Wholesale: Products & Services

TRRO/OFO - Unbundled Dark Fiber (UDF) - V6.0

History Log

Product Description

This TRRO/OFO - Unbundled Dark Fiber (UDF) product is designed for customers who have signed the TRRO compliant agreement/amendment. TRRO/OFO - Unbundled Dark Fiber (UDF) is a deployed, unlit strand or pair of fiber optic strands that connects two points within Qwest's network within the same LATA and state. UDF is a single, existing transmission path that terminates on a Qwest Fiber Distribution Panel (FDP) or equivalent, between two Qwest Wire Centers or at an MTE (Multi Tennant Environment) for UDF Subloop access to inside wiring.

Unbundled Dark Fiber (UDF) is offered in the following configurations:

  • Unbundled Dark Fiber (UDF) Interoffice Facility (UDF-IOF) provides a deployed route between two Qwest Wire Centers.
  • MTE Subloop Dark Fiber allows access to inside wiring of multi unit dwellings.

Product Diagram

Unbundled Dark Fiber Interoffice Facility (UDF-IOF)

TRRO UDF Diagram

Availability

Unbundled Dark Fiber (UDF) is available throughout Qwest's 14-state local service territory between Qwest Wire Centers where impairment exists, when spare fibers are available in the same state and in the same Local Access and Transport Area (LATA). 'Spare' means fibers beyond those that would be normally held for maintenance (5% of fibers in a sheath) and approved jobs. For more information on where required by law, see Qwest Non-Impaired Wired Center Lists for Loops and Dedicated Transport

Terms and Conditions

Your Interconnection Agreement must specifically address the types of UDF (and the applicable rates and charges) you require in order to request UDF. If your Interconnection Agreement does not include the type of UDF you are requesting, you will need to amend your Interconnection Agreement. For additional information on amending your Interconnection Agreement, refer to the Product Prerequisites section of this web page.

Qwest will provide unbundled access to UDF IOF when either end of a requested route is a Tier 3 Wire Center.

In addition to the TRRO Tier classifications of transport and pursuant to the Omaha Forbearance Order (OFO), Qwest is no longer required to, and will not provide UDF IOF in nine Wire Centers located in Omaha, Nebraska. The Omaha Forbearance Wirecenters are described at Qwest Non-Impaired Wired Center Lists for Loops and Dedicated Transport. Qwest shall provide unbundled dark fiber transport if a Wire Center on either end of a requested route is a Tier 3 Wire Center that is not a Forbearance Wire Center.

Unbundled Dark Fiber (UDF) is provided where facilities exist and/or where you have CLEC Requested UNE Construction (CRUNEC) per the terms and conditions of your Interconnection Agreement.

Unbundled Dark Fiber (UDF) access is provided at accessible terminals such as FDPs and MTEs. You may request placement of an FDP at any building in the Qwest network in order to access unterminated UDF.

You must have an established collocation or other technically feasible (and mutually agreeable) means of network demarcation at both terminating points of the UDF-IOF.

A network demarcation point must be established in order to accommodate UDF optical terminations through an existing collocation. A request for UDF will not be provisioned until the collocation build is completed. If collocation and/or other network demarcation arrangements have not yet been completed, you must obtain a preliminary Alternate Point of Termination (APOT) and Carrier Facility Assignment (CFA) for your network demarcation points in each Qwest Wire Center where the UDF terminates. You must obtain the final APOT prior to ordering UDF service. If the final APOT is different from the preliminary APOT, the UDF provisioning interval may be affected. Additional APOT information is located in Collocation - General Information. If your collocation is being augmented for fiber terminations, you must provide your Qwest Service Manager with the service order number and due date of the augmentation.

CLEC to CLEC UDF-IOF connections with UDF are permissible with the mutual exchange of traffic as outlined in your Interconnection Agreement.

Qwest does not have an obligation to unbundle UDF unless otherwise stated in your Interconnection Agreement.

Qwest will provide access to deployed UDF facilities that include all local exchange UDF that Qwest owns directly or has a right to access under agreements with other parties, affiliated or not, based on the terms and conditions of the agreement between Qwest and the other party. Refer to your Interconnection Agreement. All terms, conditions, and policies for interconnection with other companies may apply for a request to terminate UDF in wire centers located outside Qwest's 14-state local service territory.

Technical Publications

Technical characteristics, including Network Channel/Network Channel Interface (NC/NCI™) codes are described in Technical Publication, TRRO - Unbundled Dark Fiber, 77416.

Pricing

Rate Structure

Recurring charges bill on a month-to-month basis; term contracts are not available.

Recurring charges are comprised of the following rate elements:

  • UDF-IOF Termination (fixed rate element)
  • UDF-IOF Fiber Transport (per fiber strand or fiber pair)
  • UDF-IOF Fiber Cross Connect (a minimum of two per fiber strand or fiber pair)
  • UDF MTE Sub-Loop Termination (fixed rate element )
  • UDF MTE Sub-Loop Fiber (per fiber strand or fiber pair)
  • UDF MTE Sub-Loop Fiber Cross Connect (per fiber strand or fiber pair)

Nonrecurring charges are comprised of the following rate elements:

  • Initial Records Inquiry (IRI)
  • Engineering Verification (EV)
  • FV/QP
  • Order charge (initial and each additional UDF per pair/strand/route/order)
  • Splicing
    This rate element is for work performed at the first manhole or splicing location associated with a UDF MTE Subloop order.
    • UDF-IOF Fiber Cross Connect (a minimum of two per fiber strand or fiber pair)
    • UDF MTE Sub-Loop Fiber Cross Connect (per fiber strand or fiber pair)

Rates

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.

Tariffs, Regulations and Policy

Tariffs, regulations and policies are located in the state specific Tariffs/Catalogs/Price List. Directory Listings are not part of the UDF product offering.

An IRI is required prior to requesting provisioning of UDF. The IRI process is described in the Pre-Ordering section of this web page.

During collocation builds, UDF may be reserved for 30, 60, or 90 calendar days. The reservation may be extended for the same length of time of the original request, if there is a delay in the completion of the collocation build. In addition, Qwest will allow UDF reservations, if the affected collocation needs to be augmented for the initial fiber terminations. At the time that the UDF IRI is submitted and reservations are requested due to a collocation augment, you must provide Qwest with the augmentation order number and due date. UDF reservations will also be accepted for a six-month period if your Collocation Application has not been filed. To continue the UDF reservation, Qwest must receive a Collocation Application no later than the last business day of the six-month period. In all cases, to extend UDF reservations, the CLEC must contact Qwest with information that authorizes the extension or the UDF will be reclaimed following the reservation expiration date. If you do not contact Qwest, Qwest will discontinue the reservation and stop the billing on the first calendar day following the reservation requested interval (i.e., 31st, 61st, 91st calendar days).

UDF-IOF reservation recurring charges include fiber transport, cross connects and terminations. The recurring charges will be assessed at the start of the reservation; the nonrecurring charges will be assessed after installation.

Qwest will provide you with access to deployed UDF facilities. You will be responsible for obtaining and connecting electronic equipment to both ends of the UDF, and you will be able to use the regenerating equipment that already exists in the facility. UDF technical parameters and related design requirements are described in Technical Publication, TRRO -Unbundled Dark Fiber, 77416.

During the IRI process, Qwest will contact you by phone or email of the availability of either offering. When UDF is disconnected, the UDF must be returned to Qwest in the same condition it was originally provided to you.

You are required to notify and ensure that all of your end-users are disconnected from the UDF prior to your requested disconnect due date.

Optional Features

No optional features are available with UDF.

Features/Benefits

Features Benefits
Provides unlimited bandwidth capabilities to you. You can provide multiple bandwidth signals to your end-users.

Applications

See Features/Benefits.

Implementation

Product Prerequisites

If you are a new wholesale customer and are interested in doing business with Qwest wholesale, please visit the Prospective Customer Inquiry Form.

If you are an existing customer and need some assistance, contact your Qwest Sales or Service Manager. To identify your Qwest Account or Sales contact, visit the Qwest Wholesale Information Tool (QWIT).

Pre-Ordering

Prior to ordering UDF, the following pre-ordering functions may apply according to the terms and conditions of your Interconnection Agreement:

  • Establish collocation or other technically feasible means network demarcation.
  • Determine if your UDF request is an IRI-simple or IRI-complex inquiry, refer to the definitions below.
  • Check the Fiber Data Reports Tool to determine if spare UDF is available.
  • Complete and submit an Initial Request Inquiry (IRI) Form
  • Request reservation of spare UDF, if desired.

UDF requests that are IRI-simple include:

  • IOF between two Qwest Wire Centers.

UDF requests that are IRI-complex include:

  • A UDF MTE Suploop connection.

To investigate the availability of spare UDF, you may access the Fiber Data Reports Tool. In order to access the Fiber Data Reports Tool, you must download a digital certificate from OSS Overview. Once you have a digital certificate, you will be able to access the Fiber Data Reports and the Fiber Data Reports User Guide.

The Fiber Data Reports Tool is not a guarantee of availability of spare UDF. Qwest will verify if UDF is available when you submit an IRI.

You may access the following reports to check the availability of spare UDF:

  • A-Z Location Fiber Inventory
  • Building Electronics Inventory
  • Fiber Products Spare Count

Your Qwest Service Manager can arrange a meeting for you to meet with a Qwest Engineer to access relevant plat, maps, engineering records and other Qwest records as described in your Interconnection Agreement. Information regarding the Outside Plant Record Viewing Guidelines is located in Access to Poles, Ducts and Rights of Way (ROW).

You must submit an Initial Request Inquiry (IRI) Form to verify that spare UDF exists for the route requested, unless otherwise stated in your Interconnection Agreement. Information describing form content is in the Initial Request Inquiry (IRI) Form Instructions.

If you wish to reserve UDF using the IRI, you will be asked to specify the time period of the UDF reservation. If you wish to reserve UDF during a collocation augmentation for initial fiber terminations, you must provide Qwest with the augmentation order number and due date on the order. You may choose to reserve UDF at a later date by using the UDF Reservation Request form as described below.

Once the IRI is complete, submit the form to the Wholesale Service Support Team (WSST). If spare UDF is available, you will receive the Unbundled Dark Fiber IRI/Reservation Confirmation form containing:

  • Up to five routes
  • Intermediate wire centers, if applicable, for each route
  • An estimate of recurring and nonrecurring charges for each route
  • A confirmation of the length of the UDF reservations
  • The Reservation Effective Billing
  • UDF in single strand or by the pair

The routes available will be displayed from shortest to longest, and if you requested a reservation of UDF on the IRI form, the route reserved will be the first route listed on the response. If more than five routes are available, your Qwest Service Manager will contact you by phone or email that the additional routes exist and negotiate how the information will be made available.

To view an example of a completed Unbundled Dark Fiber IRI/Reservation Confirmation form, click here. You will receive this form in response to submitting an IRI.

If the UDF request is an IRI-complex, you are required to complete the FV/QP form for Qwest to verify the locations access to MTE Subloop and the fieldwork required for acsess. Qwest will verify the spare UDF and observe the facility or manhole for access methods to the MTE. You may complete the FV/QP form and return the request to WSST. Refer to the Field Verification / Quote Preparation (FV/QP) form Instructions to obtain information on how to complete the FV/QP form.

The FV/QP process is 20 business days. The FV/QP process initiates the quote and due date for access to the existing structure or splicing locations. As a part of the FV/QP process, EV will identify additional engineering records with MTE access locations and availability. The EV starts the FV/QP timeframe of 20 business days. If access to MTE is not available over the requested route, Qwest will terminate the request, and you will be billed for the EV portion of the FV/QP. If access to the MTE via UDF Subloop is available and you want to move forward with the process, the timeline for the FV/QP will remain on schedule for the remainder of the 20 business days and you will be billed for the FV/QP. The cost of the EV is deducted from the total charge of the FV/QP.

If you did not reserve spare UDF using the IRI, you may choose to complete the UDF Reservation Request. Information describing form content is in the UDF Reservation Request instructions. Submit the completed UDF Reservation Request to WSST.

Ordering

UDF products are ordered using the Access Service Ordering Guidelines (ASOG) forms with unique NC/NCI codes identified in Technical Publication, TRRO - Unbundled Dark Fiber, 77416. Form and field entry requirements are described in the ASOG. The Order and Billing Forum (OBF) nationally agree upon the ASOG forms.

The standard ASOG forms used for ordering UDF products are:

ASOG forms UDF-IOF E-UDF UDF MTE Subloop UDF Loop, UDF Subloop
Access Service Request (ASR) X X X X
Additional Circuit Information (ACI) X X X X
Transport form X X X X
Service Address Location Information (SALI) form   X X X

Although additional forms and fields are required, the following field entries identify the order as a UDF product.

Form Name Field Name Definition Valid Entry
ASR REQTYP Request Type. S
SPEC Service and Product Enhancement Code will be populated with the type of UDF being ordered. If ordering: UDF-IOF = UDFTSP

UDF MTE Sub-Loop = UDFSLP
REMARKS If you have UDF reservation include the Reservation CLO(s). "UDF Reservation CLO(s) __________."

A Reservation CLO includes 3 alpha characters and 9 numeric characters.
Include the name and contact information of the person, who accessed the Fiber Data Reports Tool, along with the date the Fiber Data Reports Tool was checked. "UDF is available per the Fiber Data Reports Tool on MM/DD/YY for more information contact ________at ___-___-____."
If the desired route contains intermediate wire centers, include the CLLI codes found on the Unbundled Dark Fiber IRI/Reservation Confirmation form. CLLI code(s) identifying the intermediate wire centers
  CLLI Code(s) identify the test wire center for Qwest Technicians to provide light detector CLLI Code(s) identify the test wire center for Qwest Technicians to provide light detector
  If IRI performed Must have a BAN for IRI
IMPCON Implementation Contact

Identifies the person responsible for UDF continuity testing.
First and last name of continuity testing contact, this field allows 15 alphanumeric characters.
TEL NO (IMPCON) Telephone number for the UDF continuity testing contact This field allows 17 numeric characters (including 3 preprinted hyphens)

Service interval guidelines are located in the Service Interval Guide (SIG).

The Design Layout Record (DLR) allows you to obtain design layout records leased by your company. The DLR request is described in the IMA XML Network Disclosure Document or the IMA User's Guide.

Provisioning and Installation

General provisioning and installation activities are described in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.

Qwest will contact you by phone or email to arrange joint continuity testing within the provisioning interval identified in the SIG. Qwest and your continuity testing contact identified on the ASR form in the IMPCON field, must coordinate the date and time of the continuity testing. As part of our respective duties regarding the continuity test, Qwest will furnish a light detector at one termination point of the UDF, and you will furnish the light generating equipment at the other termination point of the UDF as described below:

  • UDF-IOF: Qwest and your contact will mutually agree on the wire center where Qwest must provide a light detector and the wire center where your contact must provide the light generating equipment. In some states, you may specify the wire center where Qwest will provide the light detector according to the terms and conditions of your Interconnection Agreement.
  • UDF MTE Sub-Loop: Qwest will joint test at an agreed upon time scheduled with your contact and Qwest.

Firm Order Confirmation (FOC) and other UDF service intervals are located in the SIG.

A jeopardy occurs on an order if a condition exists that threatens timely completion. Detailed information regarding jeopardy codes are described in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.

Maintenance and Repair

Qwest cannot monitor UDF. Such monitoring is normally completed using electronic equipment connected to the fiber provided by you. However, in the case of a major cable failure affecting the entire cable, Qwest would normally detect problems on our fibers, taking appropriate action to restore fiber-based services.

You are responsible for trouble isolation before reporting trouble to Qwest. Joint testing between you and Qwest may occasionally be necessary to isolate trouble. Both parties will perform cooperative testing and trouble isolation to identify where trouble points exist. You are responsible for repairing your cross connections; Qwest cross connections will be repaired by Qwest.

If it is determined that the UDF does not meet the minimum fiber parameters of Technical Publication, TRRO - Unbundled Dark Fiber, and the trouble is in the Qwest UDF facility, Qwest will attempt at no additional cost to repair the UDF as it relates to Qwest cross connects and jumpers. If Qwest cannot repair the UDF to meet these minimum parameters, Qwest will replace the UDF at no additional cost, if suitable UDF pair(s) are available.

General maintenance and repair activities are described in the Maintenance and Repair Overview.

Billing

The IRI, EV and FV/QP will be billed to you as soon as these services are requested and payment is due upon receipt of the bill. The IRI, EV and FV/QP are billed through the Billing and Receivable Tracking (BART). BART billing is described in Billing - Billing and Receivable Tracking (BART). For UDF requests involving the FV/QP process, 50% of the quote provided during the FV/QP process must be received prior to intiating the work. The remaining 50% must be remitted prior to sending a service request. All recurring and nonrecurring charges associated with the installation are billed through the Integrated Access Billing System (IABS™). 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 for Course detail and registration information.

Unbundled Network Element - Switching (UBS)

Unbundled Loop Elements (ULE)

View additional Qwest courses in the Course Catalog.

Contacts

Qwest contact information is located in Wholesale Customer Contacts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This section is being compiled based on your feedback

Last Update: February 21, 2008

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