Wholesale: Products & Services

Collocation Test Access Points Overview - V4.0

Description

This web page clarifies your Collocation Test Access Points within CenturyLink™ COs or where you may have physical collocation space. You may access the test access points defined in this web page for the purpose of testing and maintenance of your equipment cable terminations. Once the physical collocation site build has been completed and accepted, access is granted. If you have a physical collocation site in a given CO, you have 24x7 access to the CO including test access. For purposes of this web page, physical collocation includes: Caged Physical, Cageless Physical, Shared Caged Physical, ICDF and Common Area Splitter Collocation.

The equipment cable is the cable extending from a physical collocation area to an appropriate cross-connect device within the CenturyLink CO. Typically, connection occurs on an ICDF and is the termination point, (from the collocation space). This is also referred to as the point of demarcation or "DMARC" or the Connecting Facility Assignment (CFA) location. You or CenturyLink provide the equipment cable to this termination point. You own the cable between the ICDF and your collocation space (in the case of ICDF collocation, you own the jumper between the ICDF blocks but not the cable going to the ICDF). Since CenturyLink does not own or maintain this cable, you have access to both termination points if maintenance or trouble occurs on the equipment cable. Test access points do not change based upon who provided the cable pairs. Thus, you may access your equipment cable pairs at both your collocation end and the ICDF end to correct tip and ring reversals, split pairs, or any other wiring errors on your equipment cable terminations. It is not appropriate for you to attempt to repair defective cable pairs that may be within the equipment cable insulating jacket or sheathing. As an example, at any point between the wired termination points at your physical collocation area and the test access demarcation point if the equipment cable lies in CenturyLink cable racking, troughs and equipment space outside your physical collocation area. You may also choose to use the Joint Test Process to rectify wiring errors. Test access points do not change based upon who procured the cable. In addition, maintenance of your cable does not change based upon who procured the cable.

You have the ability to isolate trouble to collocation equipment at the test access point before calling in a repair ticket to CenturyLink on an UNE. If the test access point termination does not provide a jack or plug to allow you to isolate your equipment, you may lift wires off the termination point to test. Upon completion of the testing, you must utilize proper wiring tools and methods to re-terminate the wires.

For purposes of this web page, the ICDF termination point may be located on, but is not limited to, a Main Distribution Frame (MDF), Fiber Distribution Panel (FDP), and existing Digital Cross Connect (DSX) Frame for DS1 and DS3 Services.

The following diagrams illustrate and clarify the Collocation Test Access Points. There may be other situations that arise requiring your analysis, for example:

• Physical (Caged, Cageless, Shared Caged) Collocation with Shared Fiber Entrance Facility
• Line Sharing with Common Area Splitter
• DS0 Level
• DS1 Level
• DS3 Level

Express Fiber

You provide your fiber cable to the Collocation Point of Interconnection (C-POI) leaving enough fire rated fiber in this designated manhole to allow CenturyLink to pull from that point through manhole 0 and the vault to the collocation space. CenturyLink does not test this fiber run. You may test this fiber from your collocation space and require no other access for testing of this facility. There is no intermediate termination point between the C-POI and the collocation space.

Shared Fiber

You provide your fiber cable to the C-POI and CenturyLink will:

• Splice your fiber cable to CenturyLink fiber and run the fiber (where needed) to the appropriate FDP.
• Install cable from the collocation space to the FDP.
• Place jumpers on the FDP to link to the collocation space.

CenturyLink will test the fiber for continuity between the C-POI splice and the FDP.

• Since jumpers are from the factory, no separate test is performed on the jumper at the time of installation between the collocation termination and the facility to the outside plant.
• You have test access to the collocation termination on the FDP. It is your responsibility to test your equipment cable for Physical Collocation in the CO.

You have the capability to test the equipment cable for continuity between your physical collocation site and the appropriate cross connect device. Access is limited to the collocation side of the termination. You have access to the ICDF for testing and to run jumpers to connect UNEs.

If you experience a problem with the pre-provisioned cable, you may utilize the CenturyLink maintenance and repair process by submitting a trouble ticket.

If you would like to arrange Joint Testing at the ICDF for continuity purposes, refer to the Pricing section Collocation -General Information

Testing at the DMARC for Virtual Collocation in the CO and of Facility Connected Collocation

• CenturyLink process allows customers with Virtual Collocation access to DMARC between the CenturyLink network and your network.
• Customers choosing to utilize Facility Connected Collocation will have access to the point where the entrance facility terminates on the ICDF, FDP or other frame.
• If you experience a problem with the pre-provisioned cable, you may utilize the CenturyLink maintenance and repair process by submitting a trouble ticket, unless you also have a Physical Collocation in the same CO allowing you entry to the building.
• Like other collocation testing points, the horizontal side of the ICDF normally contains the test access point for Virtual Collocation - Point E in the preceding diagram.
• By contrast, when utilizing Facility Connected Collocation, the test point would be at the FDP - similar to Point B in the preceding diagram in the preceding diagram or cosmic frame.

Testing of ICDF Collocation

Customers, with only ICDF collocation, in the CO have access to both the horizontal side and the vertical side of the ICDF to place the jumper combining elements as well as for testing.

Testing of Line Sharing with your Common Area Splitter Collocation

Customers with Physical Collocation have test access to the collocation terminations on the ICDF including voice, voice and data, and data terminations.

• Access to the data only termination usually occurs on the 410 block of the ICDF.
• Access to both the voice and voice and data terminations occurs on the 89 blocks of the ICDF.

Customers with Physical Collocation also have "pin" access to the back of the common area splitter. Customers without Physical Collocation have pin access to the back of the common area splitter.

Testing of UNEs

CenturyLink processes are documented for testing of UNEs as they are ordered, provisioned and installed. Technical characteristics are described in Technical Publication, CenturyLink Interconnection Service Unbundled Loop, 77384.

Test Access Point(s) at a DS-0 Level

At the DS-0 Level, you will have test access at the vertical side of the ICDF where applicable, or to the terminal block within the collocation space in those COs without ICDF. The Test Access Points for the DS0 is the collocation space.

Test Access Point(s) at a DS-1 Level

At the DS-1 Level, you can test either at the Shared ICDF, DSX, or if applicable, at a dedicated frame within your collocation space - either Caged or Cageless Physical or Shared Caged Physical. In addition, you can test where your cable terminates on the DSX1 Panel. The following diagram identifies those Test Access Points.

Test Access Point(s) at a DS-3 Level

At a DS-3 level, you can test at either the Shared ICDF, DSX frame or at a dedicated DSX-3 panel within your collocation space - either Caged or Cageless Physical or Shared Caged Physical. The following diagram identifies those Test Access Points.

Contacts

CenturyLink contact information is located in Wholesale Customer Contacts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This section is being compiled based on your feedback.

Last Update: November 4, 2011