standard contract forum 1 february 2007 13.30 customer suite, bt centre, london

www.btwholesale.com

.

Standard Contract Forum 1 February 2007

13.30Customer Suite, BT Centre, London

www.btwholesale.com

Standard Contract Forum Thursday 1 Feb 2007

AGENDA

1 Introduction and Notes of Previous Meeting

2 Consult 21

3 AIT Update

4 Review of New and Amended Schedules

5 Any Other Business

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Consult21 January 07 Update

Tim Short

Steering Board Agenda

End User Communications Update – including Broadband Impacts & Communication (from Comms Working Group discussion 12th Jan)

Joe Kelly

Monthly Progress Report / Plan Update Ian Stirrat

Condoc Summaries / Current Consultations (with response information) & Working Group Updates

Nigel Scott

Consultation futures: How we consult; Closing to Industry; Website security

Nigel Scott

Steering Board Refresh Discussion All

AOBSystems & Processes Working Group – new co-Chair proposed – Marian Goody (global Crossing) & Working Group to go on a quarterly basis. For Steering Board agreement & endorsement – briefing C21-SP-005

All

End User Communications

Options:

Blanket mail drop to every home

CPs provide their broadband customer date for Carlson to distribute on a named basis (Pooling Data)

CPs distribute the information packs to their own broadband customers

CPs email their Broadband customers with the information

Part of ISP’s/CP’s E-Letters or Billing Information letters

Don’t mail Broadband Customers but do more local advertisements

A mixture of the above

Consult21

Review, Refresh & Re-launch

of

Scope, Structure & Operation

January 2007

Environment• General consensus that Consult21 offers a useful

engagement platform

• Long term desire for BAU

• Working Groups perhaps designed for “yesterday”.

• Evolution to condoc driven activity not issues

• The relationship with other areas

• BT-CP, NGNuk, NICC, BAU forums.

Scope of Consult21 (1)• Currently defined by 21CN: products and end users

migrating to it, and the initial “obligatory” products to be launched on it.

• Several Working Groups are close to achieving their objectives.

• Systems interfaces defined

• 20CN product trajectories clear

• Initial products

• Still outstanding areas to address in depth

• VIC, MSIL, Broadband, NGN Interconnect etc

• Implementation in it’s infancy

Next Steps: Gather Views

• To maintain and improve existing:

• What works well, what could be improved, and how?

• Are processes appropriate and sufficiently robust?

• To seek industry views on whether Consult21 should continue, and if so what:

• Scope, objectives

• Structure: Steering Board, Working Groups etc

Achieved through Consultation, or Steering Board Management?

Working Group Status

RAG January 2007

Architecture & Framework Network Structure

Systems & Processes

ProductsInterconnect & Portfolio

Broadband

Line Access

Point to Point

Implementation & MigrationCommunications

A

G

A

A

A

G

G

G

Network Structure

RAG Status Amber

Key Issues (For Discussion)The work being carried out by the WG is falling

onto the shoulders of a handful of individuals, and we are still seeking to identify additional people who can share the remaining activities, and thus spread the responsibility across the wider Communications Provider community. Briefing C21-NS-007 refers.

Consideration is being given to assigning the technical consultation of the SVLAN over the MSIL to the this WG (at present it is with the P2P WG). This is because the specification of the SVLAN needs to reflect the needs of the different services that will be transported. Moreover, the SVLAN extends beyond the MSIL itself and has a network context, not just a point-to-point context

Key Milestones

December/January AchievementsThis working group is managing the consultation on the technical aspects of the service VLAN for next generation PSTN voice interconnect.

This includes important considerations such as resilience, granularity, efficiency, and latency. The condoc was issued in December and is expected to be concluded in February 2007.

Work is also proceeding on the network inventory. This is network topological and location data related to obligatory products that CPs need to know for investment planning purposes. A condoc on the utility of the data schema is being prepared and is expected to be issued in January 2007

Time (A) Cost (G) Quality (G)Customer

Sat. (G)Status: Information

(A)

January / February Work planProgressing the consultation on SVLAN for NGN voice interconnect with bilaterals prior to the deadline for comments. The intention will be to expose some initial conclusions at the NS WG on 30 Jan.

Systems & Processes

RAG Status Green

Key Issues (For Discussion)

Request the 21CN Programme Board to re-visit their decision to delay implementing the 20CN/21CN systems identifier for Voice.

Co-Chair of working Group (Geoff Izzard, NTL:Telewest) leaving that company – Marian Goody of Global Crossing to confirm if she can replace him.

Key MilestonesDecember/January AchievementsIssued v3 of the Systems Roadmap updating Industry on known systems changes. There are now some minor 21CN systems and data field changes identified. TSR undertakings and BT Wholesale interface changes are also included to bring all CP impacting systems changes into one place.Systems & Processes Working Group held 8th December – low attendance, however did cover: General BT Systems update, Dialogue Services, Security requirements and address matching. Follow-up call held 10th January with greater CP attendance where we agreed to move Working group frequency to quarterly beginning March 16 th. Building on the C21 S&P work, the NICC B2B WG has: adopted C21 developed requirements; published 5 management documents including ToRs, work plan, stakeholder analysis and best practice guide; and has issued first 2 UK standards covering B2B architectural principles, and CP-to-CP B2B gateway development

January/February Work planSupporting I&M WG on operational systems issues as Pathfinder progresses.NICC B2B will agree priorities for the next phase of its work plan at a meeting on the 26th January. An expert sub-group has identified 9 areas to focus on starting with establishing use case scenarios, process and data standards. CPs are encouraged to support this key activity to improve the automation of CP-to-CP inter-working

Status: Time (G) Cost (G) Quality (G)Customer

Sat. (G)Information

(A)

Interconnect & Portfolio

RAG Status Green Key Issues (For discussion)• All issues described in milestones.

Key MilestonesDecember / January Achievements• Opened Consultation on PSTN Emulation Experts Group

Recommendations• Opened Consultation on Service VLAN definition for NGN Call

Conveyance• Provided new Option 4 in Process for Agreeing Minutes for Right-

Sizing on Migration • Introduced Consultation on VIC minutes Table Review Process• Introduced Consultation on Materiality Of VIC Overflow• Introduced new Option for calculating Blended rates surcharge

January/ February Work plan• Close PSTN Emulation Experts Group Recommendations Consultation• Open Consultation on Proposals from Blended Rates Billing Experts

Group• Close Consultation on Service VLAN definition for NGN Call

Conveyance• Open discussion on operational planning for NGN Migration• Open Consultation on VIC Minutes Table Review Process• Open Consultation on Materiality Of VIC Overflow• Agree option for calculating Blended rates surcharge

Status: Time (G) Cost (G) Quality (G)Customer

Sat. (G)Information

(G)

Broadband (inc LLU)

RAG Status Amber Key Issues (For Discussion)Commercials are required for the QoS aspects of WBC.

These will be discussed at the January meeting.

Many customers require out of hours Datastream grooming especially for business customers and ask that this is considered.

Customers require more detail on Managed Broadband Connect before they can make strategic decisions

Customers are concerned about the migration plan including costs from Datastream to WBC

Industry remain concerned about IPstream migration to 21CN (e.g. number of CBUK changes and impacts on their own systems and call centres)

WBC Consultation will have to be extended into February 2007 to take commercial considerations into account

Key Milestones

December/January AchievementsWorking Group held on 20 December 2006. 36 people attended representing 14 CPs plus BT Wholesale. The main agenda items were:

MSIL Pricing, launch of Wholesale Converged Access Consultation, IPstream Transfer Engineering Condoc closure and updates on Datastream and wBC Condocs.

IPstream consultation now closed.

January/February Work planNext Working Group is on 23rd of January 2007.

Agenda to include (for wBC) :

Deep Dive on Aggregation Points

Provision times and overview of the process for the provision of SVLANs and AP bandwidth

QoS Pricing

Exchange to AP mapping for the trial

A Refresh on Migrations and Customer Experience

Time (R) Quality (A)Customer

Sat. (A)Status: Information

(A)Cost (G)

Line Access

RAG Status: Green

Key IssuesFurther work required in NICC, Consult21 Network Structures WG and in BTW to support the network aspects of the VLA product. Industry are concerned that agreeing technical requirements and standards are now on the critical path.

Further work is still required to establish market demand for the VLA product.

The ISDN version of the product (most in demand) will not be available until at least a year after the launch in 2008 due to lack of standards.

Status:

Key Milestones

December/January AchievementsThe Line Access Working Group met on 18th January with 17 people representing 8 CPs plus Ofcom , BT Wholesale and Openreach. The key topic was the continuing work on Voice Line Access.

January/February Work planThe next meeting is to be held on 26th February 2007. The plan is to reissue the VLA Condoc by end January 2007, closing consultation in March 2007. Future consultation will then to move to Openreach. Feasibility April - May 2007. NICC Standards for VLA become available approx July 2007. Aiming for launch of VLA in March 2008.

A technical sub-committee will meet in January 2007 to discuss Standards and to liaise with Network Structures and NICC to help to ensure that VLA standards are agreed at NICC in mid 2007.

Time (G) Cost (G) Quality (G)Customer

Sat. (G)Information

(G)

Point to Point

RAG Status AmberKey IssuesPlan of record for sub 2M products needs to be further

amended to clarify some points.

Openreach WES/ONES Consultation document issued and will finally close in January 2007.

Noting that Sub 2M products in 21CN have progressed to RIA, Industry still have concerns that these developments are being given insufficient priority and resource. Work ongoing in January and February 2007.

Utility customers Consultation closure report awaited and in delay.

CPs are concerned about the process allowing them to order and obtain space at Metro Nodes.

Time (R) Cost (G) Quality (G)Customer

Satisfaction (G)Status:

Key Milestones

December/January AchievementsWorking Group meeting held on 21st December , attended by 11 people, representing 4 CPs plus BTW and Openreach.

Key issues covered were: ONES Condoc, Sub 2M Analogue circuits, MSIL, Linkage and timing of Consultations

January/February Work PlanNext P2P WG meetings on 25th January 2007 and 21st February 2007.

BTW will issue a closure document in January 2007on Utility Customers consultation.

ONES Condoc will close for final Industry input on 5 January with an Openreach closure on 12 January 2007.

Condoc on SVLANs within MSIL to be issued and discussions commenced in January 2007.

Information (G)

Migration Communications

RAG Status Green

Key IssuesContinued need for ISP

engagement/involvement in this working group

Key Milestones

December/January Achievements

At the 12th January Working Group a full discussion took place on:

Communicating Broadband. The recommendation from the Working Group was:

i) the pooling of data which Carlson will use to distribute the material

ii) the opt out option of ISPs distributing the material themselves.

This will be trialled and reviewed.

Reseller Communications – agreed that a re-seller event (either virtual or face to face) is required. Timing will be crucial – likely to be 2nd half of year. Joe will document the proposal for the Steering Board meeting.

Product Withdrawals – agreed that a “Teaching the Teachers” event on product withdrawal is required. Either virtual or face to face. Joe will present the proposal at the Steering Board meeting.

December switched-on Dashboard circulated.

January/February Work plan

Continue work started on above key issues and the general switched-on communication for the local communities and special needs requirements.

Next Working Group is planned for 2nd Feb.

Time (G) Cost (G) Quality (G)Customer

Sat. (G)Status: Information

(G)

Implementation & Migration (&CT)

RAG Status Amber

Key Issues (For Discussion)

1. Framework required for planning for Tranche 2/3 of DLE to NGS migration [from I&P WG]

2. Resolution of the PEW window issue (phase1b +)

3. Timeline for ISDN migration required

4. Further clarity/discussion of impacts required on BB migration implementation [ongoing through experts groups]

Key Milestones

December/January AchievementsPublished:

Testing & Pathfinder update briefings

Had the initial pathfinder 1a review meeting with industry

The CTWG activities have been fully integrated into the Working group plan

January /February Work planConfirm the plan for completing 1a migration – note ph1A RAG is currently red

Formally update Operational Readiness Reviews process for Ph1b onwards

Complete 1a migration review

Complete the migration process test exercise for voice quality gate 2 to quality gate 6

Test & trials workshop for BB (to finalise plan)

Commence pathfinder reviews for DLE to NGS migration

Time (A) Cost (A) Quality (G) CustomerSatisfaction (A)

Status: Information(A)

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Standard Contract Forum 2007

Update on revision of AIT Annex E of SIA

Erica Cumming

Commercial Lawyer, Core Network Services, Legal & Business Services

1 February 2007 Page 1

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Current Annex E outdated

• Definition of “AIT” too narrow

• Does not necessarily reflect what is happening in practice

• Disputes are lengthened by involvement of too many parties

• Unnecessarily complicated

Page 2

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Joint Effort

BT has been working with an industry group (incl. mobile operators, originating and terminating network operators and aggregators) to redraft the current Annex E

Aim was to make the process simpler and clearer Greater clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the parties Timeframes make the overall process more expedient Use of standard forms Parties required to put more effort into explaining why a retention is made or reasons rejecting that retention

Page 3


“AIT” has been broadened and geographic calls have been excluded

“AIT” 2 limbs: 1st Calls for benefit of a party connected to a telecommunication service as a result of

activity by that party or on their behalf

AND2nd Calling pattern of calls disproportionate to

pattern would expect from: - good faith usage; or- acceptable and reasonable commercial

practice

Not “good faith” Situations which are NOT good faith usage or an (paragraph 2.2) acceptable and reasonable commercial practice:

- customer is misled- breach ICSTIS code (unless “minor” – as

defined in ICSTIS Sanctions Guide)- activity intended to prevent billing

system capturing necessary information

Page 4


Process Timeline:

1st “AIT calendar day” = 1st day of the calendar month after the date of the call traffic

14th ONO sends A1 Retention Notice to TNO (16th if via TO) explaining why they have a “reasonable suspicion” of AIT

26th ONO or TO provides AIT Call Data to TNO explaining why the data shows a “reasonable suspicion” of AIT. If no data

provided A1 is withdrawn

34th If TNO disagrees issues a Rejection Notice

49th ONO or TO issues Dispute Notice, or may withdraw dispute with a Withdrawal Notice

54th If unresolved then becomes an “AIT Dispute”. Parties free to chose how to resolve the dispute (ie., ADR, court)

10mths After 10 months, an AIT Dispute deemed to be Resolved in favour of ONO if parties to dispute have not:

- agreed to commencing a form of binding dispute resolution

- commenced court proceedings; or- have agreement in writing of resolution (achieved via

non-Page 5 binding dispute resolution process)


Initiating A1 Retention Notice:

Under the new Annex E provisions, in transit situations the A1 Retention Notice can be issued by:

- ONO: ONO to the TNO via BT (ie., initial A1 retention Notice via BT but then ONO and TNO to serve notices directly on each other and merely copy to BT);

OR- TO: In exceptional cases * BT (if BT has AIT Data

which the ONO doesn’t have – BT will deal directly with the TNO and copy in the ONO)

*exceptional cases = only BT aware of AIT due to nature of AIT

This will speed up the resolution process. It will also enable BT to respond quickly to certain types of AIT which for technical reasons the ONO may not pick up

Page 6


Information to be provided as part of the A1 Retention Notice:

- Reasons for holding a “reasonable suspicion” of AIT (with reference to the definition of AIT)

- Estimated value of sums to be retained

- Estimated total duration and/or number of relevant calls

- Start and end dates when relevant calls were made

- Full dialled telephone number(s) (unless exceptional circumstances*)

*Exceptional circumstances may include informal/formal regulatory alerts or investigations or calling patterns which suggest a party is attempting to disguise AIT activity across a block of numbers

In exceptional circumstances may provide incomplete dialled numbers provided uses best endeavours to supply full numbers as soon as possible, but no later than 26th AIT calendar day

Page 7


AIT Call Data:

- Partial CLI of calling party

- Full dialled destination number(s) (unless exceptional circumstances)

- Start times, durations, dates

- Detailed written explanation of why the AIT Call Data above supports a reasonable suspicion of AIT

In exceptional circumstances may provide data later, but still no later than 26th AIT calendar day

Page 8


AIT Indicators:

- May be minor additions to list of AIT Indicators in current Annex E

- This will form part of wider industry consultation and will be seeking views of industry bodies such as TUFF

- New methods of AIT are constantly evolving so may need a mechanism to update the list…..

Page 9


AIT Disputes:

- Arbitration problematic given nature of AIT disputes (ie., may involve three parties across two SIA contracts, mediation or court proceedings may be more suitable depending on the circumstances and in practice AIT disputes have been dealt with relatively quickly once the relevant parties start communicating)

- New Annex E will not proscribe any particular form of dispute resolution – that will be totally up to the relevant parties.

- “AIT Dispute” = “a dispute relating to AIT or suspected AIT between a Party serving an A1 Retention Notice and a TNO and which remains unresolved:(a) 5 Working Days after a Party has validly served a Dispute Notice; or(b) on the 54th AIT calendar day in the absence of a Dispute Notice having been served…”

- Important Note: the new “AIT Disputes” in Annex E do not take away or change the nature of any “SIA contractual disputes”

Page 10


AIT Disputes:

- Standard of proof to permanently retain the sums is a “strong and convincing suspicion” of AIT (whereas the initial retention requires the slightly less onerous “reasonable suspicion”)

- 4 different AIT Disputes scenarios:Non-Transit: 1. ONO & TNOTransit: 2. ONO & TNO (all parties agree to let TO stay out of

dispute)

3. TO & TNO 4. ONO & BT & TNO (may begin as TO & TNO dispute)

- Depending on the parties to the dispute (who may Parties under 2 different SIAs) the Annex sets out what will be accepted as dispute resolution and indicates what consent is required, by whom and whether or not a formal assignment of rights is necessary for particular courses of action.

- Deemed resolution if parties take no action to resolve it after 10 months

Page 11


Implementation Plan:

• Draft sent to the working group (1 Feb)

• Working group final comment (1 March)

• Aim to consult with industry at large (April / May)

• Will need to have a definite industry-wide commencement date once all parties signed-up

• Release for signature (June / July)

New Annex E will benefit all parties by clarifying process, speeding up disputes and lessening fraud or at

least identifying and halting it expediently

Page 12


1. ONO Initiated Non-Transit Retention

Page 13

ONO has “reasonable suspicion” of AIT and serves A1 on TNO by 14th AIT Day

TNO

ONO provides TNO with “AIT Call Data” by 26th AIT Day

TNO

TNO serves Rejection Notice to ONO by 34th AIT Day

If ONO doesn’t provide AIT Call Data ONO serves Withdrawal (or is deemed to) = NO AIT

ONO

ONO serves Dispute Notice to TNO by 49th AIT Day

If TNO doesn’t issue Rejection then must give credit note to ONO (or deemed to) by 41st AIT Day

TNO

A1 Retention Notice

AIT Call Data

Withdrawal Notice

Rejection Notice

Dispute Notice

service

service

service

service

Or ONO serves Withdrawal [or is deemed to] to TNO by 49th AIT Day = ONO pays + interest

ONO

AIT Dispute with TNO

TNO

AIT Dispute with ONO

AIT Dispute

O

14

AIT Dispute

26

34

49

41

60


2. ONO Initiated Transit Retention

Page 14

ONO has “reasonable suspicion” of AIT and issues A1 to TO by 14th AIT Day

TO re-issues A1 to TNO by 16th AIT Day

TNO

ONO provides TNO with “AIT Call Data” (and copy to TO) by 26th AIT Day

TOTNO

TNO serves Rejection Notice to ONO (and copies TO) by 34th AIT Day

TO

If ONO doesn’t provide AIT Call Data ONO serves Withdrawal (or is deemed to) = NO AIT

ONO

ONO serves Dispute Notice to TNO (and copies to TO) by 49th AIT Day

If TNO doesn’t issue Rejection then must give credit note to TO (or deemed to) by 41st AIT Day

TOTNO

A1 Retention Notice

AIT Call Data

Withdrawal Notice

Rejection Notice

Dispute Notice

copy

service

copy

copy

service

service

service

issuere-issue

TO then gives credit note to ONO by 48th AIT Day

Or ONO serves Withdrawal [or is deemed to] to TNO (and copy to TO) by 49th AIT Day = ONO pays + interest

ONO


TNO

AIT Dispute with ONO

TO

AIT Dispute

O

14

AIT Dispute

16

26

34

49

41

48

60


3. TO Initiated Transit Retention

Page 15

TO sends copy of A1 to ONO

TO has “reasonable suspicion” of AIT and issues A1 to TNO by 14th AIT Day

TNO

TO provides TNO with “AIT Call Data” (and copy to TO) by 26th

AIT Day

TNO

TNO serves Rejection Notice to ONO (and copies TO) by 34th AIT Day

TO

If TO doesn’t provide AIT Call Data TO serves Withdrawal (or is deemed to) = NO AIT

ONO

ONO

If TNO doesn’t issue Rejection then must give credit note to TO (or deemed to) by 41st AIT Day

TO serves Dispute Notice to TNO (and copies to ONO) by 49th AIT Day

TNO

A1 Retention Notice

AIT Call Data

Withdrawal Notice

Rejection Notice

Dispute Notice

copy

service

copy

copy

service

service

Or TO serves Withdrawal [or is deemed to] to TNO (and copy to ONO) by 49th AIT Day = TO pays + interest

TO


TNO

AIT Dispute with TO

ONOAIT

Dispute

O

14

AIT Dispute

26

34

49

41

48

60

TO sends copy of A1 to ONO

copy

copy

TO passes to ONO


Any Questions?

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Keith Mitchinson

1 February 07

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DLE CLOSURE/21CN – SIA IMPACT: PROCESS

• Preliminary Contract Notice (6 October 2006)

• Interconnect Notification 06048 and • SCF brief

• General Contract Notice (31 October 2006) • Interconnect Notification 06050, • SCF brief and • SIA paragraph 28 notices

• Updated SIA Reference Offer (31 October 2006)

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INDUSTRY GENERIC CONTRACT CHANGES:

• Annex A - new para 3.4

• Annex D - revised “BT DLE” definition; new "BT Virtual DLE", "EBC Matrix" and "VIC"

• Schedule 01 - new para 12.17 (VIC impact)

• Schedule 130 - new para 9.15 (VIC impact)

• Schedules 101/105/106/141 - largely DLE closure impact

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SIA CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION

REVISED DOCUMENTS:

• 102 BT Transit Calls via the BT System

• 120 National Operator Assistance Service

• 122 International Operator Assistance Service

• 125 Emergency Service (including Post Code Allocation for Fixed Emergency Calls)

• 143 Carrier Pre-Selection

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SIA CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION (Cont)

NEW SCHEDULE :

• 403 Operator Corporate Customer Service Calls

standard contract forum 1 february 2007 13.30 customer suite, bt centre, london

Documents