| in the DCTU white pages telephone directory must be interspersed
in correct alphabetical sequence among the entries of the DCTU customers
and must be no different in style, size, or format than the entries
of the DCTU customers, unless requested otherwise by the NCTU. The
CTU or its affiliate publishing a white pages telephone directory
on behalf of the CTU must not directly charge the customer of another
CTU located in the geographic areas covered by the white pages telephone
directory for white pages listings or directory.
(ii) Each customer listing located within the local
calling area of a NCTU, but not located within the local calling area
of the DCTU publishing the white pages telephone directory, must be
included in a separate section of the DCTU's white pages telephone
directory at the option of the NCTU.
(iii) A CTU must provide directory listings and related
updates to the CTU or affiliate of the CTU that publishes a white
pages telephone directory on behalf of the CTU, or to any CTU providing
directory assistance, in a timely manner to ensure inclusion in the
annual white page listings and provision of directory assistance service
that complies with §26.128 of this title. A CTU or affiliate
of the CTU that publishes a white pages telephone directory on behalf
of the CTU must be responsible for providing all other CTUs with timely
information regarding deadlines associated with its published white
pages telephone directory.
(iv) A CTU must, upon request, provide accurate and
current subscriber listings (name, address, telephone number) and
updates in a readily usable format and in a timely manner, on a non-discriminatory
basis, to publishers of yellow pages telephone directory. A CTU must
not provide listings of subscribers desiring non-listed status for
publication purposes.
(v) White pages telephone directories must be distributed
to each customer located within the geographic area covered by the
white pages telephone directory on non-discriminatory terms and conditions
by the CTU or affiliate of the CTU that publishes the white pages
telephone directory.
(vi) A CTU or affiliate of the CTU that publishes a
white pages telephone directory on behalf of the CTU must provide
every other CTU a single page in the information section of the white
pages telephone directory for each CTU to convey critical customer
contact information regarding emergency services, billing and service
information, repair services and other pertinent information. The
CTU's pages must be arranged in alphabetical order. Additional access
to the information section of the white pages telephone directory
are subject to negotiations.
(vii) A CTU must provide information that identifies
customers desiring non-listed or non-published telephone numbers or
non-published addresses to the CTU or affiliate of the CTU that publishes
a white pages telephone directory on behalf of the CTU and to the
CTU maintaining the directory assistance database. A CTU or affiliate
of the CTU that publishes a white pages telephone directory on behalf
of the CTU must not divulge such non-listed or non-published telephone
numbers or addresses and the CTU maintaining the directory assistance
database must not divulge such non-published telephone numbers or
addresses.
(viii) CTUs must provide each other non-discriminatory
access to directory assistance databases.
(2) At a minimum, interconnecting CTUs must negotiate
to ensure the following:
(A) Non-discriminatory access to databases such as
800 and Line Information Data Base (LIDB) where technically feasible,
to ensure interoperability between networks and the efficient, timely
provision of service to customers;
(B) non-discriminatory access to Telecommunications
Relay Service;
(C) Common Channel Signaling interconnection including
transmission of privacy indicator where technically available;
(D) non-discriminatory access to all signaling protocols
and all elements of signaling protocols used in routing local and
interexchange traffic, including signaling protocols used to query
call processing databases, where technically feasible;
(E) number portability and the inclusion of the NCTU's
NXX code(s) in the Local Exchange Routing Guide and related systems;
(F) non-discriminatory handling, including billing,
of mass announcement/audiotext calls including 900 and 976 calls;
(G) provision of intercept services for a specific
telephone number in the event a customer discontinues service with
one CTU, initiates service with another CTU, and the customer's telephone
number changes;
(H) cooperative engineering, operations, maintenance
and billing practices and procedures; and
(I) non-discriminatory access to Advanced Intelligent
Network (AIN), where technically available.
(f) Negotiations.
(1) A negotiating party, including a CTU, must engage
in good-faith negotiations and cooperative planning as necessary to
achieve mutually agreeable interconnection arrangements.
(2) Before terminating its first commercial telephone
call, a CTU requesting interconnection must negotiate with each CTU
or other negotiating party that is necessary to complete all telephone
calls, including local service calls and EAS or ELCS calls, made by
or placed to a customer of the requesting CTU. Upon request, DCTUs
within major metropolitan calling areas will contact other CTUs and
arrange meetings, within 15 days of such request, to facilitate negotiations
and provide a forum for discussions of network efficiencies and intercompany
billing arrangements.
(3) Unless the negotiating parties establish a mutually
agreeable date, negotiations are deemed to begin on the date when
the CTU or other negotiating party from which interconnection is being
requested receives the request for interconnection from the CTU seeking
interconnection. The request must:
(A) be in writing and hand-delivered; sent by certified
mail or by facsimile;
(B) identify the initial specific issues to be resolved,
the specific underlying facts, and the requesting CTU's proposed resolution
of each issue;
(C) provide any other material necessary to support
the request, included as appendices; and
(D) provide the identity of the person authorized to
negotiate for the requesting CTU.
(4) The requesting CTU may identify additional issues
for negotiation without causing an alteration of the date on which
negotiations are deemed to begin.
(5) The CTU or negotiating party from which interconnection
is sought must respond to the interconnection request no later than
14 working days from the date the request is received. The response
must:
(A) be in writing and hand-delivered, sent by certified
mail, or by facsimile;
(B) respond specifically to the requesting party's
proposed resolution of each initial issue identified by the requesting
party, identify the specific underlying facts upon which the response
is based and, if the response is not in agreement with the requesting
party's proposed resolution of each issue, the responding party's
proposed resolution of each issue;
(C) provide any other material necessary to support
the response, included as appendices; and
(D) provide the identity of the person authorized to
negotiate for the responding party.
(6) At any point during the negotiations required under
this subsection, a CTU or negotiating party may request the commission
designee to participate in the negotiations and to mediate any differences
arising in the course of the negotiation.
(7) An interconnecting CTU may, by written agreement,
accelerate the requirements of this subsection with respect to a particular
interconnection agreement except that the requirements of subsection
(g)(1)(A) of this section must not be accelerated.
(8) Any disputes arising under or pertaining to negotiated
interconnection agreements must be resolved in accordance with Chapter
21, Subchapter E, of this title (relating to Post-Interconnection
Agreement Dispute Resolution).
(g) Compulsory arbitration process.
(1) A negotiating CTU that is unable to reach mutually
agreeable terms, rates, or conditions for interconnection with any
CTU or negotiating party may petition the commission to arbitrate
any unresolved issues. To initiate the arbitration procedure, a negotiating
CTU:
(A) must file its petition with the commission on or
between 135 and 160 days after the date on which its request for negotiation
under subsection (f) of this section was received by the other CTU
involved in the negotiation;
(B) must provide the identity of each CTU or negotiating
party with which agreement cannot be reached but whose cooperation
is necessary to complete all telephone calls made by or placed to
the customers of the requesting CTU;
(C) must provide all relevant documentation concerning
the unresolved issues;
Cont'd... |
