Pennsylvania Code › Title 52 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part I - Public Utility Commission › Subpart C - Fixed Service Utilities › Chapter 63 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE › Subchapter M - CHANGING LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS › GENERALLY › Section 63.192 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
The following words and terms, when used in this
						  subchapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
						  otherwise:
Applicant
-
(i) A person, association, partnership,
						corporation or government agency making a written or oral request for the
						commencement of local service, other than a transfer of local service from one
						location to another within the local service area of the same LSP or a
						reinstatement of local service following a discontinuation or
						termination.
(ii) The term does not
						apply to a customer who is subject to special contractual arrangements and has
						otherwise agreed to different conditions of local service that do not
						contradict Commission rules or regulations.
Appropriate retained
						  documentation
-Proof accompanying a customer's order, request for a
						  change in telephone service or service providers, or permission to obtain the
						  customer's CSR that uses a unique identifier associated with the customer, such
						  as the customer's city of birth, Social Security number, mother's birth name or
						  tax identification code.
Authorized agent
-An adult designated
						  by an applicant or a customer to act on the behalf of the applicant or
						  customer.
CSR-Customer service
						  record
-Documentation indicating the customer's name, address, contact
						  telephone number, quantity of lines, services, features, network serving
						  arrangements, and other information associated with a customer account.
Commission review
-Includes informal or
						  formal review, evaluation or adjudication, staff-level review or alternate
						  dispute resolution.
Customer
-The end user recipient of
						  telephone service provided by an LSP.
DSL-Digital subscriber line
-A
						  dedicated, high-speed, always-on service, frequently used in the context of
						  "ADSL" or "XDSL."
Discontinuation of service
-The
						  temporary or permanent cessation of service upon the request of a
						  customer.
Facilities
-The equipment (for
						  example-local loop, network interface device, transport facilities, and the
						  like) necessary to provide local service to a customer.
Freeze
-A designation elected by a
						  customer that restricts a third party's ability to change the customer's choice
						  of preferred service providers.
Interfering station
-Preexisting local
						  service that prevents the reuse of existing telephone facilities by an NLSP to
						  serve a new customer at a location where the prior customer did not notify the
						  OLSP to disconnect the local service. The OLSP and the NLSP may be the same
						  company.
InterLATA
-Originating in one LATA and
						  terminating in another LATA. For example-an interLATA telephone call is a call
						  that is placed from a telephone in one LATA to a telephone located in another
						  LATA.
IntraLATA
-Originating and terminating
						  within the same LATA. For example-an intraLATA telephone call is a call that is
						  placed from a telephone in one LATA to a telephone located within the same
						  LATA.
LATA-Local access and transport
						  area
-One of the 196 geographical areas designated in 1984 by the
						  decree that broke up AT&T into seven telephone operating companies. At that
						  time, a LATA was the area within which one of the existing local service
						  providers could offer either local or long distance service.
LOA-Letter of authorization
-A specific
						  written or electronic record signed by a customer granting a NLSP the authority
						  to act as the customer's agent.
LSC-Local service
						  confirmation
-Documentation issued by the NSP to inform the LSP of the
						  confirmed scheduled completion date for work affecting the migration of local
						  service.
LSP-Local service provider
-A company,
						  such as a local exchange carrier (LEC), that provides local service by resale,
						  by unbundled network elements (with or without platform) or through its own
						  facilities, or by a combination of these methods of providing local service to
						  a customer.
LSPF-Local service provider freeze
-A
						  designation elected by a customer that restricts a third party's ability to
						  change a customer's choice of preferred LSP.
LSR-Local service request
-The
						  electronic or paper form that contains all the information required to arrange
						  for installation of, change in or disconnection of local services.
(i) The LSR is sent by an LSP to an NSP, for
						example-to request the activation of number portability, the installation of an
						unbundled loop facility, or the disconnection of loop facilities and migration
						of a number.
(ii) The NSP uses the
						LSR to create the internal directives, for example-a service order, to cause
						the work to be performed as ordered.
Line loss notification
-The report the
						  old NSP issues upon completion of a migration to inform the OLSP that the OLSP
						  no longer provides local service to a customer on a particular line.
Line sharing
-The sharing of facilities
						  by an LSP and an NSP in the provision of voice and data services to a given
						  location over the same facilities.
Line splitting
-The sharing of
						  facilities by two LSPs, when neither is the NSP, in the provision of voice and
						  data services to a given location over the same facilities.
Local loop
-The wires and cable between
						  the customer's premise and the central office of the local telephone
						  company.
Local service
-Telecommunications
						  service within a customer's local calling area.
(i) The term includes the customer's local
						calling plan, dial tone line, touch-tone and directory assistance calls allowed
						without additional charge.
(ii) The
						term also includes services covered by the Federal line cost charge,
						Pennsylvania Relay Surcharge, Federal Universal Service Fund Surcharge, Local
						Number Portability Surcharge, Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act (9-1-1) Fee
						and applicable Federal and State taxes.
Migration
-The movement of a customer
						  from one LSP to another LSP at the same service location.
NLSP-New local service provider
-The
						  company that will provide local service to a customer after a migration.
NSP-Network service provider
-A
						  telecommunications provider that interacts with LSPs and provides the
						  facilities and equipment components needed to make up a customer's
						  telecommunications service.
(i) An NSP
						may also be referred to as an underlying carrier.
(ii) An NSP may also be an LSP.
Network serving arrangements
-The
						  service platform (for example-resale, unbundled loop, full facilities, UNE-P)
						  to provide local service to a customer. Network serving arrangements may also
						  be referred to as service configuration information.
OLSP-Old local service provider
-The
						  company that provides local service to a customer prior to migration.
Optional services-
(i) Telecommunications services in addition
						to local service that are offered by LSPs at a cost per individual service or
						as part of a package of services.
(ii) Examples include toll blocking, 900/976
						blocking, inside wiring maintenance plans and extensions off premise.
(iii) The term also includes vertical
						services.
Preferred service provider
-The company
						  chosen by a customer to provide particular telecommunications services. A
						  preferred service provider is sometimes referred to as a "preferred
						  carrier."
Porting
-The process that allows
						  customers to keep their telephone numbers when changing LSPs.
Recording verifying permission
-An
						  auditory documentation of a customer's voice made when the customer ordered
						  local service, requested a change in local service or local service providers
						  or granted permission to a local service provider to obtain the customer's
						  CSR.
Service provider
-A generic term to
						  include LSPs and NSPs.
Termination of service
-Permanent
						  cessation of service after a suspension without the consent of the
						  customer.
Third party verification
-The process
						  by which an independent entity confirms that a customer ordered local service,
						  authorized a change in local service or local service providers or granted
						  permission to a local service provider to obtain the customer's CSR.
UNEs-Unbundled network
						  elements
-Various physical and functional parts of an NSP's
						  infrastructure that may be leased to another LSP. These components include
						  things such as local switching, local loops, interoffice transmission
						  facilities, signaling and call-related databases, operator services, directory
						  assistance, and the like.
UNE-P-UNE-platform
-A combination of
						  unbundled network elements that facilitates end-to-end service delivery. A
						  typical arrangement includes at least a local loop and switching.
Vertical services
-Telecommunications
						  features available to local service customers at either an added cost or as
						  part of a service package. Vertical services refer to the way in which a
						  telephone line works and include customer calling features such as call
						  forwarding and call waiting.
Unbundled loop
-A local loop that is
						  leased by one service provider from another service provider to provide local
						  service to a customer.
Working day
-A day except Saturday,
						  Sunday or legal holiday.