Domestic PSTN Terminating Access

Declared service

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission declares pursuant to section 152AL(3) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (the Act) that the Domestic PSTN Terminating Service is a "declared service" for the purposes of Part XIC of the Act.

Date

The declaration takes effect on 1 August 2009 and expires on 31 July 2014.

Service description and definitions

An access service for the carriage of telephone (i.e. PSTN and PSTN equivalent such as voice from ISDN) calls (i.e. voice, data over the voice band) from a POI to end-customer assigned numbers from the geographic number ranges of the Australian Numbering Plan and directly connected to the Access Provider’s network.

For the avoidance of doubt, the service also includes a service for the carriage of telephone calls from a POI, or potential POI, located at or associated with a local switch and located on the incoming trunk side of the switch to customer equipment at an end-user’s premises.

The Service as described comprises a number of different elements as follows:

• Access for calls forwarded for termination in the AP's fixed network
• POI Location
• Forwarding a call beyond the POI of table TPASD3 to TPASD2 where applicable (see POIs below)
• Signalling
• CLI provision
• Provision of Switchports
• Network Conditioning
• Fault Handling
• Inter C/CSP Billing
• Restrictions on availability and others factors relating to the provision of Access are further described below.

In accordance with the Trade Practices Act Part XIC these elements

- may not be available from all APs
- may have restrictions in their availability

Availability

The availability of the services may vary depending on the geographic and technical capability of the AP's network at the time at which a request for the service is made or the service is delivered.

The AP will make available to ASs documents describing the availability of this service on its network. See Services & Interconnection Handover arrangements

Channel Capacity

The service will establish a connection for the purposes of voice communication with the standard bandwidth of 3.1kHz.

Services

The service is provided on a call that is handed over for termination to a customer directly connected to the AP's network with numbering in accordance with the Australian Numbering Plan.

Service Restrictions

At least annually, the AP will advise of end-customer services that may restrict the provision of this service e.g. Services barred from accepting Reverse Charge Calls in a Table PTASD5.

Interconnection Handover arrangements

The AP and the AS are each responsible for the provision, installation, testing, making operational and monitoring of all the network on their respective sides of the POI.

POIs

"Point of Interconnection" or "POI" means an agreed location which:

• is a physical point of demarcation between the networks nominated by the AS and the AP; and
• is associated (but not necessarily co-located with) with one or more gateway exchanges of each of the networks nominated by the AS and the AP.

Calls originated by the A-party will be handed over to the AS at Points of Interconnection agreed by the AS and the AP in respect of the POIs nominated by the AP in accordance with POI locations and POI designation for codes.

POI locations

The AP will provide a table (Table PTASD1) listing of POIs where this service may be provided. This listing will be updated at least annually. The AS may request a point of interconnect with the AP's network at a location other than one specified by the AP. The AP must, to the extent technically and operationally feasible, permit the location of a point of interconnect at that location.

POI designation for codes

The AP will provide a table (Table PTASD2) listing of the geographic number ranges associated with each POI. When Terminating Access is being provided access to these codes will be provided at the corresponding POI. The POIs in table PTASD2 will be the POI for " far end handover" of calls to the destinations listed.

The AP will provide a table (Table PTASD3) listing of POIs and of associated POIs from which traffic that could have been handed over as per table TPASD2 may be handed over for termination. [Different charges will be payable where traffic that could have been handed over at the POI in table TPASD2 is handed over at a POI in table TPASD3.]

The provisions of this Service Description apply to traffic handed over at POIs listed in Table PTASD2 or PTASD3.

Signalling

Signals for this service will use CCS#7 signalling. Unless otherwise agreed, this CCS#7 signalling will be in accordance with the NIIF/ACIF Interconnection-ISUP specification.

The AP will provide a table (Table PTASD4) of the locations where the AS may interconnect its CCS#7 signalling network with that of the AP for the purpose of accepting this service.

Signalling interconnection may not be provided at all POIs. These POIs would provide for interconnection of voice circuits only. Control of voice circuits where direct signalling interconnection is not provided, will be via "quasi-associated signalling" using Signalling Transfer Point (STP) operation, with signalling via a nominated other gateway where signalling interconnection is provided.

CLI

Unless otherwise agreed the CLI of the A-party should be provided as part of the CCS#7 signalling for this service.

Nature of switchports

At POIs the calls will be delivered to the AS at 2.048Mbit/sec Switchports. The switchports will operate at 2.048Mbit/sec in accordance with the ITU Recommendations G.703, G. 704 and G.732 (Blue Book).

Send and receive speech levels

The send and receive levels for speech will be -13 dBr unless specified otherwise in the Australian Network Performance Plan.

The AP will not provide Echo Control unless this is a requirement within the AP's own network for calls between the end customer and the AP's gateway exchange.

Interconnection Forecasting, ordering and provisioning arrangements

Forecasting and planning requirements

Forecast of port requirements

For each POI the AS should provide forecasts, at least half yearly, of switchport requirements for 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months from the time of the forecast. Forecasts should be provided on dates to be agreed between the AP and the AS and forecast the switchport requirements from operative dates of 31 December and 30 June. Forecasts will be discussed by the AP and the AS with a view to agreement within 30 Business Days. Forecasts will be used by the AP for network planning and not charging purposes.

Forecast of network capacity requirements

For each POI and for each charging district of the AP the AS should provide forecasts, at least half yearly, of traffic requirements for 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months from the time of the forecast. These forecasts should provide daily and weekly profiles for the traffic forecasted and advice of any material non-uniformities in the dispersion of the terminating access traffic. Forecasts should be provided on dates to be agreed between the AP and the AS and forecast the traffic requirements from operative dates of at the end of the quarters i.e. 31 December and 30 June. Forecasts will be discussed by the AP and the AS with a view to agreement within 30 Business Days.

Ordering of Switchports

The AP will accept orders for switchports up to the level of the agreed forecasts for each POI. The AS should order switchports allowing 6 months for their provision.

The AP will provide access up to the level of the agreed traffic forecasts for each POI.

The AS may request and the AP will give reasonable consideration to, and use reasonable endeavours to provide, such provision, but is under no obligation to provide access or switchports above the level of the agreed forecasts. If such access is provided, delivery times may be longer than those specified in Ordering of Switchports.

Interconnection Ordering Requirements

Compliance testing

The AS will be required to demonstrate compliance with the agreed CCS#7 signalling system prior to the provision of the service.

The AP and the AS will develop an agreed test plan and the AS will provide results of tests to this plan from an appropriate test house or other such party. The AP will provide the results of such tests if it is not otherwise seeking a switch access service from the AS.

The AP and the AS shall review the test results of the agreed test plan within 20 business days and if the AP accepts that the test results of the agreed test plan are satisfactory then the AP and the AS will agree a date for commissioning tests.

The test results of the agreed test plan will form the prime documentary basis for ongoing operations, fault analysis and fault management of signalling between the AP and the AS.

Network Conditioning

Network Conditioning of the AP’s network will be required before the provision of the service.

Operational and Fault handling arrangements

The AP will provide a contact point for the Operation and Maintenance of the service. Faults may be reported to this centre which will manage the clearance of these faults.

Inter C/CSP Billing frequency

The AP will invoice the AS on a monthly basis for this service.

Provision of Tones and Network Announcements

Where calls attempting this service do not progress to the end customer the call may be connected to tones as per AUSTEL Technical Standard TS002 or to a network RVA in the AP's network.

Customer Billing

Customer billing should be in accordance with an approved telecommunications access code.