Presentation to MACRUC Pennsylvania Quality of Service

1. Presentation toMACRUCPennsylvania Quality of Service Joseph K. Witmer, Assistant Counsel Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Presentation to MACRUC Email: joswitmer@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.

2. INADEQUATE SERVICE, MONITORING & REPAIR.PENNSYLVANIA’SPERFORMANCE STANDARDS52 PA.Code §§ 63.11-63.65

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. Service Quality Standards52 Pa.Code § 63.51-65 63.64: Metering Inspections 63.65: Safety Mandate to Meet Federal Occupational Health & Safety (OSHA) Requirements

11. 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.

12. RECENT DEVELOPMENTSP-00021985 • 2002 Consumer Advocate Petition alleged quality of service problems; • Verizon-OCA settlement. • Commission approved Request to Withdraw Petition; no PUC approval.

13. Recent Developments:P-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”

14. Questions?

15. Presentation toMACRUCPennsylvania Quality of Service Joseph K. Witmer, Assistant Counsel Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Presentation to MACRUC Email: joswitmer@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.