Commercial Line Sharing replaces the Interconnection Line Sharing/Shared Loop product which is no longer available for new service requests after October 2, 2004 pursuant to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) Triennial Review Order.
Commercial Line Sharing provides you with the opportunity to offer end-users advanced data services over a copper loop that provides the end-user's analog voice-grade service (also known as Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)). This is done by using the frequency range above the voice band of the copper loop where Qwest provides voice service to the end-user. This frequency range is referred to as the High Frequency Spectrum Unbundled Network Element (HUNE).
Before ordering Commercial Line Sharing, you must have a splitter installed. The splitter can be located in your collocation space in the Qwest Wire Center or in the Common Area Splitter Collocation in the Qwest Wire Center that serves the end-user. The splitter separates the voice and data traffic and allows the copper loop to be used for simultaneous Data Local Exchange Carrier (DLEC) data transmission while Qwest provides the voice service to the end-user.
Additional information describing the splitter configurations is available see Collocation.
Line Sharing cannot be requested on a resold Qwest service. Qwest retail must provide the POTS service to the end-user. The end-user must have dial tone originating from a Qwest switch in the Wire Center. You must provide the end-user with all equipment required for them to receive separate voice and data service across the copper loop.
Other alternatives for providing data services:
Commercial Line Sharing is available where facilities exist throughout Qwest's 14-state local service territory. Commercial Line Sharing is not available on Fiber To The Home (FTTH) or Fiber To The Curb (FTTC) facilities.
Commercial Line Sharing is provided where existing compatible facilities are available and/or you have authorized conditioning. You are responsible for determining whether the physical characteristics of the facility are compatible with your data service. Technical Publication, Interconnection - Shared Loop, 77406 informs you which facilities are compatible with Commercial Line Sharing.
All splitter collocation installations must be completed prior to submitting Commercial Line Sharing requests.
CLEC may convert from any existing (Grandparented) Line Sharing arrangements under its Interconnection Agreement or any amendment to Commercial Line Sharing during the term of the Amendment, to a Commercial Line Sharing Service. Such conversions shall not be included as new incremental growth for purposes of determining pricing of Commercial Line Sharing. A separate, cost-based conversion charge will apply. For Commercial Line Sharing, there may only be one DLEC at any given time that provides advanced data service on any given POTS line.
Technical characteristics, including Network Channel/Network Channel Interface (NC/NCI™) codes are described in Technical Publication, Interconnection - Shared Loop, 77406.
Recurring charges for Commercial Line Sharing may consist of the following:
Nonrecurring charges for Commercial Line Sharing may consist of the following:
Additional rate element information is located in Exhibit A of your Commercial Line Sharing agreement. Recurring charges bill on a month-to-month basis; term contracts are not available.
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.
Qwest must provide the end-user's POTS service. If the end-user disconnects their POTS service with Qwest, the data portion of the loop will also be disconnected. This information will be reflected in the Loss and Completion Report. Information regarding Loss and Completion Reports is described in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.
All splitter collocation installations must be completed before Commercial Line Sharing requests can be processed.
Qwest will install and maintain the splitter if it is installed using Common Area Splitter Collocation. You have the option to either purchase splitters and provide them to Qwest, or have Qwest purchase them on your behalf, subject to full reimbursement of costs incurred. Directory Listings are not part of the Commercial Line Sharing product offering.
There are no optional features available with Commercial Line Sharing.
| Features | Benefits |
| Provides data and voice on the same copper loop. | Enables you to offer data services quickly and affordably, without the cost of separate unbundled loops or new facilities. Enables end-users to receive data over the high frequency portion of their line and eliminates the need to invest in an additional line. |
| Provides access to facilities throughout Qwest's 14-state local service territory. | Provides service in rapidly growing areas, including those where there may be a shortage of facilities. |
Commercial Line Sharing enables you to provide data service on an end-user's analog voice-grade service without having to purchase the entire Unbundled Local Loop. Commercial Line Sharing also enables you to provide data service to end-users that do not have spare facilities at their location or who do not desire to purchase an additional line.
If you are a new CLEC and are ready to do business with Qwest, view Getting Started as a Facility-Based CLEC. If you are an existing CLEC wishing to amend your Interconnection Agreement or New Customer Questionnaire, additional information is located in the Interconnection Agreement.
General pre-ordering activities are described in the Pre-Ordering Overview.
Requirements for pre-ordering are described in Local Service ordering Guidelines (LSOG), Pre-Order.
Qwest recommends use of Pre-Ordering functionality to assist in achieving increased service request flow through and accuracy that will result in reduced service request rejects.
Loop qualification query should be used prior to submitting a service request. Use of these queries can greatly reduce service request rejects by ensuring the types of facilities requested are available prior to placing a service request. The queries will enable you to verify the type of facility and the physical characteristics of the facility. Based on the physical characteristics you can determine if the facility needs to be conditioned, i.e., the removal of load coils or bridged tap, which will assist you in identifying the appropriate ordering intervals, described in the Service Interval Guide (SIG).
Some of these queries are available in IMA and others are web-based. The queries are available for you to access the physical characteristics of the Qwest loop facility and are based on data obtained from Qwest's underlying network records. Qwest utilizes this same underlying data for its retail product offerings.
The following applies to the loop qualification queries:
Some of these queries are available in IMA and others are web-based.
IMA queries are:
Web based queries are:
The Wire Center RLD provides wire center specific information. This query provides the physical characteristics of the facilities for an entire wire center. The wire center raw loop data is presented as a comma delimited file and needs to be downloaded into a database or spreadsheet to analyze the individual facilities. Contact your Qwest Service Manager to request an ID, which will be required to obtain the digital certificate, required to access this query. You will need to provide the names and telephone numbers of your employees that will be accessing the query. After your Qwest Service Manager has notified you that the necessary access permissions have been established, and provided you with your ID you may then initiate the digital certification process.
Loop Qualification query can be accessed via IMA to pre-qualify the requested facility, inquiring against the existing telephone number or service address. This query provides some basic physical characteristics of the facility and provides you information, which allows you to determine if the facility qualifies for Commercial Line Sharing. If the end user customer's telephone number is a Port-Within telephone number also known as a Location Ported telephone number, you must use the service address to perform a loop qualification.
Information about the IMA based loop qualification queries are available in the Pre-Ordering Overview. or the IMA User's Guide. The IMA Loop Qualification and Raw Loop Data-CLEC Job Aid is a web-based training course designed to provide valuable information and instructions on how to use and interpret IMA-based loop qualification queries and the raw loop data queries.
General ordering activities are described in the Ordering Overview.
Synchronization Testing (Implementation, Product Prerequisites, Supporting documentation) is an option associated with your collocation space and Commercial Line Sharing service requests. For more information refer to Synchronization Testing .
When Synchronization Testing is performed, the CLEC will be notified that there is a problem in their equipment and if the test fails. The service request will be placed in a jeopardy status. For more information on Jeopardy Status refer to Provisioning and Installation Overview.
Service interval guidelines are found in the SIG.
Commercial Line Sharing service requests are submitted using the LSOG forms:
Field requirements are described in the LSOG.
Service requests should be placed using Interconnection Mediated Access (IMA) Extensible Markup Language (XML), IMA Graphical User Interface (GUI), or fax to (888) 796-9089.
You may choose to convert from any existing (Grandparented) Line Sharing arrangement to Commercial Line Sharing by submitting a service request for that service and placing the following note in the RMKR section: "Convert this line sharing arrangement from Grandparented to Commercial status". Qwest will then change the USOC on the line and all commercial rates, terms and conditions will apply to that line. Prior to requesting a conversion, your Interconnection Agreement must contain terms for Commercial Line Sharing.
Use of Universal Service Order Codes (USOCs) and Field Identifiers (FIDs) are described in the USOCs and FIDs Overview. Use of the USOC/FID Finder will assist you in identifying USOC and FID requirements.
The IMA User's Guide specifically details the information applicable to ordering functions.
Valid NC/NCI™ codes are required on all Commercial Line Sharing requests. NC/NCI™ codes are located in Technical Publication, Interconnection - Shared Loop, 77406.
The Basic Installation Option is available for Commercial Line Sharing. The Basic Installation Option is defined in the Unbundled Local Loop PCAT.
The limitations when requesting multiple lines for Commercial Line Sharing on a single service request are as follows:
Valid LSR ACT type is a 'C' for Change (existing POTS account); the valid REQTYP on the LSR is 'AB'.
Valid LNA field types on the LS are:
Some of the more common information required on the LSR include:
Some of the more common information required on the LS include:
An Alternate Point of Termination (APOT) form is provided for you as part of the collocation hand-off process. The splitter meet points for the Commercial Line Sharing is identified on the APOT form. Information contained on the APOT form is required on all Commercial Line Sharing requests. The following table provides an example of Common Area Splitter Collocation format used to identify the splitter location.
| Character Field Location | Field Entry * |
| Characters 1 through 3 | vda |
| Characters 4 through 10 | Floor and Aisle |
| Characters 11 through 12 | Bay |
| Characters 13 through 14 | Shelf |
| Characters 15 through 18 | Unit |
* vda.0010121.02.01-001 is an example of the Common Area Splitter Collocation format
The following table provides an example of format used to identify the splitter location when the splitter is located inside your collocation.
| Character Field Location | Field Entry * |
| Characters 1 through 3 | vda |
| Characters 4 through 8 | Cable Pair |
| Characters 9 through 11 | Voice Pair |
* vda.ALT06.201 is an example of Inside the Collocation Area format
You may request, and Qwest shall provide, required conditioning on up to 5% of the Commercial Line Sharing arrangements ordered by CLEC in a calendar year. Conditioning shall mean the removal of load coils and interfering bridged taps, but shall not include any line moves or special construction. UDC removal and line moves may be provided by Qwest on Commercial Line Sharing arrangements in accordance with Qwest's facility provisioning and routine network modification processes; notwithstanding the foregoing, Qwest may modify or discontinue such processes pursuant to Applicable Law. Any conditioning above the 5% cap shall be subject to the charges for loop conditioning in Exhibit A of your Commercial Line Sharing agreement.
If you request conditioning and the conditioning significantly degrades the voice services on the loop to the point where it is unacceptable to the end-user, charges will be assessed to recondition the loop. You may request loop conditioning by entering a 'Y' in the SCA field of the LSR form. The following applies when loop conditioning is requested on the service request. Whether or not conditioning is required per the systems:
The following applies when loop conditioning is not requested on the service request: If conditioning is not required per the systems (qualification passed):
Upon receipt of an accurate and complete service request, Qwest will perform an initial evaluation to determine if the loop will support Commercial Line Sharing. If the initial evaluation reflects that loop conditioning is not required to support Commercial Line Sharing, you will receive a FOC based on the standard interval.
If at any time, after you receive the FOC and prior to the scheduled due date, Qwest determines the qualification was a false positive (when loop qualification is successful but Commercial Line Sharing cannot be provisioned on the line without conditioning). Qwest will make every attempt to provision the Commercial Line Sharing request, including Line Conditioning, within the original scheduled DD without requiring a supplemental service request. In the event that the conditioning work cannot be completed within the original scheduled DD the CLEC will receive a jeopardy and will be required to submit a Sup with a Y in the SCA field authorizing the standard line conditioning interval.
If conditioning is required per the systems (qualification failed):
Standard intervals are available in the SIG or Exhibit C of your Commercial Line Sharing agreement.
Projects
Quantities equal to or greater than 25 are considered a project. If you relate Purchase Order Numbers (PONs) and associate service requests to a Project Identification Code in the PROJECT field on the LSR form, or if the LQTY field on the LS form has 25 or more loops, the request will be handled as a project by the Center responsible for handling your account. When you submit a LSR requesting Commercial Line Sharing for multiple telephone numbers from the same CSR, the quantity on the LQTY field must be equal to the number of lines to which Commercial Line Sharing is being added. The installation guidelines for the project are negotiated on an Individual Case Basis (ICB) based on the request. The main point of contact for your project will be your Qwest Service Manager.
General provisioning and installation activities are described in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.
FOC intervals are available in the SIG. Jeopardy occurs on a service request if a condition exists that threatens timely completion jeopardy notification information is described in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.
In the event that Qwest determines that the data portion (DSL) of the request cannot be provisioned with the voice after an FOC has been issued, Qwest will send a jeopardy notice to the CLEC. The CLEC will have 4 business hours to respond. The LSR will follow the jeopardy process as outlined in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.
Provisioning and design requirement information is described in the Interconnection-Shared Loop Technical Publication 77406.
For Commercial Line Sharing, the Migration activities will not exceed forty five (45) minutes. For more information on migrations and conversion, see the Migrations and Conversions Procedural PCAT.
Loss and Completion Reports are based on loss and gain account activity. Information regarding Completion notification, including Loss and Completion Reports, is described in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.
As part of the standard provisioning process for Commercial Line Sharing, Qwest will perform an electrical continuity test on the data side of the splitter.
General maintenance and repair activities are described in the Maintenance and Repair Overview.
Qwest is responsible for repairing voice services provided over Commercial Line Sharing and for repairing the physical line between the demarcation point at the end-user premises and the demarcation point in the Qwest SWC. You are responsible for repairing data services provided on Commercial Line Sharing. Each provider is responsible for maintaining their own equipment; the party in control of the splitter is responsible for its maintenance.
Qwest will perform Synchronization Testing on Commercial Line Sharing repair reports upon CLEC request in the CO's where Qwest Commercial Broadband Services service is provided. When the CLEC issues a repair report, the CLEC will need to provide Qwest with the appropriate protocol, for additional information see Customer Electronic Maintenance & Repair (CEMR) On-Line Help to test (i.e., DMT-TI.413, DMT-G.LITE, DMT-G.DMT, or CAP), as well as the setting for Rate Limiting and Auto Sync (On or Off). Refer to the CEMR User Guide Section 10.7.8 for information regarding requesting a synchronization test.
In CO's where Qwest Commercial Broadband Services is not provided, Qwest will test for electrical continuity on Commercial Line Sharing in response to trouble tickets initiated by you. If the trouble is not in Qwest's network, a Trouble Isolation Charge will be assessed. If the testing equipment has been installed at the SWC, Qwest will perform an electrical continuity test on the data side of the splitter upon your request. You may also request that Qwest perform additional testing. If the testing uncovers a problem in the portion of the network that Qwest is responsible for, you will not be charged for the testing. However, if the additional testing uncovers a problem in the portion of the network you are responsible for, an Additional Testing Charge will be assessed. Rates are specified in the Exhibit A of your Commercial Line Sharing agreement.
Recurring and nonrecurring charges for the Commercial Line Sharing Loop, OSS, Basic Installation, Interconnection Tie Pair (ITP), Trouble Isolation, and Additional Testing are billed by the Customer Records and Information System (CRIS). CRIS billing is described in Billing Information - Customer Records and Information Systems (CRIS).
Nonrecurring charges for Splitter Shelves, Splitter TIE Cable Connections, Engineering, and Reclassification are billed by the Billing and Receivable Tracking (BART) System. BART billing is described in Billing Information - Billing and Receivable Tracking (BART).
Recurring charges for Splitter Shelves and Splitter TIE Cable Connections are billed by Integrated Access Billing System (IABS). IABS billing is described in Billing Information - Integrated Access Billing System (IABS).
Local Qwest 101 "Doing Business With Qwest"
Unbundled Loop (UBL)
View additional Qwest courses in the Course Catalog.
General contact information is located in the Wholesale Customer Contacts web page.
1. Do the ordering and provisioning processes utilized for Line
Sharing/Shared Loop remain the same for Commercial Line Sharing?
The term Commercial is how the service is being offered. Through
a change in law by the FCC, Qwest is no longer required to offer
the Line Sharing Product as an Unbundled Network Element. Instead
Qwest has offered this product under a Commercial Agreement. The
processes associated for requesting, provisioning, and repairing
the Commercial Line Sharing service will be similar to the previously
offered Line Sharing/Shared Loop service.
2. Can I request Commercial Line Sharing before installing our
splitters?
No. All splitter collocation installations must be completed before
Commercial Line Sharing can be ordered.
3. Who is responsible for repair?
Qwest is responsible for repairing voice services provided over
Commercial Line Sharing, as well as for the physical line between
the demarcation point at the end-user premises and the demarcation
point in the Qwest SWC. You are responsible for repairing data services
provided on Commercial Line Sharing. We are each responsible for
maintaining our own equipment, except that the party in control
of the splitter is responsible for its maintenance.
Last Update: May 8, 2009
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