History Log

Product Description

Private Line Transport (PLT) GeoMax™ service is a high speed, high capacity, multi-protocol data-networking solution. The service combines dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) technology with diverse interoffice fiber facilities, 24/7 proactive network monitoring and aggressive service level agreements (SLAs) to provide a total robust finished service. GeoMax uniquely supports both native and proprietary protocols, e.g., IBM mainframes as well as industry standard protocols such as synchronous optical network (SONET) and Ethernet. GeoMax service has the ability to support multiple protocols and applications on a single platform. Another key advantage DWDM technology offers is the transparency to the data riding on it. It is bit rate and protocol independent, thus guaranteeing customers the 100 percent throughput and low latency their applications demand.

GeoMax supports linear and ring configurations.

The components that make up GeoMax are:

• Premise node - located at the customer's premise, it is equipped with one shelf and common equipment that can support a maximum of 64 wavelengths when fully equipped with 8 shelves.
• CO node- located in Qwest's central office, it is equipped with one shelf and common equipment that can support a maximum of 64 wavelengths when fully equipped with 8 shelves.
• Network Access Channel (NAC) - Fiber Distribution Panel at customer premise connected to a CO Node.
• Additional shelf - is equipped with common equipment that can support a maximum of 4 protected wavelengths or 8 unprotected wavelengths. Each node can support up to eight shelves.
• Amplifier node - Optical amplification provides strengthening of the optical signals or wavelengths to support greater distances that reach beyond normal DWDM optical signals.
• Interoffice transport mileage - Calculated as the air miles between serving wire centers for each Node (e.g., A to B, B to C, C to A).
• Ports are available in multiple protocols therefore a single system can include both protected and unprotected ports, as applicable.

Private Line Transport GeoMax™ supports linear and ring configurations.

• There are two linear configurations available:
  • Point-to-Point - This configuration is a two-node system that can support up to 8 shelves at each terminal site (32 protected or 64 non-protected customer interfaces).
  • Linear Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (OADM) - This configuration has more than two nodes. It can add or drop a customer signal at any of the sites within the same DWDM Band. Linear OADM supports only unprotected connections.
• There are three ring configurations available:
  • Hubbed Ring - Shelves in the OADM sites have a one-to-one correspondence with the shelves in the terminal site. A Hubbed Ring supports up to eight single-shelf OADM sites or a smaller number of multi-shelf sites.
  • Dual Hubbed Ring - Shelves in the OADM sites have a one-to-one correspondence with the shelves in the terminal site. A dual hubbed ring has two terminal sites.
  • Mesh Ring - This ring configuration enables the customer to connect across three or more customer locations and the ability to add/drop individual customer interfaces (wavelengths) from any location to any location. It supports up to a maximum of 40 shelves and a total of 9 sites.

Private Line Transport (PLT) GeoMax™ service can connect to the following Qwest provided services. Connections must be made at a CO Node:

• Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
• Synchronous Service Transport (SST)
• Self Healing Network Service (SHNS)

Synchronous Service Transport (SST) over GeoMax is a service option that is available to the customer for the purpose of transporting Digital Signal Level 1 (DS1) and Digital Signal Level 3 (DS3) signals across the customer's GeoMax Network. The customer will order both GeoMax and SST, and cross connect the SST nodes to the GeoMax nodes at the OC-N level. Service and design restrictions do apply, please refer to Qwest Technical Publications 77407 & 77346 for further information.

Technical Publication, GeoMax, 77407

Technical Publication, Synchronous Service Transport (SST), 77346

Availability

Private Line Transport GeoMax™ is available where facilities exist throughout Qwest's 14-state local service territory.

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions section does not apply to Private Line Transport (PLT) GeoMax™

Technical Publications

Technical characteristics, including Network Channel and Network Channel Interface (NC/NCI™) codes, are described in Technical Publication, GeoMax, 77407.

Pricing

Rate Structure

Recurring charges are comprised of the following rate elements:

• Customer Interface, per port
• Premise Node (includes one shelf)
• CO Node (includes one shelf)
• Network Access Channel (NAC)
• Shelf (each additional)
• Interoffice Transport Mileage, per airline Mile
• Amplification

Nonrecurring charges are comprised of the following rate elements:

• Customer Interface, per port
• Network Access Channel (NAC)

An initial service period of 36 or 60 months is required for GeoMax. At the end of the initial service period, GeoMax™ will automatically revert to the month-to-month plan. Service converted to the month to month plan can not be added to or changed, only upgraded to a term plan of 36 or 60 months or disconnected. New service cannot be obtained on month to month basis.

Rates

Rates are available in FCC1 or in the state specific tariff or your Interconnection Agreement.

Tariffs, Regulations, and Policies

Tariffs, regulations and policies are located in the FCC1 or state specific Tariffs/Catalogs/Price Lists.

Optional Features

Read-Only Monitoring is a read-only network monitoring using Nortel's System Manager residing on Nortel equipment. It allows customer to view ALL alarms and service performance parameters which Qwest NMS views. Uses customer provided/maintained dedicated workstation.

See Features/Benefits

Product Prerequisites

If you are an Interexchange Carrier (IXC), Internet & Data (ISP) or Wireless Service Provider (WSP) and have questions regarding your contract with Qwest, contact your Account Team / Sales Executives and Service Managers for more information.

Pre Ordering

An AQCB form must be submitted to the Qwest System Design Engineer or the Custom Solutions Engineer for a facilities check, by your Account Team /Sales Executives and Service Managers. If facilities are not available, then your Qwest Account Team representative will submit a Notification of Potential Sale. A mini-business case will be developed to determine if it is economical for Qwest to build facilities to support this request.

Ordering

Private Line Transport (PLT) GeoMax™ service requests are submitted using the following Access Service Ordering Guidelines (ASOG) forms:

• Access Service Request
• Administrative
• Transport Request
• Service Address Location Information Form

Optional ASOG forms could include:

• Additional Circuit Information
• Ring
• Additional Ring Information

Field entry requirements are described in the Access Service Request (ASR) Forms.

Service requests can be placed using Qwest® Online Request Application (QORA™) Graphical User Interface (GUI) or one of the other methods described in Qwest ASR Ordering Systems.

Provisioning and Installation

GeoMax service is provided on an Individual Case Basis (ICB). For new service where facilities do not exist, the time between sale and final installation may take up to 180 days. New services where facilities exist may take up to 90 days.

If facilities are not available, then through AQCB a Business Case for funding is submitted for review and either granted or denied.

Maintenance and Repair

Contact your Account Team / Sales Executives and Service Managers for information.

Billing

Integrated Access Billing System (IABS) billing is described in Billing Information - Integrated Access Billing System (IABS™).

Training

Local Qwest 101 "Doing Business with Qwest"

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

View additional Qwest courses by clicking on Course Catalog.

Contacts

Qwest contact information is located in Wholesale Customer Contacts. Customer Contacts

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of DWDM technology?
Key advantages of DWDM technology include transparency (i.e., bit rate and protocol independent) making it an ideal optical solution for supporting a customer's multi-protocol applications. It offers scalable bandwidth and quick service provisioning, enabling the offering of bandwidth virtually on demand. Its transparency allows customers to support multiple protocols and applications with a single platform. Customers have the flexibility to pick and choose the protection that fits their specific needs, down to interface or port level. Some challenges of DWDM technology include limited performance capabilities, still a new and evolving technology, thus customers are still in the early adopting stages.

2. What is included in GeoMax service?
The service includes all the necessary electronics equipment, including the DWDM, fiber facilities, SLAs, and 24/7 monitoring/management service by Qwest.

3. What is the SLA for GeoMax?
SLA (Service Level Agreements) consists of the following four parameters. Service Availability, Customer notification, Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and Installation Guarantee.

4. Are there specific distance limitations?
Distance limitation varies depending on specific customer applications, protocols and characteristics of the fiber facilities involved. For instance, the maximum supported fiber distance (including customer cables) is 40 km (24.8 miles) for External Timing Reference (ETR™)/Control Link Oscillator (CLO) links and 50 km (31.0 miles) for Enterprise System Connection (ESCON™). In a Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (GDPS) implementation, which will use all three interfaces, the ETR interface will limit the distance to 40 km maximum.

Other protocols, including SONET, GigE, etc. can go up to 50km (31 miles) before requiring amplification. If supported by the customer's specific application, optical amplification or regeneration can be deployed to extend the distance.

5. Are there limitations for the number of nodes available on the service?
Yes. The maximum number of nodes that can be supported varies depending on specific network configurations. Typically in a ring configuration the network can support up to a maximum of 16 different physical nodes.

6. Where is the DWDM equipment physically located?
GeoMax DWDM equipment is generally located at customer premises or Qwest central office (CO). Locating at customer premises allows GeoMax to interface directly with customer equipment, avoiding possible distance limitations. However, in some ring configurations it's necessary for GeoMax DWDM equipment to be located at non-customer locations such as Qwest CO.

7. How is the service being managed and monitored?
GeoMax service is being managed and monitored remotely by the Qwest Network Operating Center (NOC) located in Minneapolis, MN. The NOC performs 24/7 proactive network monitoring and management.

8. What are the key customer applications currently supported by GeoMax service?
GeoMax service can support a number of customer applications from data center mainframe connectivity to LAN/WAN internetworking applications. Data center applications can include applications such as data replication, load sharing and Storage Area Networks (SAN). LAN networking such as Gigabit Ethernet and SONET are the other common applications.

9. What is the physical appearance of the "Node"?
Each node consists of a "system" or multiple systems of DWDM boxes. A system is four cabinets, each approximately 7' tall, with a 2.5' square footprint.

Last Update: May 11, 2006

CLLI™, CLCI™, NC/NCI™ are trademarks of Telcordia Technologies, Ins.

COSMIC^TM is a trademark of Lucent Technologies, Inc.

NC/NCI™ is a Trademark of Telcordia Technologies, Inc.

GeoMax™ and IABS™ are Trademarks of Qwest Communications International, Inc.