§ 63.192. Definitions.
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.
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