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Wholesale: Products & Services

Business Procedures

Maintenance and Repair Overview - V99.0

History Log

Description

CenturyLink™'s Wholesale customers can initiate trouble reports for Wholesale Products and Services via electronic or manual interfaces enabling you to initiate, change, and cancel trouble reports to CenturyLink. CenturyLink will update you on the status of your trouble report through final disposition. You are responsible for all maintenance and repair contact with your end-user. Prior to issuing a trouble report to CenturyLink, you must isolate your end-user's trouble to the CenturyLink provisioned product or service.

If your end-users experience problems with their local circuits or services, provisioned with CenturyLink provided products and services, their first point of contact is you, their local service provider. CenturyLink will direct your end-users who call our repair centers in error to contact their local service provider. CenturyLink provides repair services to you, for the CenturyLink Wholesale Products and Services you purchased, in substantially the same time and manner as we repair similar services for ourselves, our end-users, our affiliates, and any other party. The maintenance and repair information presented in this overview includes the following Wholesale Products and Services:

  • Interconnection Service (e.g., Local Interconnection Service (LIS) Trunks, Transport, etc.)
  • Unbundled Network Elements (UNEs)
  • Commercial Local Exchange Services (e.g. CenturyLink™ Local Service Platform (CLSP™)
  • Resale Services

To help make securing repair assistance efficient and easy for you, this web page summarizes some of key aspects of CenturyLink's Maintenance and Repair Process, including:

  • High-level overview of our maintenance and repair process as it pertains to you
  • Responsibilities related to you and to CenturyLink
  • Submitting and managing trouble reports with CenturyLink
  • Chronic problems and escalations
  • Testing and monitoring

Definitions of Terms

  • Wholesale Repair Center: This team takes trouble reports for Centrex Services, Complex Products and Services, Design Services (DS0, DS1 and DS3 circuit number), Non-Designed Service, Shared Loop Service, Telephone Number, UNE and Unbundled Local Loop.
  • Central Office Resource Allocation Center (CORAC): Dispatch center that allocates company-wide workload related to all problems residing in switches inside Central Offices. Examines trouble to isolate problems and dispatch appropriate technicians: Complex, Central Office, and Framers.
  • Customer Electronic Maintenance and Repair- Maintenance Ticketing Gateway (CEMR-MTG):   Graphical user interface to CenturyLink Operation Support Systems for trouble administration activities such as creating and editing trouble reports, monitoring status and reviewing trouble history on Circuit IDs.
  • Customer Service Inquiry and Education (CSIE): Used to submit trouble report within 24 hours of Service Order Confirmation.
  • Loop Maintenance Operating System (LMOS): Used to initiate, analyze, and track trouble reports on Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). Contains POTS record and trouble history data and retains pending and completed service order data for a specified period of time.
  • Local Resource Allocation Center (LRAC): Dispatch center that allocates company-wide workload for all problems residing outside the Central Office. Examines trouble to isolate problem and dispatches appropriate technicians: Network, Cable, and Customer Service.
  • Maintenance Ticketing Gateway (MTG):   Electronic gateway used primarily to mechanically process telephone circuit repair activities with Work Force Administration/Control (WFA/C).
  • Network Reliability and Operations Center (NROC): The NROC's Complex Translations group provisions and maintains switch-based services, performs routing and charging functions, tests and analyzes equipment trouble to resolve software errors, provides process/project assistance including but not limited to 911, supports NPA splits, performs preventative maintenance, supports office conversions and conducts training.
  • Optional Testing: Allows the CLEC to submit a trouble ticket to CenturyLink without providing complete and accurate test results. Upon approval by the CLEC, CenturyLink will conduct tests that provide the CLEC with information that allows them to submit a complete and accurate trouble ticket. This element is billable in most cases and can be performed by the CLEC in lieu of CenturyLink if desired.
  • QCCC Warranty Group: Used to report trouble on UNEs within 30 calendar days of Service Order Completion.
  • CenturyLink Commercial Broadband Services Technical Support Center (800-247-7285)
  • Recent Change Memory Allocation Center (RCMAC): Stores last 30 days of work done on all telephone numbers and POTS related circuit IDs.
  • Repair Call Expert Application (RCE): Used to create trouble reports for non-design services, to provide access to LMOS and to Mechanized Loop Testing (MLT).
  • Repair Call Handling Center (RCHC): This team will take trouble reports for Non-Design Services, POTS, and Non-Complex Products and Services (e.g. Resale - Simple Residential (1FR) Resale - Simple Business (1FB))
  • WFA/C: Stores Designed Services trouble tickets by circuit number and includes location, trouble history, and connections to other circuit details. WFA/C is frequently used by other CenturyLink systems.
  • Work Force Administration/Dispatch In (WFA/DI) and Work Force Administration/Dispatch Out (WFA/DO): Systems supporting central offices and field activities that include coordinating, assigning, dispatching, and tracking work requests.

Availability

Maintenance and Repair support services are available throughout CenturyLink QC. Organized geographically, our Maintenance Control Centers and Repair Call Handling Centers manage restoration of service on a non-discriminatory basis across all our territory.

Terms and Conditions

Branding

CenturyLink technicians will use unbranded maintenance and repair forms while interfacing with your end-users. Upon request from you, CenturyLink will use branded repair forms provided by you. CenturyLink technicians will not discuss your products and services with your end-users. Such inquiries will be redirected to you.

Battery Back-Up for Fiber To The Premise (FTTP) Services

Charges associated with Battery Back-Up installation are provided in the CenturyLink™ Battery Back Up/Uninterruptable Power Supply rate card.

Technical Publications

All CenturyLink maintenance and routine test parameters and levels are in compliance with Telcordia's General Requirement Standards for Network Elements, Operations, Administration, Maintenance and Reliability. Product and service specific maintenance and test requirements can be found in CenturyLink's Technical Publications.

Pricing

Rates

UNE, Resale and Interconnection related maintenance and repair activity applicable charges may apply as defined in the CenturyLink Operating Companies Tariff F.C.C. No. 11 Sections 5 and 13, Intrastate Tariffs,and your CenturyLink Interconnection Agreement.

Wholesale rates for this product or service, including tariff references and any applicable discounts, are provided in your current Interconnection, Resale, Commercial, or other governing agreement.

The following table illustrates the charges that may apply to your trouble report:

Maintenance and Repair Charges

Applicable Charge Scenario Impacted Products
Trouble Isolation Charge (TIC) CLEC contacts CenturyLink to report trouble. CLEC authorizes TIC (either through CEMR-MTG or with the repair attendant). If, after dispatching a Field Technician, CenturyLink determines that the trouble is not in the CenturyLink network, a TIC will be applied. TIC does not apply if the trouble is found in the CenturyLink Network. POTS
Maintenance of Service Charge CLEC contacts CenturyLink to report trouble. CLEC has performed trouble isolation testing and provides test results, if applicable, to CenturyLink. If trouble is found in CenturyLink's network, no charges will apply. If no trouble is found in the CenturyLink network and CenturyLink dispatched a technician to an unattended CenturyLink building or the end-user's premises, the Maintenance of Service Charge will be applied. Maintenance of Service Charge is applicable per technician for the period of time worked. (Technician can refer to Central Office Tech and/or Field Technician). Basic Maintenance of Service Charge applies when a CenturyLink technician performs work during standard business hours. Overtime Maintenance of Service Charge applies when a CenturyLink technician performs work on a business day outside of standard business hours or on a Saturday. Premium Maintenance of Service Charge applies when a CenturyLink technician performs work on a Sunday or CenturyLink recognized holiday. MSCs are identified in your Interconnection Agreement. Designed Services
Dispatch CLEC contacts CenturyLink to report trouble. CLEC has performed trouble isolation testing and provides test results to CenturyLink. If trouble is found in CenturyLink's network, no charges will apply. If one or more technicians are dispatched and no trouble is found in CenturyLink's network, a dispatch charge (in addition to the Maintenance of Service Charge) will be applied. Dispatch charges will apply for each additional dispatch request when no trouble is found in the CenturyLink network. All UNEs and Designed Services

For information regarding how to view current CenturyLink Maintenance and Repair charges for your organization prior to receiving a bill, you may refer to the CenturyLink Maintenance and Repair Invoice Tool User Guide.

Maintenance and Repair charges will not be processed if the date on which the work was completed is 30 calendar days or more in arrears of the CenturyLink process date. Charges for Maintenance and Repair work will appear no later than the second bill cycle after the date the work was completed.

CLEC Roles and Responsibilities

Maintenance and Repair Trouble Administration

You are responsible for Maintenance and Repair Trouble Administration for your own end-users, providing them with the means and processes to report troubles associated with their services provided by you. This includes taking all necessary trouble information from them to resolve troubles. CenturyLink will not work directly with your end-users and at no time should you provide them with CenturyLink's contact numbers. CenturyLink will only accept trouble reports from your repair center and we require that you provide us with your contact name and telephone number on all trouble reports in order for us to call if access or additional information is needed.

Maintaining End-user Data

You are responsible for maintaining your end-users' account data including, but not limited to:

  • Name, address and telephone number
  • Circuit ID information provided by CenturyLink at the time the network element was provisioned
  • Your port assignment information

Single Point of Contact

We each must identify a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to resolve service related issues, and we are both responsible for reviewing and providing updates to SPOC information as required. CenturyLink SPOCs are accessible 24/7. Note: CenturyLink's SPOC numbers should not be given to your end-users nor should you direct them to call any department within CenturyLink. Misdirected calls to CenturyLink from your end-users or a third party will be referred back to you.

  • Misdirected Calls
    If your end-user calls our Repair Centers, the call is considered misdirected and the caller will be advised to contact their service provider for assistance. CenturyLink will provide the end-user with their service provider's name if available.

Demarcation Points

The network demarcation point is the point at which CenturyLink's network ends and that of another carrier or end-user begins (e.g., Field Connection Point (FCP), Network Interface Device (NID), InterConnection Distributing Frame (ICDF), jack). See FCC website and Public Service Commission (PSC) 900 Tariff Section 16 for clarification. To issue an accurate trouble report, you must identify the demarcation point/network interface along with the CenturyLink provided circuit identification and isolate the trouble to the CenturyLink side of the demarcation. The specific location of the end-user premises demarcation point can be determined by working back from your end-user's telephone or station equipment. In accordance with applicable safety and privacy regulations, you may choose to use various inside wire isolation techniques. If you require binding post information to complete your repair or installation work, your technician may call CenturyLink's Repair Department. If available, CenturyLink will provide demarcation binding post information for Designed facilities and building terminal binding post information for POTS facilities through its Repair Department upon request. If binding post information is not available, the existing process for tagging the demarcation point will apply. Should you choose not to dispatch your own technician to find the demarcation point and initiate a trouble report against the network element in question, you will incur a Maintenance of Service Charge. During arepair request you, if CenturyLink dispatches, you can ask that the demarcation point be tagged.

Tagging of Circuits

You may request tagging a demarcation point for any CenturyLink Service. This request can be submitted via your normal channels for submitting repair tickets, through repair call handling groups, or an Electronic Gateway. This type of request is considered Additional Labor. You may be billed an applicable repair charge.

If you report a repair condition and also request tagging on this circuit, and a dispatch to the premises is required, CenturyLink will perform tagging at no charge to CLEC.

If you report a repair condition and also request tagging on other circuits, and a dispatch to the premises is required, we will issue an Assist Test (AT) ticket for each additional circuit tagged. You will be billed for each additional circuit tagged and charges for all tickets will be applied to one ticket. There will be no material charges since all work is being done on the CenturyLink side of the demarcation point.

When you request tagging and no repair condition exists, open an Assist Test (AT) repair ticket.  If the repair ticket is opened within thirty (30) days of order completion and the circuit is found tagged, CenturyLink will bill the appropriate repair charge(s).  If not tagged, CenturyLink will tag at no charge to you.  If the repair ticket is opened after thirty (30) days of order completion, CenturyLink will bill the appropriate repair charge(s).

If you want CenturyLink to move or relocate the demarcation point, you must submit a service request and have an order issued before any work is performed. The technician will not move or relocate the demarcation point until an order has been issued.

General provisioning and installation dispatch information and the associated charges are described in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.

Carrier Facility Assignment (CFA) Cut to Fix

The CFA is a facility from a CenturyLink Central Office that terminates at your location (e.g., central office). If you report trouble on a CFA and it has been isolated to the CenturyLink portion of the CFA, the system or individual channel (time slot) will be repaired or temporarily re-routed to a different channel bank/facility until the original facility can be repaired. You will not need to submit a service request to repair the CFA.

If you request a permanent CFA move when you report trouble, we will make the permanent move, however, you will need to submit a service request. If you are able to obtain an order number or Purchase Order Number (PON) during the permanent move when the Customer Communication Technician (CCT) is online, provide it to that individual. It is your responsibility to submit a service request via an ASR when cutting to another facility. Repair will work the redesign, i.e., permanent move, as they do other circuit redesigns.

If you are unable to get an order number or PON with the CCT online, we will proceed with making the permanent move and hold the trouble ticket as No Access (NA) until you can obtain an order number or PON. If you cannot obtain an order number or PON until the next working day and you want the new CFA cut prior to obtaining an order number or PON, we will make the cut and place the trouble ticket in NA status for 24 hours (work day, Monday - Friday). If you have not contacted us with an order number or PON by the expiration of that NA period, CenturyLink will notify you that we intend to cut the circuit back to its original CFA.

Correcting the Wrong Demarcation on Repair/Moving the Demarcation

If you want CenturyLink to correct or move the demarcation point, you must submit a trouble ticket or a service request and have an order issued before any work is performed. There are primarily three scenarios for correcting/moving the demarcation point. They are as follows:

  • Your end-user has requested repair because the demarcation point is not found or the service is not working at the expected location. The technician finds that the installation is correct per the service order and the service is working appropriately at the expected location. If your end-user wants the circuit moved, you must submit a service request and have an order issued before any work will be performed. If your end-user does not want the circuit moved, you will be charged a Maintenance of Service Charge and a dispatch charge.

  • Your end-user has requested repair because the demarcation point is not found or the service is not working at the expected location. The technician finds that the installation is correct per the service order and the service is working appropriately at the expected location. The Repair Technician finds that an incorrect address was provided on the original order and that the circuit needs to be re-designed. You will need to cancel the original order and submit a service request for a new order with the correct address.

  • Your end-user has requested repair because the demarcation point is not found or the service is not working at the expected location. The technician finds that the installation is not correct per the service order and the service is not working appropriately at the expected location. The Repair Technician will make any changes necessary to make the installation correct per the original order.

Testing Faulty Elements

Before initiating a trouble report to CenturyLink, and to expedite the repair process, you are responsible for identifying the fault and location of the trouble within the Network prior to contacting CenturyLink.

  • Test Assurance
    At times additional screening and testing may be needed to isolate a trouble when automatic testing is not conclusive. CenturyLink's remote test equipment can isolate a trouble to the network interface unit, customer service unit, or point of interface. If further isolation is required, you may request the dispatch of a CenturyLink technician to your end-user's premises. We will ask that one of your technicians meet our technician at the premises. If this is not possible, a CenturyLink technician will be sent to your end-user's premises on an "Assist Test Ticket." CenturyLink will validate premises access with you and will not contact your end-user without your authorization. Restoring out-of-service conditions take precedence over requests for test assistance. You may request assistance online or by calling and speaking with a Repair Service Attendant (RSA) who will create a trouble report to track testing.

Testing POTS and Other Services at Fault

For services CenturyLink provides, where you do not have the ability to isolate the trouble (e.g., Resale, POTS, LIS), you are not responsible for trouble isolation. In such cases, CenturyLink will perform all testing, trouble isolation and resolution within CenturyLink's Network on your behalf. For POTS you are still responsible for isolating the trouble at the NID. If a CenturyLink technician is dispatched to the end-user's premise and the trouble is not found in the CenturyLink network, a TIC will apply. You must either authorize or deny authorization for TIC when a trouble report is opened. If you do not authorize TIC, a CenturyLink technician will not be dispatched.

Isolating Faulty Element

After you test the circuit to determine the trouble condition and isolate the trouble to CenturyLink's network, you need to determine, to the extent possible, the specific network element experiencing a fault condition. If the trouble is isolated to your side of the demarcation point, you are responsible for repairing the trouble condition. If the trouble is isolated to CenturyLink's side of the demarcation point, CenturyLink will repair the trouble. With your authorization, when CenturyLink dispatches a technician to the end-user's premise, and the technician isolates the trouble to your side of the demarcation point, a Maintenance of Service Charge will be applied. Specific products, i.e., Enhanced Extended Loop (EEL), Unbundled Local Loop, Loop Multiplexer (MUX) Combination (LMC), and Unbundled Dedicated Interoffice Transport (UDIT), provide trouble isolation and testing as a joint process. In this situation, you are responsible for testing and providing trouble isolation results prior to submitting a trouble report to CenturyLink. If you elect not to perform trouble isolation testing, CenturyLink will offer the option of performing the testing on your behalf. If you request optional testing from CenturyLink, you are required to provide your name, telephone number, and authorization to test (either verbally or electronically (via CEMR-MTG)). If you use CEMR-MTG, include the narrative "optional testing authorized" in the comments. See Test Results Information for additional information regarding optional testing.

CenturyLink will provision an Unbundled DS1 Loop to meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. Depending on the type of installation option you chose, test results may or may not have been provided at time of test and turn up.

If, after acceptance of a DS1 Capable loop, you cannot get the loop to work, you will test to ensure that there are no problems on the customer side of the demarcation point. You will then open a repair ticket and provide test results. CenturyLink will conduct testing and if applicable will contact you to arrange a joint meet; this could include joint testing at the customer's premises. Once testing has been completed, and should CenturyLink find the circuit to function within prescribed transmission parameters, we will mutually share relevant/applicable information pertaining to the circuit; this may include type of CPE, distance and gauge of inside wire, circuit design, end-to-end distance, number of repeaters and distance between repeaters.

If it cannot be determined why the circuit will not work for you, we will alter the dB loss setting where technically feasible, to make the circuit functional. At this point, CenturyLink will bill for the dispatch and the time spent to meet and work on the circuit with you.

Test Results Before Submitting a Trouble Report

If you do not provide test results (except for Resale, POTS, and LIS) when attempting to submit a trouble report and elect not to have CenturyLink perform optional testing on your behalf, CenturyLink will not have enough information to open a valid trouble ticket and therefore will not open one. If you submit your trouble report electronically, and you do not provide test results, nor authorize Optional Testing, CenturyLink will bond back providing you with a 24-hour timeframe to respond with the appropriate information (test results or authorization for optional testing). If you do not respond within the 24-hour, CenturyLink's repair system will automatically close the ticket. You will need to obtain testing information prior to CenturyLink accepting and issuing a valid trouble report. For information regarding test results, acceptable test results, and unacceptable test results; refer to Test Results Information found in the CenturyLink's Roles and Responsibilities section of this PCAT.

You have the right to request reconciliation of trouble reports in order to minimize repeat reports. You can initiate the reconciliation process through your CenturyLink Service Manager.

Third Party Owned Network Element - Repairs

You are responsible for trouble repairs when a third party owns a network element. CenturyLink does not perform trouble maintenance or repairs for third party-owned elements. Depending on your CenturyLink Interconnection Agreement, CenturyLink may provide Third Party assistance on a Time and Material basis. Contact your CenturyLink Service Manager if you need clarification.

Submitting Trouble Reports

The maintenance and repair process begins with the discovery that a service is not functioning properly. This can occur when your end-user realizes they are experiencing poor sound quality, no dial tone or another trouble condition with their telephone service and contacts your customer service organization for assistance or, utilizing your own network testing, monitoring and surveillance tools, you discover a trouble condition.

The core hours of operation for a repair technician are 8 AM to 5 PM local time. Specific hours of operation for repair technicians in a particular area are available when a repair ticket is issued. Note: Some products and services may have CenturyLink "Promise of Service™" intervals in which CenturyLink will hold itself to a higher level of service than normal specified guidelines. The CenturyLink "Promise of Service™" interval will automatically be available to CenturyLink customers for these products and services. The CenturyLink "Promise of Service™" initiative may result in guidelines that reduce the timeframe for maintenance and repair, however, these guidelines are not included in, or supported by, CenturyLink Performance Indicator Definitions (PID) or Performance Assurance Plan (PAP) obligations. To view the list of switch features included in the 8 hour CenturyLink "Promise of Service™" click on List of Features - CenturyLink Promise of Service.

Recent Service Request Activity

If you have a service-affecting problem, CenturyLink recommends the following options:

  • If a service order is pending for the line/circuit, call the Customer Service Inquiry and Education (CSIE) at 866 434-2555.
  • If notification has been received within the last 24 hours indicating your service order may have completed, contact the CSIE.
  • If notification was received more than 24 hours ago indicating your service order may have completed, contact the CenturyLink Repair Department or issue a repair ticket via CEMR-MTG.
  • If you have had no recent service order activity, issue a repair ticket via CEMR-MTG or contact the CenturyLink Repair Department.

For better efficiency, use our online CEMR-MTG System that connects you to our internal support systems. CEMR-MTG requires security certification. Contact your CenturyLink Service Manager if you need information related to this application. Step-by-step details regarding CEMR-MTG can be found in the CEMR-MTG User Guide. In the event CEMR-MTG is off line or you encounter difficulty, contact the appropriate Center and our RSAs will take your report manually should it be necessary.

Contact the Wholesale Repair Center for Design Products and Services or the RCHC for Non-Designed Products and Services and our RSAs will receive and create your trouble report as well as provide you updates regarding any of your existing trouble reports.

If your service request for Unbundled Local Loops or Resale Designed Services was completed within 30 calendar days, you have the option of using one of the methods described above (submit a trouble report via CEMR-MTG or to the Wholesale Repair Center) or you may contact the CenturyLink CLEC Coordination Center (CCCC)for Unbundled Local Loops or the technician for Resale Designed Services and they will open, document, and track a trouble ticket.

For Resale Designed Services, the technician who provisioned the circuit will provide their name, direct call back number, and normal work schedule. You may call this technician directly within 30 calendar days of service order completion to report trouble.

When submitting multiple trouble tickets for telephone numbers in multiple locations, you may choose to fax your reports to our centers for operational efficiencies. There is no limit as to the number of faxes you are allowed to send.

Required Information

When submitting a trouble report, the results and analysis of your fact-finding, testing and trouble isolation efforts determine the information you provide. Your trouble report must be accurate and complete to enable CenturyLink to undertake the actions necessary to isolate and resolve the trouble. The following information is required when a trouble report is submitted:

  • Telephone number, CenturyLink circuit identification, or 2/6 code of service in trouble
  • Location or address of service, including suite, room, floor, apartment, or unit number
  • Detailed fault condition and trouble description, including test results
  • Your reporting contact name and telephone number
  • Your trouble report or tracking number
  • Your local contact names and telephone numbers for premises access
  • Hours of access to the end-user premises
  • Authorization to test (See note below)
  • Authorization to dispatch (See note below)
  • Identification of a life threatening situation
  • Identification of chronic service problem (as defined in the Chronic Service Problems Section of this Web page)

For non-design services, you may request a courtesy pre-dispatch call from a CenturyLink technician to you before he/she leaves for your end-user's premises. If you use CEMR-MTG, select the "Call Before Dispatch" button on the Narrative Customizing Window (see Figure 10-31 in the CEMR-MTG User's Guide).  If you use the Maintenance Ticketing Gateway (MTG) , populate the attribute "additionalTroubleInfoList" with "CLB4 DSP." If you call into the RCHC or Wholesale Repair Center to report trouble, you may also request a pre-dispatch courtesy call from a CenturyLink Technician. A pre-dispatch call will not be made unless you request it.

For Non-designed Resale Services, CenturyLink will require an appointment to be scheduled when any of the following are present on the trouble report:

  • Physical/Jack/Inside Wire work Requests
  • Chronic Trouble (from Display Abbreviated Trouble History (DATH) Analysis)
  • Access to yard is "No"
  • Network Interface not accessible

For Non-designed Business Services, CenturyLink will require an access window.

If you use CEMR-MTG or MTG, you may request a joint Dispatch Out (DPO) field meet.  In CEMR-MTG you may request a joint DPO by following the instructions on the "CEMR/RCE Joint Meet Screen".  In MTG you may request a joint DPO by populating the attribute "additionalTroubleInfoList" with "DPO Joint Meet" and include date and time (e.g., DPO Joint Meet 07/21/04 3 PM).  You may also request a joint Dispatch In (DPI) central office meet.  In CEMR-MTG you may request a joint DPI by following the instructions on the "CEMR/RCE Joint Meet Screen".  In MTG you may request a joint DPI by populating the attribute "additionalTroubleInfoList" with "DPI Joint Meet" and include date and time (e.g., DPI Joint Meet 07/21/04 3 PM).  To request a joint meet, you must submit your request no later than 3 PM local time the day before the joint meet.
If you use MTG you may request a trouble ticket for IP CENTREX by populating the attribute "additionalTroubleInfoList" with "IPCTX" and the telephone number of the line(s) experiencing difficulty.

With the exception of major outage restoration, cable rearrangements, Multi Tenant Environment (MTE) terminal maintenance/replacement, and post-order/post-repair preventive maintenance, CenturyLink will not dispatch to the end-user premises without your authorization.  The Company Initiated Activity Customer Notifications matrix contains a list of processes, activities, responsibilities, timeframes, and notifications related to CenturyLink initiated activities.  For information regarding when you may be notified of CenturyLink initiated activity, click on the Customer Notification matrix.  

Note: For Non-Designed Services, acceptance of TIC indicates authorization to dispatch. For Non-Designed Services, electronically submitted trouble reports via MTG, automatically authorize dispatch and acceptance of TIC. For Designed Services, all electronically submitted trouble reports automatically authorize dispatch and intrusive testing. For Designed Services manually submitted trouble reports, authorization to test shall include authorization to dispatch. Should you wish to provide such permission, CenturyLink will require the following information for the trouble report:

  • Name and telephone number of the end-user premises contact
  • Hours of access at the end-user premises

Resale/CLSP POTS Back-up Battery Monitoring and Replacement

In certain communities where CenturyLink has deployed Fiber To The Premise (FTTP) architecture, CenturyLink will not be able to technically line power the customer phone from the serving wire center. In the event of a power outage, lifeline capability would not be available. Therefore, a Battery Back-up Unit is recommended at the end user customer location for lifeline capability. If a battery back-up is not currently installed at the end user premise, CenturyLink will install or replace a unit at your request but it must be ordered on an LSR. To order this on the install, the related USOC for a battery back-up unit is 1CRMG. Appropriate charges will apply. Alternatively, you or your end user may provide and install your own battery back-up unit that is purchased commercially.

The maintenance and/or replacement of the battery in the backup unit will be the responsibility of you and your end-user customer. For maintenance, you may submit an LSR to have a battery back-up unit installed or replaced.

IMPORTANT: Failure to maintain your BBU may result in loss of voice service during a power outage, including a loss of access to Emergency 911 and other services.

CenturyLink's Roles and Responsibilities

Responding to Submitted Trouble Reports

To efficiently resolve the reported trouble, our repair organizations are grouped into Wholesale Product or Designed Services or Non-Designed Maintenance and Repair teams:

  • Wholesale Repair Center
    Designed Unbundled Network Element and Complex Wholesale Products and Services (LIS Trunking; Unbundled Local Loop, Unbundled Feeder Sub-Loop, Unbundled Switch, Unbundled Transport; Unbundled Dark Fiber; Resale - Design Services)
  • RCHC
    Non-Designed POTS and Non-Complex Wholesale Products and Services (Resale - Simple Residential (1FR) and Business (1FB); CenturyLink commercial local services; Line sharing, Unbundled Distribution Sub-Loops; Local Number Portability (LNP).

Refer to the Contact Section of this web page for Wholesale Repair and RCHC telephone numbers.

Organized geographically, CenturyLink's RSAs and Repair Centers manage the restoration of service on a non-discriminatory basis providing you the same timeliness and quality repair service we provide to ourselves, our end-users, our affiliates, and any other party. Your trouble reports are prioritized based on service without regard to the service provider.

When submitting a trouble report for POTS service, you may request Emergency Call Forwarding (ECF) if you have an out of service condition regardless of whether or not Call Forwarding is on the account. Refer to CEMR-MTG On-line Help (enter "Emergency Call Forwarding" in the search field, click on find, and scroll to requested information) for additional information regarding ECF. If the account has Call Forwarding, you may also call the RCHC to have call forwarding (Courtesy Call Forwarding) activated with a repair condition.

Utilize your normal trouble-reporting channel into the appropriate Center for repair call handling, trouble report creation, status updates, and escalation management. Available 24/7, representatives within the Wholesale Repair Center, RCHC, and Designed Service Centers serve as your advocate representing your needs within CenturyLink. Some services attendants provide include:

  • Ensuring trouble isolation procedures are immediately initiated for your reported trouble
  • Providing you with a report number for reference, if necessary
  • Coordinating among CenturyLink departments to resolve your Wholesale product and service related troubles
  • Monitoring open trouble reports
  • Communicating status when you call
  • Accepting your requests for escalation and cooperatively managing them within CenturyLink when you deem necessary
  • Providing you with support when the electronic interface, CEMR-MTG, is unavailable
  • Answering questions regarding trouble reports or processes

Escalations

At your discretion, you may initiate an escalation of your trouble report at any time during the repair process through either an electronic interface provided by CenturyLink or by calling either the Wholesale Repair Center for UNEs and Complex services or the RCHC for POTS and Non-Complex services. Escalations begin with the tester or screener and passes to the duty Supervisor, Manager, Director, and Vice President levels within CenturyLink. For additional information regarding repair escalations, refer to Wholesale Customer Service Repair Escalation List for Residence, Small Business, Medium-Large Business, and Wholesale.

Repairing Faulty Products and Services

When you initiate a trouble report, our center technicians receive and manage the issue through resolution for Designed Services. Your trouble report is routed for testing and trouble isolation where the trouble is initially isolated to one of three general areas:

  • Central Office: Includes hardware, wiring, and equipment supporting the network switching or network routing housed inside the Central Office
  • Translations: Includes individual line and complex switch translations
  • Field: Includes network elements and supporting infrastructure equipment (copper, fiber, NIDs, and electronics) as well as cable outage restoration and proactive maintenance

Technicians in multiple locations across all three general areas may be required to isolate the trouble and restore service. Responsibilities of our repair technicians include:

  • Assigning a technician responsible for initial testing on circuits identified in your trouble report (also referred to as a trouble ticket) and isolating trouble
  • Routing your report for dispatch to Central Office, Translations, and/or Field Technicians as applicable
  • Escalating your report internally until a resource is assigned or progress made
  • Performing tests to verify service restoration
  • Coordinating cooperative testing
  • Facilitating test result handoff activity and restoration concurrence
  • Assigning resolution codes prior to closing your report

No Access (Designed Services only)

When a CenturyLink Technician is dispatched at your request, they may encounter a No Access situation that prevents repairing the trouble. No Access situations include:

  • Your technician or vendor not available for testing or trouble resolution
  • No circuit access

No premises access Exception: When Optional Testing is approved by the customer of record, Stop Time will apply to the trouble ticket while testing is performed. This stop time will not delay the progress of the trouble ticket through the repair process, but it will account for the time the customer of record would have spent performing this testing.

If a No Access situation occurs, trouble resolution is delayed and additional dispatching charges may apply.

When a trouble ticket is received from you for unbundled services, the Repair CCT will validate the circuit notes for the installed circuit and identify from those notes whether there is a "Y" or "N" associated with the "NIU ACCESS (Y/N)" field. This information should have also been Emailed or given verbally to you at the time of installation:

  • If the Network Interface Unit (NIU) Access field is marked with a "Y", CenturyLink should have access to the NIU without assistance from you or the end-user. CenturyLink technicians will review this information with the customer of record via a phone call or electronic communication during the initial testing step of the trouble ticket process to determine whether there have been any changes since the service was installed or the last time is was repaired. If the NIU ACCESS field is marked with a "Y" and dispatch is authorized, we will proceed with dispatching a technician.
  • If the NIU Access field is marked with a "N", it indicates CenturyLink does not have access to the NIU without assistance from you or the end-user. CenturyLink technicians will review this information with the customer of record via a phone call or electronic communication during the initial testing step of the trouble ticket process to determine whether there have been any changes since the service was installed or the last time is was repaired. We will proceed with testing and dispatch based on this information and the entry of the trouble ticket. (Note: electronically submitted trouble reports automatically authorize dispatch and intrusive testing. For manually submitted trouble reports, authorization to test includes authorization to dispatch.)
  • If the circuit notes do not indicate the NIU ACCESS status, the CCT will update the circuit notes for future reference based on findings during this repair visit.
  • If, after testing remotely from the center; a central office; or another access point, it is determined that access is required to repair the circuit and access is not available and you have been informed of the no access situation, NA or stop time will apply until access is provided.
    • After hours, i.e., outside standard business hours, CenturyLink will not dispatch to the last testable point in a circuit if isolation can be obtained via remote testing. If, after isolation testing (either remotely from a repair center; a central office; or another access point) it is determined that access is required to repair the circuit and access is not available and you have been informed of the no access situation, NA or stop time will apply until access is provided. If testing indicates that the problem is in the CenturyLink network and end-user premise access is not required to repair the circuit, NA or stop time will not apply.
  • When you enter a trouble ticket or a CenturyLink representative contacts you, access information will be validated. Examples of contacts that include information we will ask you to provide are as follows:
    • Verified access hours with my customer to be 800 to 1600. After that time there will be no access to the communication room where all equipment including CenturyLink's is located.
    • Access hours for the building are, 900 to 1700; however, the communication closet is outside of the building requiring contact with the guard who is at gate 7X24.
    • Access to the customer communication cage is 900 to 1600. Building access is 800 to 1700 and for immediate access to the cage call xxx-yyy-wwww number.

Out of Hours Dispatch

While CenturyLink's Maintenance and Repair Centers operate 24/7 not all functions and locations are covered 24/7. In major metropolitan areas, where technicians are on duty around the clock, CenturyLink dispatches as if the request was received during normal business hours and tests circuits to the last Central Office where a technician is available. CenturyLink always calls out technicians in life threatening, fire, national security, or other emergency situations. If an out-of-service condition exists that cannot wait until normal business hours for resolution, in an area where CenturyLink's technicians are not available 24/7, CenturyLink will determine the necessity to dispatch and/or call out a technician when the trouble is isolated to a non-staffed Central Office and there is access to the premises. Exceptions may occur in the event of Central Office conversions, system outages, severe weather conditions, or during emergency preparedness situations.

Providing Trouble Report Status Updates

CenturyLink provides two ways to check the status of your trouble reports:

  • With CenturyLink's CEMR-MTG System you can view trouble reports, status updates and messages posted by our technicians from your own computer.
    • For Trouble Type Abbreviations and Descriptions for Designed UNE and Complex as well as Non-Design POTS and Non-Complex Products and Services refer to our CEMR-MTG On-line Help.
  • Or, contact the Wholesale Repair Center for Designed Products and Services or the RCHC for Non-Designed Products and Services to request a status update. If the RSA does not have current information, they will contact the appropriate tester to update you.

Closing Your Trouble Report

When your Designed service is restored to CenturyLink's last point of presence or demarcation point, the Maintenance Control Office (MCO) CCT will contact you to coordinate cooperative testing, obtain restoration concurrence, and provide test results. After obtaining your approval to close your trouble report, the MCO CCT will assign trouble codes and close the trouble report. You can view your closed trouble reports via the history function in CEMR-MTG.

When your Non-Designed service is restored, CenturyLink assigns disposition and cause codes, closes the trouble ticket, and notifies you that the trouble has been resolved. Trouble tickets that are received by CenturyLink electronically, via existing functionality in CEMR-MTG/ MTG, will be closed electronically. You can view your closed trouble reports via the history function in CEMR-MTG. If a trouble ticket was opened via a phone call to the CenturyLink Repair center, CenturyLink will assign disposition and cause codes, close the trouble ticket, and notify you via a phone call that the trouble has been resolved.

CenturyLink Designed Services Trouble Ticket Codes and CenturyLink Non-Designed Disposition & Cause Codes

Information provided in the following documents describes the various trouble reporting codes for designed and non-designed services and their specific definition.

Design Services Trouble Codes describe the type of trouble encountered.

Non-Design Services Disposition and Cause Codes identify the reason for service problems. Disposition Codes indicate the action taken to clear the reported trouble, while Cause Codes indicate why.

Test Results Information describes acceptable network test results, unacceptable test results, and other related information.

Additional Maintenance and Repair Activities

Abnormal Events

CenturyLink follows established FCC guidelines for restoration priorities related to:

  • Major Network Outages: Switch, Interoffice facility, or Major cable failures that could be the result of cable cuts or switch problems
  • Major Disasters: Natural disasters such as floods, fires, bomb threats, hazardous waste, and tornados

Major Outage Notification

CenturyLink offers an automatic Major Outage Notification. Contact your CenturyLink Service Manager if you have questions or would like to learn more about the automatic notification process.

If you choose to receive CenturyLink's automatic notifications, you will be notified of certain reportable events in our network that may be service affecting. Notifications are sent via Internet e-mail or facsimile simultaneously with our internal event notification usually within 30 minutes after the CenturyLink work center determines a reportable event has occurred, even if the service problem is already resolved. Examples of reportable events are:

  • 911 - Any disruption of 911 services regardless of duration.
  • Inter Office Facility (IOF)/Transport Failure.
    • One or more T3s for 30 minutes or more.
    • One or more T3s supporting TSP Defense or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Government critical circuits for 15 minutes or more.
  • Switch - Total switch failure for two minutes or more or partial switch failure involving 5000 or more lines for 30 minutes or more.
  • Signaling - Signaling System 7 (SS7) node isolation of five minutes or more. Switching Transfer Point (STP) or Service Control Point (SCP) down situations for two hours or more.
  • Power - Major service interruption as a result of a power failure.
  • Fire - Major service interruption as a result of a fire.
  • A failure resulting in 25 or more initial end-user reports.

If you choose not to receive automatic notifications, our RSA will provide information of major outages only in conjunction with an active trouble report. With the exception of certain proprietary information, CenturyLink uses the same thresholds and processes for external notification as it does for internal purposes. Service restoration is non-discriminatory and accomplished as quickly as possible according to CenturyLink and/or industry standards.

Major Disasters

CenturyLink complies with established federal and state requirements providing network disaster recovery planning at both the state and national levels. Functional exercises are conducted to audit our proficiency at managing the unique communications requirements associated with catastrophic disasters and recovery events. During disaster recovery exercises, CenturyLink's NROC is responsible for notifying your operations center to obtain input and/or cooperation from you. FCC regulations require that all Telecommunication Organizations comply with any applicable federal and state requirements concerning disaster recovery exercises, with us each notifying the other prior to performing these exercises.

Chronic Service Problems (Designed and Non-Designed)

Services having repeated, unresolved service issues may be designated a chronic service problem if the following conditions occur:

  • The circuit has had at least three trouble reports in a rolling 30 days
  • The circuit has similar, repeated test results on two or more trouble reports
  • Trouble on the circuit often clears during testing

CenturyLink's Maintenance and Repair Technicians focus on resolving chronic service problems by:

  • Analyzing chronic reports for trends
  • Determining root causes
  • Taking ownership of the trouble report until service is restored
  • Assisting or calling upon internal and/or external experts

If you feel a circuit has a chronic service problem and requires special attention, note the situation on the trouble report you submit or bring it to the attention of the RSA who creates your report. Once our Maintenance and Repair Technician completes the repair, clearing the chronic trouble, CenturyLink will maintain the chronic trouble ticket in "Pending Close" status until you accept the trouble as resolved.

Monitoring Network Equipment

CenturyLink's NROC monitors and maintains our facilities focusing on network integrity, reliability, availability, and quality. Some functions include:

  • Call gap management
  • Disaster recovery planning at both the state and national levels
  • Network traffic management
  • Notification of mass calling events
  • Operations information control
  • Signaling network control
  • Tier II network surveillance of CenturyLink's network to proactively monitor our network identifying and resolving issues as they occur

CenturyLink offers surveillance or alarm detection capabilities with Interconnect products and services. Contact your CenturyLink Service Manager if you need additional information.

Preventive Maintenance

CenturyLink will work cooperatively with you to determine reasonable notification requirements of service-affecting activities that may occur in normal operation of our business. Such activities may include, but are not limited to, equipment or facilities additions, removals or rearrangements, routine preventative maintenance, and major switching machine change-out. Generally, such activities may affect many services. No specific advance notification period is applicable to all service activities.

Preventive Maintenance Windows

CenturyLink generally performs proactive maintenance activities during "off hours" with maintenance windows between:

  • 10:00 PM through 6:00 AM Monday through Friday
  • Saturday 10:00 PM through Monday 6:00 AM
    NOTE: If 911 service is impacted, the following maintenance windows are used:
    • Tuesday through Thursday, 3:00 AM - 6:00 AM Applicable when 50% or more of a 911 trunk group is affected and/or switch translations work is involved. A representative from the affected Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) must provide approval via the CenturyLink Center for 911 Customer Service.
    • Monday through Thursday, 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM Applicable for all other activity when less than 50% of a 911 trunk group is involved. A representative from the affected PSAP must provide approval via the CenturyLink Center for 911 Customer Service.

Switch, transport, or power activities that have the potential to impact customer service are scheduled during a maintenance window except as described below. Maintenance Window activities may include:

  • Repairing equipment that has a high impact on customer service
  • Modifying hardware or software
  • Installing new equipment that involves the following:
    • Contact or integration with existing equipment or infrastructure and high impact to customer service
  • Maintaining 911 service (Monday through Thursday from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM)

Proactive loop maintenance for switched-based Non-Designed Services includes Automatic Line Tests (ALIT) which are performed nightly between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM and MLT performed between 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM after all New (N) or Transfer (T) service order activity. This is also applicable to repair activity involving a dispatch to the field. A dispatch to your end-user's premises may result from these tests.

Non-Maintenance Window Activities may include:

  • Repairing equipment to restore interrupted service
  • Maintaining equipment associated with the ability to provide service, equipment may involve the following:
    • Communication links
    • Operational Support Systems
    • Surveillance equipment
  • Working on routine tasks that do not jeopardize service
  • Installing new equipment under the following conditions:
    • No contact with existing equipment or infrastructure
    • No integration with existing equipment or infrastructure
    • No impact to customer service exists
  • CenturyLink will perform maintenance activity on CenturyLink Commercial Broadband Services Remote Equipment Terminals specifically to augment network bandwidth and implement hardware and software upgrades between the remote terminal location and the associated Central Office as needed.

While we normally perform major switch maintenance during the above maintenance windows, there will be occasions where this will not be possible. CenturyLink will provide you notification of any and all maintenance activities that may impact your ordering practices such as embargoes, moratoriums, or quiet periods in substantially the same time and manner as we provide this information to ourselves, our end-users, our affiliates, and any other party.

Major Switch Maintenance

Major switch maintenance activities include switch conversions, switch generic software upgrades and switch equipment additions.

Switch conversions typically require service order embargoes to ensure seamless transition from the old to the new switch. An embargo is a period of time prior to and after the conversion date where trunk connections into the switch are frozen; no trunk related orders, with the exception of conversion orders, will be accepted or provisioned. Embargos for trunk-side facilities extend from 30 days before the conversion date until five days after the conversion.

Line side orders are also impacted by switch conversions. With the exception of disconnect orders, non-switch related billing and records orders, and emergency orders, no service orders may be completed from five days before until two days after the conversion date; referred to as the quiet period. Disconnect orders are the only orders accepted during the quiet period and will be completed after the quiet period expires.

Planned conversions, including embargo periods, and generic software upgrades in CenturyLink's switches are posted on the InterCONNect (ICONN) database containing Local Exchange Routing Guide Information.

Training

Local CenturyLink 101 "Doing Business With CenturyLink"

  • This introductory web-based training course is designed to teach the Local CLEC and Local Reseller how to do business with CenturyLink. It will provide a general overview of products and services, CenturyLink billing and support systems, processes for submitting service requests, reports, and web resource access information. Click here to learn more about this Training.

CEMR-MTG (Customer Electronic Maintenance & Repair-Maintenance Ticketing Gateway) Web Based Training

  • This self-directed, web based training course is designed to teach the participant how to use the CenturyLink Customer Electronic Maintenance & Repair-Maintenance Ticketing Gateway (CEMR-MTG) system to troubleshoot and submit trouble reports on design and non-design circuits. This course provides system demonstrations and allows you to complete hands-on activities using the CEMR-MTG system. Click here to learn more about this Training.

View additional CenturyLink course by clicking on Training Catalog.

Contacts

CenturyLink contact information is located in Wholesale Customer Contacts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This section is currently being compiled based on your feedback.

Last Update: August 8, 2022

Last Reviewed: April 11, 2024

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