Alterations to the conditions applicable to service of transport of outgoing international traffic
Reference Interconnection offer for 2000
Within the context of relations among operators for the routing of international traffic, traditionally carried out within the scope of the accounting rates system, there have been significant changes, either in the type of established agreements, or regarding offer conditions and, in particular, concerning the prices applied. It is worth mentioning the global decreasing evolution in the prices applicable to international transmission. It has been observed that these changes, generally-speaking, have had repercussions in the retail prices practised by the operator with significant market power in the fixed networks/services market, thus contributing for improvements for the end users upon making international calls.
Therefore, taking into account the guidelines defined in the current legislation (with particular emphasis on the principles of cost orientation, transparency and non-discrimination), with a view to, namely, guaranteeing a competitive market and promoting greater diversity in the provision of services, it is imperative that the subsequent benefits are disseminated and shared by the users of all service operators and providers. In this framework, we emphasise that in the previous "Alterations to the RIO 2000" determined by ICP, in the light of the principle of non-discrimination, it was established that PT should apply the service conditions it offers for the company itself (namely in the retail market area) and for its affiliated or associated companies, to interconnection applicants offering similar services and in similar conditions, in accordance with no. 2 of article 8 and article 25 of Decree-Law no. 415/98. Nevertheless, in certain cases, PT offers have presented retail prices lower than interconnection prices.
Moreover, it should also be noted that Annex 6 of the RIO 2000 already foresaw that the tariff system applicable to the service of transport of outgoing international traffic could be adapted in relation to traffic volumes, quality parameters, different ways of grouping and/or ungrouping destinations, as well as different requirements associated to providing the service. Furthermore, within the context of current negotiation of interconnection agreements, PT presented, in its latest negotiating offer, conditions which reflect a significant decrease in the prices for outgoing international traffic in comparison with the prices set out in the RIO 2000.
Therefore, and according to no. 1 of article 13 of Decree-Law no. 415/98 of 31/12, ICP determines that, within a 15-day period, PT must review and update the pricing conditions applicable to the service of transport of outgoing international traffic set out in the Reference Interconnection Offer for 2000, so as to be in line with the decreasing evolution that has taken place in the prices of international traffic, taking into account the global decrease resulting from the application of the figures set out in the most recent negotiating offer presented within the context of interconnection agreements to be signed in 2000.
