Page 332 - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

rates that are reasonable, non-discriminatory, and transparent.

3. A Party may determine, in accordance with its laws and
regulations, which premises owned or controlled by major
suppliers in its territory are subject to paragraphs 1 and 2, having
regard to factors such as the state of competition in the market
where co-location is required, and whether such premises can
feasibly be economically or technically substituted in order to
provide a competing service.

Article 12: Independent Telecommunications Regulatory Body

1. Each Party shall ensure that its telecommunications regulatory
body is separate from, and not accountable to, any supplier of
public telecommunications services.

2. Each Party shall ensure that the regulatory decisions of, and the
procedures used by, its telecommunications regulatory body are
impartial with respect to all market participants.

Article 13: Universal Service

Each Party has the right to define the kind of universal service
obligations it wishes to maintain. Such obligations shall not be regarded
as anti-competitive per se, provided that they are administered in a
transparent, non-discriminatory, and competitively neutral manner, and
are not more burdensome than necessary for the kind of universal
service defined by the Party.

Article 14: Licensing

1. Where a licence is required for the supply of public
telecommunications networks or services, the Party shall ensure
the public availability of:

7
(a) all the licensing criteria and procedures that it applies;

(b) the period of time normally required to reach a decision
concerning an application for a licence; and

7 For greater certainty, this subparagraph includes any fee for applying for or obtaining
a licence.

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