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Information Document 5-E
3 April 1997
Original: English

The World Telecommunication Policy Forum (WTPF) decided in its Opinion 5 that a group of experts be established having among other tasks to prepare a checklist of factors which developing countries may take into account in the process of introducing GMPCS services. In so doing the WTPF urged:

1. GMPCS system operators and service providers to consider including as part of their corporate mission the commitment to offer their services as a further means to contribute to the attainment by developing countries of the goal of universal access;
2. GMPCS system operators, gateway operators, and service providers to take reasonable steps to ensure that their access and utilization charges are set at a level that would make this service as widely utilized as possible including in rural and remote areas and areas lacking conventional infrastructure in developing countries, taking into account the cost of providing service and the economic situation in developing countries;
3. GMPCS system operators consider providing some capacity at reasonable cost in support of service provision to areas lacking conventional infrastructure in developing countries;
4. GMPCS gateway operators to consider offering transport tariffs at reasonable cost in support of service provision to rural and remote areas in developing countries.

The following checklist is intended to be of assistance to national regulators when defining, within their national regulatory regime, their position in relation to GMPCS systems in general or when negotiating with a given GMPCS system operator. It should be employed in the context of the voluntary principles contained in Opinion 2, and be based on the results of ongoing ITU activities, in particular those listed in Opinion 3 and on the GMPCS MoU and the related arrangements to which administrations should be party. In addition, part of the developing countries, Members of the ITU, are committed to a variety of issues contained in this checklist, through agreements relating to satellite communications and the agreement concluded in WTO on telecommunication services. Application of the checklist has to take account of the fact that there are differences between GMPCS systems and that they are not applicable in every case.

1. Universal service: role of a GMPCS system in the provision of universal service.
2. Affordable prices: what parameters should be taken into account for:
   • prices of proposed services to be considered as being at a level to make the services as widely utilized as possible,

• costs that affect the affordability of the service such as:

- interconnection charges

- reasonable transit charges, if applicable

- other government charges.

1. Global service and roaming availability: the extent to which the introduction of a given GMPCS will permit a world-wide or regional use and roaming, as well as dual operation (space and terrestrial use).
2. Matters relating to the MoU:
   • take account of the results of the MoU on type approval, certification, mutual recognition, provision of access to traffic data
   • ensure that the GMPCS system operator is signatory of the MoU.
3. Interconnection matters: Are there technical and/or operational limitations that would prevent interconnection, and what steps must be taken to resolve them?
4. Numbering: What steps must be taken to implement the internationally agreed numbering scheme for GMPCS systems?
5. On the basis of Principle 4 contained in Opinion 2, relating to a transparent and non-discriminatory licensing process and taking account of:

- the license/authorization delivered by the ITU Member to the GMPCS operator for the space segment,

- the coordination agreements reached in respect to the system under consideration,

- the frequency spectrum availability

- any transitional arrangements, if any, for the use of frequencies with respect to existing and planned services,

- the probability of interference cases,

consider matters relating to licensing and to any related licensing fees, for:

• user terminal
• gateways
• service providers.

1. Consider the extent to which a system can prevent and/or identify unauthorized uses, means for identifying them, their impact on PSTN and other telecommunication service providers, and the resulting loss of revenue for the operators concerned.
2. Consider the impact of the operation of GMPCS systems on existing telecommunication networks and services and on their revenues.
3. Consider competition matters between GMPCS systems and existing telecommunication networks and services and between GMPCS systems and ensure that no anti-competitive action is taken by any of them.

11. Consider the extent to which GMPCS system operators offer opportunities to participate in ownership.

12. Consider the extent to which GMPCS systems are able to provide for privacy and security of communications.

13. Consider the extent to which the GMPCS system is responsive to communications reqirements in cases of emergency.

14. Ability of the GMPCS operator to provide locally transfer of know-how on technical, operational and managerial matters.