Presentation to MACRUC Pennsylvania Quality of Service

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Presentation toMACRUC Pennsylvania Quality of
Service

• Joseph K. Witmer, Assistant Counsel
• Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
• Presentation to MACRUC
• Email joswitmer_at_state.pa.us
• June 2008
• The Views Expressed Are Those of the Presenter.
• These Are Not The Views or Rules of The
  Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

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INADEQUATE SERVICE, MONITORING
REPAIR.PENNSYLVANIASPERFORMANCE STANDARDS52
PA.Code 63.11-63.65
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Service Quality Measures52 Pa.Code 63.11- 63.36

• 63.12 Interference Inductive Effect
• 63.20 Line Extensions
• Based on Filed Tariffs
• 63.23 Maintenance Based on 81 NEC
• 63.24 Continuous Service
• Service Outage Rebates.
• 63.32 Systems of Accounts

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Service Quality Measures52 Pa.Code 63.51-65

• 63.51-52 General Purpose IXCs exempt.
• 63.53 Service based on tariffs.
• 63.54 Retain bills for 90 days or until dispute
  is resolved.
• 63.55 Commission must be told if service quality
  standard is not met for 3 months study with
  results reported to Commission.

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Service Quality Standards52 Pa.Code 63.51-65

• 63.56 Measurements based on industry standards.
• 63.57 Emergency out of service restored in 3
  hours others outages within 24 hours except
  weekends involving less than 15.
• 63.58 Primary service installed within 5 working
  days nonprimary within 20 of receipt unless
  there is an agreement to an alternative.

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Service Quality Measures52 Pa.Code 63.51-65

• 63.59 Answering Service Calls
• a) Average operator answering rates of 10 seconds
  for toll and operator-assisted
• b) 85 of repair service within 20 second during
  normal working house
• c) Compliance based on a monthly basis

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Service Quality Standards52 Pa.Code 63.51-65

• 63.61 Local Dial Service
• a) Ninety-eight percent of calls shall be
  provided a dial tone within 3 seconds
•    b) Ninety-seven percent of correctly dialed
  intraoffice calls shall be completed.
•    c) Ninety-six percent of correctly dialed
  interoffice calls shall be completed.

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Service Quality52 Pa.Code 63.62

• Direct Dialed Distance
• - trunk and related switching mandates
• - 97 of outgoing completed to the trunk group
• - 98 of income completed to the trunk group
• - applies ONLY to calls placed exclusively over
  the facilities of the public utility or over
  which the utility leases for the completion of
  local exchange calls.

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Service Quality Standards52 Pa.Code 63.51-65

• 63.63 Transmission Standards
• a) Based upon the use of telephone sets
  connected to a 48-Volt dial central office,
  measured at a frequency of 1000 Hertz (Hz)
• b) Termination requires a loop resistance not
  exceeding the operating design of the central
  office equipment
• c) Overall transmission loss on a customer loop
  shall not exceed 15 decibels.

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Service Quality Standards52 Pa.Code 63.51-65

• 63.64 Metering Inspections
• 63.65 Safety Mandate to Meet Federal
  Occupational Health Safety (OSHA)
  Requirements

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Issue of Technology Change

• Standards Focus on Copper
• Fios (Fiber) is replacing Copper
• Triple Play Relies on Fiber
• Fiber Investment is Carrier Focus
• Service Quality is A Concern.

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RECENT DEVELOPMENTSP-00021985

• 2002 Consumer Advocate Petition alleged quality
  of service problems
• Verizon-OCA settlement.
• Commission approved Request to Withdraw Petition
  no PUC approval.

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Recent DevelopmentsP-00021985

• Joint Statement of Vice-Chairman Cawley and
  Commissioner Christy
• Ongoing PUC authority to seek data under 66
  Pa.C.S. 504-505.
• 66 Pa.C.S. 3019(b)(2) authority to review and
  revise quality of service standards that
  address the safety, adequacy, reliability and
  privacy of telecommunications services

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Questions?
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Presentation toMACRUC Pennsylvania Quality of
Service

• Joseph K. Witmer, Assistant Counsel
• Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
• Presentation to MACRUC
• Email joswitmer_at_state.pa.us
• June 2008
• The Views Expressed Are Those of the Presenter.
• These Are Not The Views or Rules of The
  Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.