The Interconnection Committee chaired by the French Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ART) convened for the first time yesterday

Paris, 13 June 1997

The Interconnection Committee convened for the first time on Thursday, June 12th.

The Interconnection decree provided for the establishment of an Interconnection Committee comprising, inter alia, licensed public network operators (article L 33-1) and licensed telephone service providers (article L 34-1), under the chairmanship of the French Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ART).

The arrangements governing the working mode and composition of this Committee were set forth in the decision of 4 June 1997 ( in annex).

The decree stipulated that the Committee should be consulted on the list of advanced and supplementary services and functions, on the definition of technical interfaces and on the definition of a method for determining interconnection tariffs to reflect long run costs more efficiently than the method initially adopted.

During the Committee's first meeting the chairman of ART, Jean Michel Hubert, announced that besides fulfilling its mandatory role, he intended the Committee to be used as a broad forum for discussion between the regulator and telecommunications operators on all interconnection-related issues.

The three items on the agenda of the 12 June meeting were: the list of advanced and supplementary services and functions, the second part of France Télécom's standard interconnection offer and the presentation of ART's working programme on long run incremental costs.

Three technical sub-committees, on economics, networks and services and technical specifications have also been set up under the respective leadership of ART directors, François Lions, Jean-Claude Jeanneret et Philippe Distler.

Edmond COHEN Chief Executive Officer - Western Télécom

Patrice COLLET Director, Architecture and planning - France Télécom

Pierre DELMOND Director, strategy and planning - France Télécom division mobiles

Gianbeppi FORTIS Managing director - Société d'exploitation du Téléport de Marseille Provence

Olivier HUARD Director, regulatory affairs and external relations - Cegetel

Richard LALANDE Deputy managing director - Cegetel

Dominique LANCRENON Managing director - Worldcom

Antoine LEPRINCE-RINGUET Managing director- Esprit Télécom

Thierry MILEO Director, external relations - Bouygues Télécom

Gérard MOINE Director, external relations - France Télécom

Alain NICOLAZZI Chief Executive Officer - Omnicom

Claude OLIER Managing Director - Colt Télécommunications

Jean-Pierre ROCHE Chairman - FEDIA

Charles ROZMARYN Chairman of the Board - Télécom Développement

René RUSSO Vice-chairman - Bouygues Télécom

Jean-Pierre SOUVIRON Chief Executive Officer - Kapt'

Patricia de SUZZONI Deputy managing director - Lyonnaise Câble

Didier THIBAULT Delegate-general for France - Belgacom

Robert TREHIN Administrator of AOST (Association des Opérateurs de Services de Télécommunications)