AT&T SONET Dedicated SONET Ring Service: F.A.Q.

version 1.0 (January, 2006)

  1. What are the associated charges moving a node within an existing customer configuration?
  • As of January 2006, the following charges are applicable for Node Moves:
  • Admin. Fee
  • Design Charges
  • Time & Material Charges (NRC)

Note: For those regions that only have the NRC charge, the term clock restarts on the node for the new location. Marketing is currently in process of standardizing this current rate structure in such a way that a small NRC would apply for moving nodes with the clock restarting on the node for the term.

2. How do I choose between the Access and the Exchange Tariff?

  • If the service terminates at an Interexchange Carrier’s POP, the service is normally considered an Access Service, and determination of the Federal or State jurisdiction is required. The FCC Part 69 interstate/intrastate access rule is:
  • If 10% or more of the traffic on the service is interstate, the AT&T FCC Federal Access tariff applies.
  • If less than 10% of the traffic on the service is interstate, the individual State Access tariff applies.
  • If the traffic mix changes, the customer must review their growth plans and advise AT&T to determine the appropriate access jurisdiction.

Sales will educate so the customer can make a decision on the 10% rule.

Both FCC and State Special Access services can ride a ring.

Note: For further clarification see: Attachment A.

3. What are AT&T committed intervals of restoration of service pertaining to node failure and/or equipment?

Standard Objectives for MTTR are 3 hours on manned and 4 hours on unmanned central offices. FYI, below on the repair and restoral actions.

  • If service effecting alarms or customer notification indicates trouble

within a particular piece of equipment or facility including but not limited

to a partial or complete interruption in service, then AT&T will

immediately begin repairs (as defined below) and if it becomes apparent

during those repairs that said repairs will take more than thirty (30)

minutes, then AT&T will immediately implement the restoral process (as

defined below). Restoral process will often parallel repair activities

until a circuit is fixed or restoral is completed. AT&T shall use its

best efforts to ensure that the Customer is provided continuous

uninterrupted service throughout the repair and/or restoral process.

Restoral process refers to patching or moving all or part of a circuit to

spare facilities or equipment to bypass facilities or equipment that causes

a circuit trouble condition. Repair refers to fixing a trouble condition in

facilities or equipment.

SONET is based and dependent upon fiber. Upon a fiber cut, it usually affects many fibers and restoration (splicing) of the cable is paramount. AT&T will dedicate resources to repair the fiber cut as soon as possible. The cable size will be directly related to the time of restoration. SONET services have equipment protection as a standard. Unless the service has fiber protection (OC-N PTP w/route protection or Ring), a SONET service may be effected. For the protected services mentioned above, the SONET service will see a hit in transmission and remain in-service.

4. What form of Network monitoring does AT&T provide for SONET applications?

AT&T monitors SONET applications via an internal CO-NET Gateway connections to Nodes in the Central Office.

Various software platforms (NMA, EMSs (Element Management Systems - FLEXR PLUS, Alcatel 1320...), TIRKS, WFA, SARTS) are utilized to notify our control centers when an alarm condition exists, open up trouble tickets, provide access for alarm, verification, resolution, dispatch, referral or status.

AT&Thas the Customer Network Management (CNM) feature that allows the customer to receive performance monitoring and alarm information on a ring.

5. When does Special Construction apply?

Special Construction may apply under the following circumstances:

  1. Facilities are not available to meet an order for service,
  1. The Telephone Company constructs facilities, and
  1. One or more of the following conditions exist
  • The Telephone Company has no further requirement for the facilities requested.
  • It is requested that service be furnished using a type of facility, or via a route other than that which the Telephone Company would normally utilize in furnishing the service.
  • More facilities are requested than would normally be required to satisfy an order.
  • It is requested that construction be expedited, resulting in added cost to the Telephone company.

6. What is our performance parameters associated with links to Inter-exchange carriers?

  • Interconnections between an AT&TSONETRing and an Inter-exchange carrier made by either a DS-1, DS-3, OC-N, etc. facilities, are subjected to the performance guarantees and parameters of their respective individual tariffs.

7. Can you have different term agreements for add-ons of new nodes to SONET Rings?

  • NO - Add-ons which carry a monthly recurring charge become co-terminus with

the original OPP rates but keep their own term past the ring term. Also, the term with of an

item added in the last 12 months of the ring term, a minimum of 12 months will be billed at

the OPP rate of the service. A ring with a 5 year term can not have components with 3 year

terms.

8. Who is responsible for actual record keeping of customers SONETbandwidth?

  • AT&Toffers its customers the added flexibility of being able to proactively manage and allocate their bandwidth to meet their current telecommunication needs. AT&Tdoes not manage bandwidth for the customer. Customers are responsible for managing their ring bandwidth and AT&T provides the appropriate tools for the customer. CFA & Directionality on a ring are available for the customer to appropriately manage the bandwidth and services.

9. Is there a Single Payment Option for SONET? If so, where?

  • Yes, Single Payment Option is an available option within the Exchange or FCC PriceFlex Tariffs. PriceFlex can also provide the ability for greater than a 5 year TPP.

10. What is the significance of the 1 mile minimum and where does it apply?

  • AT&T charges a 1 mile minimum charge to recover the fiber connection charges. This was designed primarily to cover the cost of fiber runs for additional nodes that are physically located on the same premise, but separated by several floors.
  • Note that the West region provides the first 10 miles free on each section of the ring and the one mile minimum does not apply.

11. How does one analyze a customer’s network to decide if SONET is appropriate?

The analysis is part art and science. One needs to review the customer’s installed network

and projections for the following:

  • QUANTITATIVE
  • Bandwidth Requirements > DS-3
  • Recent growth in bandwidth requirements
  • Projected growth due to expansion or new applications
  • Amount of locations and services
  • QUALITATIVE
  • Stated need for high reliability
  • “Mission-critical” applications (e.g. the financial or medical industry)
  • Possible experiences with outages in the past
  • Competition in the area which will likely approach the account with a SONET

proposal

SONET Ring can save the customer significant savings while providing reliability and protection. Once the ring is in place, the customer can save mileage costs on every circuit riding the ring. The more services a customer has in a metropolitan area, the more probability they will benefit from a ring. Propose a ring today to procure the protected revenue for 3 to 5 years!

My customer is asking about how we can protect their DS-1s with SONET, what should I tell them?

SONET can protect DS-1s! You may have an opportunity to sell SONET, but you really need to find out more. Often customers just want to know what facilities AT&T has into their building. You can further qualify this customer by identifying the amount of traffic and the from/to locations of the traffic. The good news is that QUALITY and RELIABILITY are the issue. Try to leverage this into a SONET sale. Both PTP and Ring may be excellent proposals.

If all they want to know is information on the facilities we use, the customer can issue a facility check. Try to probe further to understand the sudden interest - there may be a competitive threat.

The following are additional qualifying questions.

  1. Will SONET and its support of broadband services allow the company to enter a new market?
  1. Will SONET lower a barrier that allows the company to compete more effectively?
  1. Will SONET permit the company to offer new services or expedite the delivery of existing services?
  1. Will SONET enable the company to generate new revenues or produce a significant cost savings?
  1. Does the implementation of SONET by the company’s competition adversely impact the company?
  1. What are some of the ways a competitor may exploit SONET Advantages and in what timeframe?

12. Please clarify the various applications of Dual Entrance and where is it applicable?

See Attachment C.

ATTACHMENT A.

Determining HICAP Services Tariff Jurisdiction and associated ICB capabilities)

  • If the service terminates at an Interexchange Carrier’s POP, the service is considered an Access Service, and determination of the Federal or State jurisdiction is required. The FCC Part 69 interstate/intrastate access rule is:
  • If 10% or more of the traffic on the service is interstate, the AT&T FCC No 2. Federal Access tariff applies.
  • If less than 10% of the traffic on the service is interstate, the individual State Access or Exchange Tariff applies.
  • If the traffic mix changes, the customer must advise AT&T to determine the appropriate access jurisdiction.
  • Individual lower speed services connecting to a higher speed service at a defined interface point are provided on the basis of the customer’s use of the lower speed service. Examples:
  • A DS1 from an IXC POP to a DS3 CO Mux would be considered an Access Service, although the DS3 Mux, associated Channel Mileage components, and LDC could be an Exchange Private Line service (if less than 10% of the traffic on the DS3 is interstate.)
  • A DS1 from an IXC POP to a DS1 port on an OC-3 Dedicated SONET Ring Node located at the POP Serving Wire Center would be considered an Access Service, although the OC-3 ring itself could be an Exchange Private Line service (if less than 10% of the traffic on the OC-3 is interstate. i.e. up to 8 access DS1s on an Exchange Private Line OC-3 ring.)
  • An end-to-end service at the same speed may not have individual components provided out of different tariffs, although lower and higher speed services that are part of an overall network solution and have clearly defined interface points (i.e. associated with CO hubbed or muxed services) may be provided out of different tariffs. Examples:
  • A DS1 from an end user premise to an IXC POP cannot have one DS1 LDC provided out of an Exchange Tariff and one LDC provided out of Federal Access tariff.
  • In the case of an end user DS3 muxed at a CO with several DS1s destined to an IXC POP and the remainder destined for other local sites, the DS3 LDC, any mileage/ mileage terminations, and Mux could be considered Exchange Private Line and the lower speed DS1 LDCs considered Federal or State Access.

ATTACHMENT B.

AT&TSONET: Advantages over AT&T Accu-Ring

Customer Flexibility

The AT&T ring can be used for all local exchange traffic, as well from multiple IXC’s. AT&T has close relationships with all of their customers. If a customer wishes to change Long Distance Carriers, they may do so by remapping service channels on the AT&TSONET Ring. By choosing AT&T, the customer is not “locked into a relationship” with AT&T.

Topic for conversation: AT&T wants to control the end to end relationship, which is a logical position. The more services their customers buy from AT&T, the less likely they are to leave. AT&T feels that customers are better served dealing with their local service providers for SONET services, since both local and LD services are typically combined on one facility.

  • IXC’s are not as equipped to deal with local service issues as they are with Long Distance issues.
  • IXC’s are not well equipped to deal with each other (e.g. using a resold ring purchased through an IXC to drop traffic at a different IXC.)
  • We feel that the local company is in the best position to serve the needs of the customer because we know local services. In addition, we have relationships with all the IXC’s without violating term plans on the ring.

AT&T Ownership and Control of Facilities

AT&T owns the facilities and provides the service - the customer has a direct relationship with the provider. ACCURing is a service that AT& T offers under resale agreements. AT&T might use a LEC or Competitive Access Provider to provide ACCURing services. They might even bundle together services from two or more service providers. This raises some questions about service management, maintenance and restoral.

Someone in the New Jersey will be placing phone calls to the SONET provider(s) on behalf of the end user customer if there is a disruption in service. They do not have the capability to dispatch an AT&T crew to repair the service. How does the customer feel about being once-removed from the actual provider?

Topic for conversation:

AT&T was very vocal about having its customers but long distance directly from AT& T and not through resellers, even though customers could get better rates from resellers. The arguments they gave customers centered on doing business with the company that owns and operates the network.

FYI: AT&T has a policy that locating a ring inside a POP requires AT&T(or any non-AccuRing customer) SONET customers to execute a collocation agreement to lease power and space. This can cost in the neighborhood of $30,000 - $60,000 one-time charge and $600 - $1,000 monthly. AT&T AccuRing customers can have a node in the POP at no charge.

Note: There have been instances where AT&T customers have threaten to leave AT&T and take their long distance and interLata data traffic elsewhere unless AT&T waived the SCPA charges. Inat least one case AT&T has been reported to have waived the fees.

ATTACHMENT C.

DUAL ENTRANCE CLARIFICATION

  • AT&T as a standard service offering will provision dedicated transport facilities into a singular customer building entrance. When a customer request to have added redundancy, by means of ordering a “Second Entrance Point “ into their building - the following is the process, policies and procedures:
  • Process:All customer requested Dual Entrance must go through the Request for Design Process.
  • The following will cover both the
  1. Regulated,
  1. Non-Regulated aspects of Dual Entrance.
  • The following are the assumptions pertaining to Dual Entrance;
  1. The customer has requested a second entrance to their Demarcation Point
  1. The customer has the building owners/managers permission to construct the second entrance.
  1. The customer is liable for all costs on their side of the property line.
  1. There are no major physical obstacles in the area between the pick up location and their demarcation point.
  1. The Customer Applications Manager (CAM) verifies the

customer's needs, type of dual entrance required and forwards a copy

of the ICBPS case to the appropriate Loop Capacity Planner (LCP), who will

work with the Outside Plant Engineer (OSPE) to design.

  1. A copy of the case will be forwarded to the Integrated

Area Planner, who is the single point of contact within Integrated

Implementation Planning for all cases.

  1. The cycle time within Network Engineering for design

of the dual entrance is three days.

  1. The LCP and OSPE engineer will identify the customer's

location on the Plant Location Records, specific building records or

other maps that are available. These should supply base knowledge to

begin the rough design and costing.

  1. The LCP and OSPE will determine where facilities are

available to be picked up, i.e., at what splice or manhole.

  1. The LCP and OSPE will then;
  • Plan the route of the proposed cable
  • Determine the amount of conduitrequired to get to the customer's

property line.

  • Plan the structure requirements that would be required on the

customer's side of the property line and into the premises

  • Provide costs to provide dual entrance.
  • Complete Sections F and G of the CASE and return to The Customer

Applications Manager.

NOTE!!!! A field visit is highly recommended to ensure that the plans do not have obvious flaws or obstacles that would cause problems if accepted by the customer.

  • The Customer Applications Manager will create a Design Package for the Business Unit,

which includes a customer ready sketch, asset investment summaries and details, service cost

summaries and provisioning intervals.

  • The Business Unit will use the design package to determine the price to be charged and will

present the entrance design and price to the customer.

Types of Entrances:

While a dual entrance entails bringing service into the customer's building, the customer may elect to have AT&T only do certain portions of the total project. AT&T will provide the cable facilities from the pick up point to the Demarcation Point. Consequently, dual entrance requests are separated into three types of

conduit placements.

Type One - Conduit Placement

AT&T provides conduit (all regulated) from the pick up point to the mutually agreed to meet point at the property line. The customer will provide the balance of the necessary structure from the property line through the building to the Demarcation Point.

Type Two - Conduit Placement

AT&T provides conduit from the pick up point to the mutually agreed to meet point at the customer's building, which includes regulated conduit up to the property line and non-regulated conduit from the property line to the building. The customer will provide the balance of the necessary structure from the outside of the building through the building to the Demarcation Point.

Type Three - Conduit Placement