Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

WTO GATS Annex on Telecommunications: Member Obligations on Access to Public Networks, Conditions of Use, Security and Confidentiality, Transparency, and Developing Country Exceptions

Published by a LexisNexis International Trade expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note offers guidance on trading in telecommunications services. It centres on the Annex on Telecommunication Services and should be considered alongside our practical guidance on the General Agreement on Trade in Services. It explains the scope of the Annex on Telecommunication Services and the commitments taken on by Member States. Those commitments concern rights of access to, and use of, telecommunication transport networks and services, together with any applicable conditions. The note is comprehensive, addressing all remaining obligations set out in the Annex on Telecommunication Services. It should be read in conjunction with the practical guidance on the General Agreement on Trade in Services noted above.

Introduction

Trade in telecommunication services is governed by the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Accordingly, our GATS guidance applies to trade in telecommunication services. See Practice Note: An introduction to Trade in Services. Nonetheless, WTO Member States also adopted the Annex on Telecommunication Services (Annex). That Annex expands on GATS provisions regarding measures affecting access to and use of public telecommunications transport networks and services. In addition, Members agreed to the Annex on Negotiations on Basic Telecommunications (the Basic Annex) which regulated by which date Member...

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Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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