(A) General
.1 Objectives for DS1, DS3, OC3, OC12 and OC48 Service apply to the end-to-end
Private Line Service where the Company acts as the agent for the provision
of Local Access and exclude non-performance due to the circumstances listed
in Section 2.28 of this Guidebook or planned interruption for necessary
maintenance purposes. When a Customer orders its own Local Access, then
the objectives in this Guidebook apply only to the Company-Provided
components of the Circuit.
.2 Interexchange Service standards apply on a one-way basis between the
originating and terminating Company-designated POP. The actual end to end
(CPNIP to CPNIP) service availability and performance of the DS1, DS3,
OC3, OC12 and OC48 will be combined function of the Local Access service
and interexchange Service specifications. The actual end to end (CPNIP to
CPNIP) service availability and performance of the DS1, DS3, OC3, OC12 and
OC48 is a function of both services specified and may be affected by the type
and quality of Customer-provided equipment, the application of service, and
exogenous factors.
.3 A Service is interrupted (and may be eligible for claim) when it becomes
unusable to the Customer due to lack of continuity. A Service interruption may
be eligible for an out-of-service credit if the failure is (1) in the Company-
Provided facilities or (2) in Local Access facilities where the Company acts as
the Customer's agent for the provision of Local Access, and the reason for the
failure is determined to have been caused by the Company or Third Party
Vendor providing the facilities or access.
.4 An interruption period starts when inoperative service is reported to the
Company and is released for testing and repair. An interruption period ends
when Service is operative and released to the Customer. Out-of-service credit
allowance is available to the Customer for interrupted service.
3.1 Technical Standards for Private Line Services (Continued)
3.1.3 Baseline Technical Performance Objectives (Continued)
(B) Availability
Availability or network availability is the measurement of the percent (%) of total
time the Service is operative when measured over a calendar month period. The
performance objective for all Private Line Services is 99.999% at the network layer.
The Services is considered non-available when the Customer reports the Service
interruption to the Company and releases the circuit for testing. Network
Availability is not eligible for out-of service credits.
(C) Error Free Seconds (EFS), While Available
%EFS is measured at a point in time after the Customer has reported an issue to the
Company. %EFS will be measured over a 24 hour time period agreed to by the
Customer and Company. The performance objective for all Private Line Services is
99.9%. %EFS is not eligible for out-of-service credits. If the testing results in the
%EFS not meeting the stated objective and this condition is impacting customer
applications, the Customer has the option of releasing the circuit to the Company for
testing.
(D) MTTR
MTTR is measured in terms of hours or time from the time the Service was released
for test and repair to operability within accepted thresholds. MTTR is the average
time to restore Service. A Circuit will be accepted if all test results meet or are
within the acceptance limits. The failed test will be repeated.
The MTTR parameter is an outage measurement cumulative on a monthly basis.
MTTR is not eligible for out-of-service credits but instead will be issued on a per
incident basis per Section 3.2Out-of-Service Credits
3.2 Out-of-Service Credits
3.2.1 General
(A) Following the start of service date, if a Customer reports interruption of Service the
Customer may initiate a claim for an out-of-service credit.
(B) Unless the Customer has cancelled Service, the credit will be accomplished by a
credit on a subsequent bill for Service. The service level credits will appear on the
Customer's bill no later than the two (2) billing cycles following the restoral of the
interruption of Service. If the Customer has cancelled Service, the credit will be
applied to the last invoice. Any excess over the amount due will be refunded to the
Customer.
(C) In any given billing month, the total amount of out-of-service credits cannot exceed
100% of the applicable monthly recurring charge(s) per affected Service.
(D) For Private Line Service, the Company does not provide echo suppression. Voice
transmission quality parameters are not necessarily coincident with data
performance standards.
3.2 Out-of-Service Credits (Continued)
3.2.2 Interruption of Service
(A) An out-of-service credit allowance is available to a Customer for interrupted Service.
Service is interrupted (and may be eligible for claim) when it becomes unusable to
the Customer because of a failure in Company-Provided facilities, a failure in Local
Access facilities where the Company acts as the Customer's agent for provisioning
the Local Access, or if the protective controls applied by the Company result in
complete loss of Service by the Customer.
(B) An interruption period starts when inoperative Service is reported to the Company,
and the Service is released to the Company or Company-designated Third Party
Vendor for testing and repair. An interruption period ends when Service is operative
and released to the Customer, and the Customer has accepted Service. If the
Customer cannot be contacted for notification that the Service is operative, the
trouble will be cleared awaiting contact with the Customer to verify Service is
operative. The outage time for service credit calculations will not include this
waiting time.
(C) Regardless of the number of Service interruptions within a billing period, credits for
interrupted Service will not exceed 100% of the monthly rates of the affected Service
that the Customer would have otherwise paid.
(D) An out-of-service credit will not be given to a Customer if the interruption in Service
is due to the negligence of the Customer or exogenous factors (outside the
Company's or Third Party Vendor's control).
(E) In order to permit the Company to make tests and adjustments appropriate for the
maintenance of services within satisfactory operating parameters, Private Line
Services provided herein shall be available to the Company at times mutually agreed
upon between the Company and the Customer. Tests and adjustments shall be
completed within a reasonable time. No out-of-service credit will be allowed for any
interruptions involved during such tests and adjustments or if the Customer does not
release the circuit to the Company.
(F) The allowance for the period of interruption per affected Service is defined in Section
3.2.4 of this Guidebook.
(G) Outages must be determined by the Company to be in Company-Provided facilities
or Local Access facilities where the Company acts as the Customer's agent for
provisioning the Local Access.
3.2 Out-of-Service Credits (Continued)
3.2.3 Reserved for Future Use
3.2.4 Service Specific Credit Allowances (Continued)
(A) DS1 Service
For DS1 Service, the credit allowance is equal to 1/1440 of all applicable billed
elements of the affected Service for each (and portion of) half hour, not to exceed
the full monthly recurring charges. No credit shall be allowed for an interruption
of less than two (2) hours.
(B) DS3 Service
For DS3 Service, the credit allowance is equal to 1/30 of all applicable billed
elements of the affected Service for each (and portion of) half hour, not to exceed
the full monthly recurring charges. No credit shall be allowed for an interruption
of less than two (2) hours.
(C) OC3 Service
Credit(s) for an interruption of less than two (2) hours or the initial two (2) hours
will be limited to 1/30 of all applicable billed elements of the affected Service. For
interruptions of greater than two (2) hours, the credit allowance is equal to 1/4 of
all applicable billed elements of the affected Service for each (and portion of) half
hour, not to exceed the full monthly recurring charges.
(D) OC12 Service
Credit(s) for an interruption of less than two (2) hours or the initial two (2) hours
will be limited to 1/30 of all applicable billed elements of the affected service. For
interruptions of greater than two (2) hours, the credit allowance is equal to 1/4 of
all applicable billed elements of the affected service for each (and portion of) half
hour, not to exceed the full monthly recurring charges.
(E) OC48 Service
Credit(s) for an interruption of less than two (2) hours or the initial two (2) hours
will be limited to 1/30 of all applicable billed elements of the affected service. For
interruptions of greater than two (2) hours, the credit allowance is equal to 1/4 of
all applicable billed elements of the affected service for each (and portion of) half
hour, not to exceed the full monthly recurring charges.
DATA PRODUCT REFERENCE AND PRICING GUIDEBOOK
SECTION 3 DESCRIPTION OF INTERSTATE PRIVATE LINE SERVICE
3.2 Out-of-Service Credits (Continued)
3.2.4 Service Specific Credit Allowances (Continued)
(F) Miscellaneous Installation Service Credits
An installation service credit equal to 20% of the installation charge will be granted
for each day missed if the Company fails to meet the service order due date without
cause or notice of mutual consent with the Customer. Credits are not to exceed the
full non-recurring or installation charges. An exception to an installation service
credit is service orders with an expedite status, where the requested due date is
missed but the normal due date interval is met. Expedites are met on "a best effort"
basis. Order expedite charges apply when a Customer requests a circuit due date
that is earlier than the standard provisioning interval.
(G) Additional Labor Charge Credit
If the date and time for an event which triggers additional labor charges is missed
without cause or notice of mutual consent of the Customer, then additional labor
charges for the event will not be charged. If these additional labor charges were
charged in advance, they will be credited on the Customer's next months' bill.
(H) Special Construction
There are no credits for special construction or other incurred non-recoverable
costs