) 418-1470.

Federal Communications Commission. Magalie Roman Salas, Secretary.

[FR Doc. 99-16033Filed6-28-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712-01-P