Pre-provisioning and connection of telephone services

The TIO sometimes receives complaints about delays in provisioning services, where the complainant claims that they asked for a service to be connected but that the service provider either has no record of any such order or did not proceed to activate the service after pre-provisioning work was completed.

Such complaints almost always arise around provision of a new service to newly built premises. This may have ramifications for a customer’s entitlement to payments under the Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) Standard. Further information about the CSG Standard is available here or at the Australian Communications & Media Authority’s website here.

Definitions

Pre-provisioning of a service is not the same as activation of a service.

Pre-provisioning of a service involves installing/upgrading telephone “network” where it is not available.

This might involve:

• Conducting major works to extend network into a new area, e.g. building or upgrading an exchange, excavating tunnels, laying infrastructure over long distances
• Installing a “Network Point of Presence” (NPOP) such as a pillar or pit. The NPOP is the nearest part of the existing telecommunications network that may be used to provide a service, usually the closest pit to a customer's property.
• Digging trenches and laying underground cabling—also known as “lead-in cabling”—between the NPOP and the “Network Boundary Point” (NBP). The NBP is the physical point where the telecommunications network ends, generally the first telephone socket on the line after the "Building Entry Point" or the "Network Boundary Distributor" (also known as a "Main Distribution Frame", generally used in apartment blocks and office buildings).
• Installing cabling in other ways (not underground)
• Installing other infrastructure to enable non-cable-based connections, e.g. radio towers
• Installing the first socket in a stand-alone residence or business.

Activation of a service involves providing dial tone from the telephone exchange to the Network Boundary Point (usually the customer’s first socket).

Background

The TIO has jurisdiction to investigate complaints about all pre-provisioning work except for complaints about the internal wiring of a premises after the first socket.

Since changes in the regulation of the telecommunications industry, the digging of the trench where telecommunications cabling is to be laid has become the customer’s responsibility. This part of the pre-provisioning process can be completed either by the customer, by an ACMA-licensed contractor of the customer’s choice or by a contractor suggested by the customer's service provider.

Since regulatory changes, it has also become common business practice for carriage service providers to contract out their pre-provisioning responsibilities to their preferred contractors and to ask their customers to liaise with that contractor.

After pre-provisioning work is completed, the customer’s preferred service provider organises for the telephone service to be activated.

Core position

The TIO takes the view that, when a service provider receives any request from a customer in relation to provisioning of a service, it should clearly explain to its customer the difference between a pre-provisioning request and a request for activation of a telephone service.

The TIO also takes the view that, at the same time, a service provider should clearly advise the customer of their obligations, including any obligation to advise the provider that pre-provisioning work has been completed.

Where a provider does not have internal systems capable of recording advice from the customer that pre-provisioning work has been completed, and where a customer has elected to use a service provider’s preferred contractor to undertake trenching and/or has been recommended by the provider to liaise with that contractor to organise completion of other pre-provisioning work, the TIO takes the view that the service provider and contractor should liaise with each other about the status of the connection so as to facilitate activation without further intervention by the customer.

Investigation of complaints about delays in provisioning services

Where there is confusion as to whether service activation (connection) was actually ordered, the TIO would have regard to the following:

• Any available documentation from the complainant (and their builder/developer where applicable), the service provider, the service provider’s contractor and any other contractors, e.g. call records, system- and hand-written notes.
  
  
• Information about the following:
  
  • The customer’s preferred date of connection
    
  • The date of connection agreed upon by service provider and customer
    
  • The condition of the premises at the time of the claimed provisioning request
    
  • The occupancy status of the premises at the time of the claimed provisioning request
    
  • Communications between:
    
    • the customer and service provider representatives, including questions asked and advice provided by representatives
      
    • the customer and contractors (either independent contractors or the service provider’s authorised contractors)
      
    • service provider representatives and the service provider’s authorised contractors
      
    • service provider representatives (including its authorised contractors) and any builder/developer.

Posted: 10 March 2005

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