Virginia Administrative Code › Title 20 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS › Agency 5 - STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION › Chapter 428 - RULES GOVERNING LOCAL EXCHANGE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER RETAIL SERVICE QUALITY › Section 20VAC5-428-10 - Applicability; definitions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. This
				chapter is promulgated pursuant to §§ 56-35, 56-36, 56-234, 56-234.4, 56-246,
				56-247, 56-249, and 56-479 of the Code of Virginia and shall apply to local
				exchange carriers (LECs) providing local exchange telecommunications services
				within the Commonwealth of Virginia, except when a signed contract with a
				business customer provides otherwise. This chapter prescribes the minimum
				acceptable level of service quality under normal operating conditions. The
				commission may, after investigation and at its discretion, suspend application
				of this chapter during force majeure events, which include natural disaster,
				severe storm, flood, work stoppage, civil unrest, major transportation
				disruptions, or any other catastrophic events beyond the control of a
				LEC.
B. The following words and
				terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the
				context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Automated answering system" means a system where customer
				  calls are received and directed to a live agent or an automated transaction
				  system.
"Automated transaction system" means a system where customer
				  transactions can be completed without the assistance of a live agent, and
				  include the option to reach a live agent before the completion of an automated
				  transaction.
"Central office" means a LEC-operated switching system,
				  including remote switches and associated transmission equipment.
"Commission" means the Virginia State Corporation
				  Commission.
"Customer" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation,
				  municipality, cooperative, organization, or governmental agency that is an end
				  user or the authorized agent of an end user of local exchange
				  telecommunications services under the jurisdiction of the commission.
"Customer call center" means any functional entity that
				  accepts customer calls pertaining to service orders, billing inquiries, repair,
				  and any other related requests.
"Emergency" means a sudden or unexpected occurrence involving
				  a clear and imminent danger demanding immediate action to prevent or mitigate
				  loss of, or damage to, life, health, property, or essential public
				  services.
"Local exchange carrier (LEC)" means a certificated provider
				  of local exchange telecommunications services, excluding LECs subject to
				  Chapter 16 (§ 56-485 et seq.) of Title 56 of the Code of Virginia.
"Local exchange telecommunications services" means local
				  exchange telephone service as defined by § 56-1 of the Code of Virginia.
"Minimum acceptable level of service quality under normal
				  operating conditions" means the minimum level of service that shall be
				  considered by the commission to be reasonably adequate as required by §§ 56-234
				  and 56-247 of the Code of Virginia.
"Network" means a system of central offices and associated
				  outside plant.
"Network access line (NAL)" means a voice-grade customer dial
				  tone line that provides access to the public telecommunications network.
"Out of service" means a network service condition causing an
				  inability to complete an incoming or outgoing call or any other condition that
				  causes a connected call to be incomprehensible.
"Outside plant" means the network facilities not included in
				  the definition of central office including, but not limited to, copper cable,
				  fiber optic cable, coaxial cable, terminals, pedestals, load coils, or any
				  other equipment normally associated with interoffice, feeder, and distribution
				  facilities up to and including the rate demarcation point.
"Rate demarcation point" means the point at which a LEC's
				  network ends and a customer's wiring or facilities begin.
"Repeat report" means a customer reported trouble that is
				  received by a LEC within 30 days of another trouble report on the same
				  NAL.
"Rolling 30-day average" means a determination of average
				  compliance with the metrics set out in
				  20VAC5-428-90 B 2 through B 8
				  during the 30 days that precede the date or dates specified by the commission
				  pursuant to
				  20VAC5-428-110 B.
"Speed of answer interval (SAI)" means the period of time
				  following the completion of direct dialing, or upon completion of a customer's
				  final selection or response within an automated answering system, and lasting
				  until the call is answered by a live agent or is abandoned by the customer or
				  the LEC. In the case of automated transactions where a customer opts to speak
				  to a live agent, the SAI is the period of time following the customer opting to
				  speak to a live agent until the call is answered by a live agent or is
				  abandoned by the customer or the LEC. A call is considered to have been
				  answered when a live agent is ready to render assistance.
"Staff" means the commission's Division of Communications and
				  associated personnel.
"Trouble" means an impairment of a LEC's network.
"Trouble report" means an initial oral or written notice,
				  including voice mail and email, to any LEC employee or agent of a condition
				  that affects or may affect network service.
Statutory Authority
§§ 12.1-13, 56-35, 56-36, 56-234, 56-234.4, 56-246, and
					 56-479 of the Code of Virginia of the Code of
					 Virginia.