CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is concerned that the FCC's new two-day reporting period requirement for simplex events on its next-gen services like VoIP and other advanced services is too short.
By way of explanation, a simplex event is an internal issue within a telecom network that occurs where circuits that are configured with built-in path protection lose one of the paths.
In an FCC filing, CenturyLink said that it does not have a problem with the FCC's initiative to update outage reporting rules that reflect new technology and services like VoIP. Some of these measures include a proposal to define partial outages as when 80 percent or more of the trunks to a PSAP are blocked.
However, CenturyLink said that since simplex events don't impact subscribers, the regulator should be more flexible with the reporting schedule.
"We did express concern for substantially shortening the duration for reportable simplex events from five days to 48 hours and extending outage reporting obligations to call blockages in the non-wireless access network," CenturyLink said in an FCC filing. "CenturyLink believes that simplex events should not even be reportable as they have no direct effect on end users; they are transparent to them because the diversity built into the network works as intended to maintain connectivity."
CenturyLink said that the FCC should focus its attention on creating a reporting regime on outages where there's a greater need for additional or "modified" outage reporting and a real public safety benefit.
"The Commission's rules do not require such reporting to the extent there is not a "failure or degradation" of the network, and the NPRM did not cite to any instances of such failures," CenturyLink said. "Moreover, reporting is unnecessary given the substantial amount of call completion data that carriers are now required to report."
For more:
- see this FCC filing (PDF)
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