HC Deb 12 May 1994 vol 243 c192W
Mr. Spellar

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 4 May,Official Report, column 513, what has been the response of the United States authorities to his representations regarding access for British telecommunications companies to the United States market.

Mr. McLoughlin

The United States authorities have, since 1991, revised their rules to require United States carriers to provide leased lines for international simple resale; adopted the United Kingdom principle of equivalence in judging routes suitable for ISR; and removed their prima facie treatment of all foreign telecommunications operators as "dominant".

More recently the United Kingdom has actively supported applications from United Kingdom companies to gain licences in the United States, and to remove discriminatory treatment of foreign applicants for telecommunications licences requiring radio frequencies. These are being considered by the United States authorities.

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