Lithuania

[LT] Telecommunications Statute adopted

IRIS 1999-4:1/18

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

On 1 August 1998 the Statute on Telecommunications entered into force in Lithuania. The Statute provides the basis for regulation of telecommunications in the republic according to the standards of the European Community. It regulates relations between telecommunication operators and users; as well as management, use, and control of radio communications. The Statute oversees issues of import, manufacturing, use and maintenance of electromagnetic equipment; it provides for an effective use of radio frequencies; as well as favourable conditions for the development of competition in the telecommunications sphere. The law interprets "telecommunications" to include transmission, conveyance, reception of signs, signals, written texts, images and sounds or information of other nature by means of wire, radio, optical, and other electromagnetic systems.

The Statute establishes Communications Regulation Service, a department of the Government, to oversee compliance with the provisions of the telecommunications law.

Article 8 of the Statute provides that the market of exploitation of common fixed telephone communications network and rendering of telecommunication services through this network shall be liberalised starting from 31 December 2002. The Principal Operator of Fixed Telephone Communications, i.e., Lietuvos telekomas (or any enterprise which succeeds it), until this date shall have the right to be the sole operator of fixed telephone communications and sole provider of fixed telephone communications services.

The regulatory features for different telecommunications services are also set out. Licencing of telecommunications is necessary only for services that rely on the use of the limited radio frequency spectrum. The ceilings in the tariffs for fixed telephone communications and universal services are established by the Government. In a number of cases the Government can regulate tariffs for other telecommunications services. The Statute contains provisions regulating security of the data transferred through the telecommunications network.