pay for network components or facilities that it does not require for the service to be provided; and(c) upon request, at points in addition to the network termination points offered to the majority of users, subject to charges that reflect the cost construction of necessary additional facilities.2.3. Public availability of the procedures for interconnection negotiationsThe procedures applicable for interconnection to a major supplier will be made publicly available.2.4. Transparency of interconnection arrangementsIt is ensured that a major supplier will make publicly available either its interconnection agreements or a reference interconnection offer.2.5. Interconnection: dispute settlementA service supplier requesting interconnection with a major supplier will have recourse, either:(a) at any time; or(b) after a reasonable period of time which has been made publicly knownto an independent domestic body, which may be a regulatory body as referred to in paragraph 5 below, to resolve disputes regarding appropriate terms, conditions and rates for interconnection within a reasonable period of time, to the extent that these have not been established previously.3. UNIVERSAL SERVICEAny Member has the right to define the kind of universal service obligation it wishes to maintain. Such obligations will not be regarded as anti-competitive per se, provided 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 Member.4. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF LICENSING CRITERIAWhere a licence is required, the following will be made publicly available:(a) all the licensing criteria and the period of time normally required to reach a decision concerning an application for a licence and(b) the terms and conditions of individual licences.The reasons for the denial of a licence will be made known to the applicant upon request.5. INDEPENDENT REGULATORSThe regulatory body is separate from, and not accountable to, any supplier of basic telecommunications services. The decisions of and the procedures used by regulators shall be impartial with respect to all market participants.6. ALLOCATION AND USE OF SCARCE RESOURCESAny procedures for the allocation and use of scarce resources, including frequencies, numbers and rights of way, will be carried out in an objective, timely, transparent and non-discriminatory manner. The current state of allocated frequency bands will be made publicly available, but detailed identification of frequencies allocated for specific government uses is not required.DECISION ON COMMITMENTS IN BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES,HAVING REGARD to the Annex on negotiations on basic telecommunications,HAVING REGARD to the results of the negotiations conducted under the terms of the decision on negotiations on basic telecommunications adopted at Marrakesh on 15 April 1994,ACTING upon the final report of the negotiating group on basic telecommunications,DECIDES as follows:1. To adopt the text of the 'Fourth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services` (hereinafter referred to as the Protocol) and to take note of the schedules of commitments and lists of exemptions from Article II listed in the attachment to the final report of the negotiating group on basic telecommunications.2. Commencing immediately and continuing until the date of entry into force of the Protocol Members concerned shall, to the fullest extent consistent with their existing legislation and regulations, not take measures which would be inconsistent with their undertakings resulting from these negotiations.3. During the period from 15 January to 15 February 1997, a Member which has a schedule of commitments annexed to the Protocol, may supplement or modify such schedule or its list of Article II exemptions. Any such Member which has not annexed to the Protocol a list of Article II exemptions may submit such a list during the same period.4. A Group on basic telecommunications reporting to the Council for Trade in Services shall conduct consultations on the implementation of paragraph 3 above commencing its work no later than 90 days from the adoption of the decision.5. The Council for Trade in Services shall monitor the acceptance of the Protocol by Members concerned and shall, at the request of a Member, examine any concerns raised regarding the application of paragraph 2 above.6. Members of the World Trade Organization which have not annexed to the Protocol schedules of commitments or lists of exemptions from Article II may submit, for approval by the Council, schedules of commitments and lists of exemptions from Article II relating to basic telecommunications prior to 1 January 1998.REPORT OF THE GROUP ON BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS 1. This report is made in accordance with paragraph 4 of the Decision on Commitments in Basic Telecommunications, adopted by the Council for Trade in Services on 30 April 1996 (S/L/19). In paragraph 1 of this Decision, the Council also adopted the text of the Fourth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services and took note of the schedules of commitments and lists of exemptions from Article II listed in the attachment to the final report of the negotiating group on basic telecommunications (S/NGBT/18).2. The