ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL, 2021 No. of 2021 Telecommunications Bill, 2021 2 No. of 2021 No. of 2021 3 Telecommunications Bill, 2021 ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL, 2021 ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES PART I PRELIMINARY 1. Short title and Commencement .............................................................................................. 12 2. Interpretation .......................................................................................................................... 12 3. Objects of the Act .................................................................................................................. 21 PART II NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATORY COMMISSION 4. Establishment of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission ...................... 23 5. Appointment of members of the Commission ....................................................................... 23 6. Tenure of office and revocation of appointment .................................................................... 24 7. Resignation of member .......................................................................................................... 25 8. Employment restriction .......................................................................................................... 25 9. Executive Director and Staff of the Commission ................................................................... 25 10. Authentication of seal and documents ................................................................................... 26 11. Procedures and meetings ........................................................................................................ 26 12. Service of notice on the Commission ..................................................................................... 27 13. Duties of the Executive Director ............................................................................................ 27 14. Protection of members of the Board and officers of the Commission ................................... 28 PART III FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE COMMISSION Telecommunications Bill, 2021 4 No. of 2021 15. Functions of the Commission................................................................................................. 28 16. Powers of the Commission .................................................................................................... 31 17. State’s domain name (.ag) ...................................................................................................... 31 18. Request for information ......................................................................................................... 33 19. Exercise of functions of the Commission .............................................................................. 33 20. Directions by the Minister ...................................................................................................... 33 PART IV FUNDING AND FINANCES 21. Funds of the Commission ...................................................................................................... 34 22. Application of the funds of the Commission.......................................................................... 34 23. Bank accounts, business plans, auditing, annual reports ........................................................ 35 PART V LICENCES 24. Requirement for a licence ...................................................................................................... 36 25. Licence categories .................................................................................................................. 36 26. Individual licence ................................................................................................................... 36 27. Class licence ........................................................................................................................... 37 28. Application for a licence ........................................................................................................ 37 29. Accuracy and publication of information provided by applicant ........................................... 39 30. Special criteria for the issuance of a licence .......................................................................... 39 31. Grounds for not granting a licence ......................................................................................... 39 32. Exemptions from licensing .................................................................................................... 40 33. Treatment of certain licensees and exclusions ....................................................................... 40 34. Withdrawal of assigned frequency ......................................................................................... 41 35. Assignment of spectrum right ................................................................................................ 41 No. of 2021 5 Telecommunications Bill, 2021 36. Validity and cancellation of a radio frequency licence .......................................................... 42 37. Cancellation, suspension and revocation of a licence ............................................................ 42 38. Change of Control of Licensee .............................................................................................. 42 39. Notification of Change of significant interest ........................................................................ 44 40. Transfer or assignment of a licence or interest....................................................................... 45 41. Amendment of a licence ........................................................................................................ 45 42. Renewal of a licence and a frequency authorisation .............................................................. 46 43. Special licence ....................................................................................................................... 47 44. Advance notification to the Commission ............................................................................... 47 45. Notifications of contravention and enforcement .................................................................... 47 46. Register and updates of licences ............................................................................................ 48 47. Interconnection ...................................................................................................................... 48 48. Commission to facilitate interconnection ............................................................................... 48 49. Guidelines for interconnection ............................................................................................... 49 50. Interconnection and obligations of a provider with significant market power ....................... 49 51. Standard Reference Interconnection Offer ............................................................................. 50 52. Access to facilities ................................................................................................................. 51 53. Creation of Universal Service Fund ....................................................................................... 51 54. Universal service .................................................................................................................... 51 55. Designation of universal service provider .............................................................................. 52 56. Financing Universal Service Fund ......................................................................................... 52 57. Directory and enquiry access ................................................................................................. 53 58. Specific measures for a differently-abled user ....................................................................... 53 59. Quality of service ................................................................................................................... 53 60. Tariffs ..................................................................................................................................... 54 PART VI FREQUENCY LICENCES, SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT AND NUMBERING Telecommunications Bill, 2021 6 No. of 2021 61. Requirement for a frequency licence ..................................................................................... 54 62. Conditions of a frequency licence .......................................................................................... 55 63. Harmful interference and its elimination ............................................................................... 56 64. Spectrum ................................................................................................................................ 57 65. Allocation of frequency bands ............................................................................................... 57 66. Exercise of functions .............................................................................................................. 57 67. Monitoring ............................................................................................................................. 58 68. Suspension or termination of a frequency licence .................................................................. 58 69. Varying conditions of spectrum rights ..................................................................................