New Business and/or Issues Verizon provided a status on its action items from the New Business discussion at the August CUF meeting.

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1 October 14, 2009 Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 6 Changes of Interest Verizon reviewed enhancements to the Local Content on the Verizon Partner Solutions ( VPS ) Web site previously announced by the VPS Customer Service Management Communications Team. Verizon s CUF team also advised the members that shortly before the meeting it had found the August CUF meeting minutes which had been previously posted, were missing from CLEC web page under Current Minutes. Verizon advised they will look into this and will have them reposted as soon as practical. New Business and/or Issues Verizon provided a status on its action items from the New Business discussion at the August CUF meeting. Paul White (Verizon s Partner Solutions Customer Care (PSCC)) reported his findings on a Cox ticket that had an extended response time. He advised that the PSCC works tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis. His team is working with certain CLECs to reduce tickets opened in error and/or are unnecessary when the CLEC can resolve it directly by utilizing the self-service tools available on the VPS web site. CLECs should submit tickets for complex issues not easily resolved with the self-service tool Doug Tomlinson (NMC) reported his findings on Integra s issues with Customer Service Inquiry (CSI) records updates in WISE. New issues A new possible issue was submitted by Integra after discussion at the August CUF roundtable and subsequently supported by Priority One and AT&T and reads as follows: There is not a single center or contact for end user service affecting issues within 72 hours of the physical completion of an order. Typically Integra is unable to resolve these service affecting issues without escalating the NMC or Repair tickets. This leads to an unnecessary delay in resolving the service affecting issues for the end user. Integra s experience has been that when NMC sees that the physical work on an order has completed they refer the Integra to the Verizon Repair organization. When the Verizon Repair organization is contacted, Verizon Repair is unable, at times, to open a ticket because the Verizon systems have not updated to reflect the order activity. In addition the Verizon Repair organization has no access to the LSR submitted by the CLEC to confirm whether the CLECs LSR was processed and provisioned correctly. The typical response of Verizon Repair in these scenarios is to refer Integra back to the NMC. In response, Verizon noted that it does not have the resources to provide a single center or SPOC for each CLEC. This would create duplicate work functions that are already available in the NMC, PSCC and RCMC organizations. Verizon previously had dedicated NMC CLEC Account Specialists in the West region to project manage complex projects and/or assist in troubleshooting issues out of normal process. Verizon found that the process did not work as the customers used this Account

2 October 14, 2009 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 6 Specialist for assistance on everything, circumventing the normal processes for escalations and not using self-service tools. Unnecessary delays are often encountered by CLECs opening tickets in the wrong center. Local Service Center responsibilities can be found in the Contact Us section of the VPS web site. Delays can be avoided or minimized by ensuring the ticket or telephone call is made to the proper center for the provisioning or repair issue at hand. Verizon provided the following high-level guide to call participants, identifying the proper center for common provisioning and repair issues with a service order completed within the last 72 hours: If the order is non-coordinated and completed showing a Service Activation Report (SAR), you should open a Repair ticket. If the order is coordinated, completed and showing a SAR, you should call the RCCC. If the order is non-coordinated and still in release status (not completed), you should call in the Out Of Service (OOS) to the NMC 800 number. If the issue is system related (i.e. issues with ewpts, all rejects, or any problems with their interface) you should open a ticket with the PSCC. If you are questioning a jeopardy, you should open a vsolve ticket which will route to the NMC. If the SAR has not been issued but the provisioning work completed, open a No Record ticket with the RCMC. Integra asked what to do with a service order that has been completed with an error (i.e. missing call forwarding on it, etc.). Verizon advised to open the PON Service Order Mismatch option on a self service ticket and it will route to the NMC Verizon agreed to review the above guide with all of the centers. A new issue submitted by Paetec and supported by Integra, Ntelos, Cablevision, Covad, DSLnet, Cavalier, Cox, Comcast, Sprint, TW telecom, AT&T, HTC Communications, Broadview and One Communications reads as follows: Verizon has been putting our customers out of service at a higher rate than usual during the LNP process. This usually occurs when we have a FOC date to port numbers from them and we have to change that date. We get a confirmation of the new FOC date - however - the order on Verizon's side is still moving through with the original date. The result is that the numbers listed to port go into a disconnected status in their CO - shutting the customer down until it is rectified. Prior to the CUF meeting, Paetec and Integra provided examples of Out of Service (OOS) conditions. Verizon was able provide information on Paetec s six examples of out of service conditions in time for the CUF call: One was a result of a Verizon representative error typing an incorrect date. One appears to be a result of Paetec s SUP to change the due date being submitted at 2:46pm, after the scheduled 11am DFDT. Therefore, the trunk lines were removed from service in accordance to the original order. The other four PONs are still being researched. Initial review shows that the orders flowed though correctly and there does not appear to be any input errors by either Paetec and/or Verizon. From this review, Verizon cannot determine why the end users were put out of service. Verizon has engaged the IT subject

3 October 14, 2009 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 6 matter experts to track the PON through all the downstream systems after a SUP has been submitted. Verizon is attempting to identify if there is any back-end system issue that could be causing an out of service condition after a SUP is received for a due date change or cancellation. Integra s two examples are still under investigation. Verizon accepted this as a new issue and assigned it a tracking number. COVAD has submitted the following issue supported by XO, AT&T, HTC Communications, TW Telecom, One Communications and Cablevision. The issue reads as follows: No Access volumes and costs are significant for CLECs and Verizon. Covad recommends a change to the process to reduce provisioning and maintenance dispatches. Covad recommends that in the event Verizon technicians cannot gain access to customer sites and have called the customer at the number provided in the LCON field (end user number), that the CLEC would then be contacted (Initiator Contact Tel No), as additional end user numbers are available to the CLEC. The process would call for the CLEC to contact the customer and arrange access while the technician is on the line. Covad suggests a time limit be documented, in terms of how long the LEC should hold, as part of the procedures (10 minute max). Provided this opportunity, Covad believes the number of dispatches will be reduced significantly which would benefit all Parties. Not to mention the benefit to end users to have their services turned up on the original due dates provided. Aside from reducing the volume and cost of dispatches, Verizon s technicians need to document their efforts when no access conditions exist, such that CLECs can validate with their end user s: Called xxx-xxx-xxxx and reached xxx who stated they did not know about the order and could not provide access Called xxx-xxx-xxxx and reached a voice mail for xxx and left a message Building under construction, nobody on site Spoke to receptionist xxxx who would not allow access etc. Verizon requested more information from the CLECs including: 1. Does this happen primarily with Residence or Business customers? Covad replied that it involves both. 2. What processes do CLECs have in place today to ensure its end user is ready? Verizon requested the CLECs review its processes to ensure their customer is ready and available to provide access for the scheduled installation. Verizon explained it often encounters No Access to telco rooms or closets in multi-tenant buildings. Verizon noted it trialed a similar process with a CLEC for over nine months. The trial was not successful and was discontinued. Key findings from the trial include: The Verizon technician would wait on site, often upward of 35 minutes, while the CLEC tried to reach the end user to obtain access. This delay negatively impacted the remaining jobs scheduled for the day, and in some cases resulted

4 October 14, 2009 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 6 in Verizon incurring overtime and/or having to reschedule the other remaining job(s) scheduled. The majority of the time, the CLEC was unable to reach their customer and obtain access. Verizon still issued a JEP and had to reschedule another dispatch. The trial showed limited benefit, with a diminutive reduction in multiple dispatches. In fact, the process added expense and delays to the other Verizon jobs (i.e. late/missed appointment with increase force expense if overtime was required.) Verizon s noted its wholesale process for a No Access situation is at parity with retail. Covad s issue form also requested Verizon modify existing processes for the field technician to provide detailed remarks when it JEP s the order to documentation why they had no accesses. Verizon believes the No access code is fairly self explanatory. Verizon noted the remark field is limited to 60 characters. Additionally, if remarks are made in other downstream systems, it may truncate the technician s remark. Verizon will encourage the technicians to add a comment in the remark field however it will not become a required work step. COVAD asked what Verizon s policy was for attaching door tags when a technician encounters a No Access situation. The CUF will research the current process pertaining to door tags. Verizon noted that the end user may be confused to see a Verizon branded door tag. Formal Issue, Issue 116 Integra- NMC Transition of Work This issue is for Verizon to provide an update on the NMC West service issues related to the transitioning of the NMC in Idaho to the NMC in Virginia in June Lorraine Taylor, Director of the NMC West reviewed the improvements in key measures over the past four months. Plans are in place to continue to improve NMC performance measures. Lorraine noted there are no service issues related to the transfer of work over one year ago. Staff and center support training continues in the Chesapeake NMC and has been implemented in the Boston NMC. The Boston NMC will be used in order to better balance work volumes between centers. As the NMC transition occurred well over one year ago, Verizon moved to close this formal issue. Verizon will create a new standing agenda item entitled NMC Updates where a representative from the Verizon NMC will discuss performance and address general CLEC issues. Integra noted it continues to experience significant issues with the NMC despite meeting biweekly with NMC management to address their specific issues. Formal Issue, Issue 119 Integra- Abandoned Station Verizon is developing procedures for Verizon to contact a CLEC when it appears that the CLEC has an abandoned station. Work continues in the development of methods and procedures in both VPS and retail organizations. In the interim, CLECs were advised that if they encounter what is believed to be either a Verizon or wholesale abandoned station, they

5 October 14, 2009 Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 6 are to call the NMC to report the abandoned station through the Voice Portal ( ). Formal Issue, Issue 120 COVAD- Orders Jeopardied (JEP d) Pending Central Office (PCO) Issue At the August CUF meeting, Verizon declined to accept this issue. COVAD subsequently requested Verizon investigate modifying the JEP PCO process for UNE xdsls loops to: Shorten the current 24-hour window to change a pair. Have the technician call the CLEC while on premises to notify CLEC of JEP PCO Jointly test the new pair with the CLEC when it has been changed. Verizon has researched the three options proposed by Covad and provided the following update at the October CUF. Verizon will not reduce the current 24-hour interval to change the pair. The central office technician can typically complete the change within a few hours if the request is received earlier in the day. However if the request is received near close of business, then the change work order will carry over until the next business day and therefore 24 hours is needed. Verizon is not going to introduce a new work step for the field technician to call the CLEC to advise of a JEP PCO condition. Verizon staff will work with the field to reinforce diligence in following the existing processes and tools available to close out their job in the systems in a timely fashion so the status gets to the CLEC faster Verizon will perform a one-way test from the central office when the pair change is made. Verizon will not issue a second dispatch to jointly test from the end user premises as the field technician identified and tested the new pair successfully during the original dispatch. Round Table Discussions Verizon introduced a new topic Operations Insights as a new standing agenda item. The goal of this new topic is to provide insight to common problems CLECs may avoid and to highlight available resources to improve pre-order and ordering transactions. Improving ordering efficiencies is a win/win for both the CLECs and Verizon as it will serve to reduce time spent on submitting and/or responding to unnecessary tickets and calls to the centers for assistance. Verizon has asked the ordering and provisioning organizations to identify common issues with pre-order, order, and repair and maintenance transactions that can typically be resolved by the customer directly by accessing the tools on the VPS website rather than requiring a ticket or call to the center to resolve. Sarah Klebes from the NMC provided a review on the following topics for Operation Insights: Which center do I submit this ticket to? Online definition tools for Jeopardy or Query codes SOP Inquiry Tools: Installation Status and Service Order

6 October 14, 2009 Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 6 Operation Insights is not planned to be an in-depth training sessions but rather an opportunity to broaden CLEC familiarity with and use of the tools available on the VPS website. The next meeting will be December 9, 2009 at 2pm ET.