Wholesale: Products & Services

Resale - Private Line Transport (PLT) Digital Signal Level 1 (DS1) - V24.0

History Log

Product Description

CenturyLink's retail telecommunications service, Private Line Transport (PLT) Digital Service Level 1 (DS1), is available for resale to your end-users. Additional information about resale of CenturyLink's retail services can be found in Resale-General.

Resale PLT DS1, provides a transmission path between end-user-designated premises (end-to-end finished service). In order to qualify for the Resale Discount, the service must be provided to an end-user in a Resale arrangement.

PLT DS1 is a high capacity, private line, digital transport service that provides transmission of isochronous serial data at 1.544 Mbps and has the capacity of 24 voice equivalent channels. PLT DS1 service is provisioned on copper or fiber.

The main characteristics of PLT DS1 are framing and line code, which are identified by the Network Channel Interface (NCI) codes. The framing options are Superframe (D4 framing), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Extended Superframe (non-ANSI), Extended Superframe (ESF), and Free Framing. The line code options are Alternate (AMI) and Binary 8 Zero Substitution (B8ZS).

Private Line Transport Services are:

  • Local Intrastate/Intralata Services
  • Provided for the transmission of voice and/or data
  • Generally non-switched types of service providing a dedicated voice or data communications path between two or more locations, however certain voice grade types of "switched" private line service e.g., Foreign Exchange Service, Off-Premise Extension, Telephone Answering Service, have telephone numbers and access to the switched network and use the CLT circuit format to identify the circuit ID instead of the CLS circuit format
  • Either analog/voice or digital
  • Provided between two or more customer designated premises within the same State and Local Access and Transport Area (LATA) if resold
  • Can extend from a Network Interface (NI) or Point of Termination (POT) to an Interexchange Carrier/Access Customer location (IC-POT) or to an End User location, can go between two Access customer locations or can extend from a Carrier location in a CenturyLink Central Office to an End User Customer or Access Customer location in a non-resold arrangement (must be ordered by submitting ASOG forms via ASR)
  • Point to Point or Multi-point

Private Line Transport Services are not:

  • Wholesale customers purchasing CenturyLink services through Wholesale operations as offered in the filed CenturyLink General Exchange Tariff (GET). For Wholesale customers purchasing CenturyLink services for administrative purposes see the General Exchange Tariff (GET).
  • Interstate services and non-resale arrangements. Those product offerings can be found in the IXC Product Catalogs.

Private Line Products Eligible for Resale

Full descriptions of Private Line Services are available in the Exchange and Network Services, and State Private Line Transport Services Tariff and Catalogs located in the Tariffs/Catalogs/Price Lists.

Availability

PLT DS1 is available where facilities exist throughout CenturyLink QC and is subject to availability of Central Office (CO) facilities. Not all COs are equipped with digital equipment. The National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) Tariff Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 4 lists digital wire centers.

Interstate or Intrastate circuits which:

  • Do not connect end user-premises in a Resale arrangement
  • Cross State or LATA boundaries
  • Are used for more than 10% Interstate traffic

must be ordered at the non-resale discounted rate from the Switched Access Services section of the CenturyLink Operating Companies Tariff F.C.C. No. 11.  Requests must be submitted via Access Service Request (ASR) on ASOG forms. Determination of Interstate traffic is defined in the Determination of Jurisdiction and Charges for Mixed Interstate and Intrastate Private Line Transport Service section in the Private Line Transport Services Tariff.

Terms and Conditions

PLT DS1 is available for resale as an end-to-end finished service:

  • As long as it is not combined with retail
  • A Design Layout Record (DLR) will not be provided, as CenturyLink will maintain the circuit
  • DS1 services that extend to designated high voltage (HV) environments are required to have high voltage protection (HVP). HVP devices may be provided by you, the end user, or may be requested from CenturyLink. General High Voltage Protection activities are described in High Voltage Protection.

PLT DS1 is not available:

  • In Independent Company territories
  • If the product or service is grandfathered or obsolete, unless the service is currently existing and is being converted as is
  • If the product or service is being offered as a market trial
  • As an end-link or mid-link circuit

Technical Publications

Technical characteristics, including Network Channel and Network Channel Interface (NC/NCI?) codes, are specified in:

Pricing

Rate Structure

The rate elements/service components applicable to Intrastate Private Line Services may vary based on:

  • Type of Private Line Service
  • Speed of the circuit
  • Options provisioned on the circuit
  • State in which the circuit is located

Interstate and non-resold PLT DS1 is billed on a month-to-month basis or on a rate plan. Rate plans are described in the state specific or CenturyLink Operating Companies Tariff F.C.C. No. 11 located in the Tariffs/Catalogs/Price Lists and may qualify for the resale discount. Contact your CenturyLink Sales Executive for additional billing information.

General pricing structure:

The basic rate categories for PLT DS1 are:

  • Channel Termination (CT)- A communication path between the termination point at the end-user designated premises and the Serving Wire Center (SWC) of that premises. One channel termination charge applies per DS1 terminating at the demarcation point. This charge applies even if the end-user designated premises and the SWC are collocated. Both recurring and non-recurring charges may apply.
  • Transport Mileage (TM) - The interoffice transmission facility between the two SWCs associated with two end-user designated premises, between an end-user designated premises and its associating SWC, and between two Company Hubs. TM is portrayed in mileage bands. Mileage is measured by airline mileage between the two wire centers using the V and H coordinates methodology as defined in the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) FCC 4 tariff. A monthly recurring and a non-recurring charge may apply. The monthly recurring charge is based on a fixed and a per mile rate.
  • Optional Features and Functions - Added features and functions to achieve a specific performance characteristic. An example is Central Office (CO) Multiplexing. Application of charges would depend on the type of option/feature being requested.

When a Central Office Connecting Channel (COCC) is required, both monthly recurring and a non-recurring charge may apply. This is a connection within the same CenturyLink Central Office between two DS1s that are not installed as one service.

Depending on the jurisdiction, a one time non-recurring charge for Service Provisioning may also apply. Service Provisioning carries an initial rate as well as a reduced subsequent rate for identical circuits ordered at the same time and for the same locations.

Usage billing does not apply.

Additional billing elements may apply for miscellaneous service order request items such as:

  • Service re-arrangement
  • Circuit reconfiguration
  • Rollovers
  • Due Date change charge
  • Cancellation charge
  • Rate plan change

SHARP requests are:

  • Available on a month-to-month basis or on a pricing plan
  • Rated with billing elements in addition to those that already apply for the working DS1.

CenturyLink retail rates and rate elements and how they apply for PLT DS1 are described in the state specific or the CenturyLink Operating Companies Tariff F.C.C. No. 11 located in the Tariffs/Catalogs/Price Lists.

Additional rate structure information can be found in the Statement of Generally Available Terms and Conditions (SGAT).

Rates

Rates and/or applicable discounts are available in Exhibit A or the specific rate sheet in your Interconnection or Resale Agreement.

CenturyLink's retail rates for PLT DS1, less any applicable resale discount, apply to resold PLT DS1. Rates and/or discounts can be found in Exhibit A or the specific rate sheet in your Interconnection or Resale Agreement.

If the circuit is Interstate or Intrastate but does not connect end-user premises in a Resale arrangement, crosses State or LATA boundaries, or if it is used for more than 10% Interstate traffic, it must be ordered at the non-resale discounted rate from the Switched Access Services section of the CenturyLink Operating Companies Tariff F.C.C. No. 11 or from the State Private Line Transport Services.

Tariffs, Regulations and Policy

Tariffs, regulations and policies are located in the state specific or CenturyLink Operating Companies Tariff F.C.C. No. 11 located in the Tariffs/Catalogs/Price Lists.

Optional Features

Resale PLT DS1 optional feature availability and pricing may vary according to the state specific or the CenturyLink Operating Companies Tariff F.C.C. No. 11 located in the Tariffs/Catalogs/Price Lists. Optional features include:

  • Automatic Loop Transfer
  • Central Office Multiplexing
  • Clear Channel Capability
  • COMMAND-A-Link
  • SHARP
  • Transfer Arrangement

SHARP improves the reliability of a DS1 service that is transported over fiber optic facilities. This feature provides a separate facility path for the protection system between the SWC and the CenturyLink Point of Termination (POT) located in the same building as your end-user's premises, when your end-user provides the structure for diverse entrance facilities into the building. If no structure is provided, a diverse path will be provided between the first utility vault outside the SWC and the last terminal prior to your end-user's premises.

The added protection is provided in the form of two physically separate paths and backup electronics. The primary or working path is established between the SWC and the end-user. The second protection path is established between the end-user's premises and the SWC via a CenturyLink designed Alternate Wire Center (AWC) where available. Should the working path or electronics fail or the service performance becomes impaired, the DS1 service will automatically switch to the protection path to maintain a near continuous flow of information between locations.

The offering contemplates the use of existing facilities. If none exist, it may be necessary to construct new facilities and Special Construction rates may apply. For additional information regarding Special Construction, refer to the Resale General PCAT.

SHARP protects the local loop. SHARP Plus extends the protection from the local loop and includes the transport channel (interoffice) facility and any supporting electronics when applicable.

NOTE: Effective October 16, 2007, SHARP Plus is grandparented and is no longer available as a new service. For additional information, contact your CenturyLink Service Manager.

An Environmental Cabinet is available to customers in need of terminating DS1 service on a pole or outside of a building. A non-recurring charge applies for DS1 service:

  • Terminating at Raw Land
  • Terminating in an area requiring High Voltage Protection
  • Terminating on a pole
  • Certain service that terminates outside of a building

To order an environmental cabinet (for any of the above mentioned DS1 termination scenarios), mark the LSR for manual handling and enter a REMARK stating "Use environmental cabinet if necessary".

If at any time it is determined an environmental cabinet is required and is not included on the original LSR, CenturyLink will add the appropriate USOC and bill the non-recurring charge. Customers who wish to decline CenturyLink-provided racks, cabinets, or backup power and utilize their own must complete the Customer Provided Backup Power, Rack, and Cabinet Acknowledgement form.

For additional information, refer to CenturyLink Operating Companies Tariff F.C.C. No. 11.

Features/Benefits

Benefits of PLT DS1 service include:

  • Economy of scale
  • Rate stability
  • Improved response time
  • Responsive service and repair
  • Single customer solution for integration of voice, video and data applications
  • Reliability and accuracy
  • Security

Applications

Many industries can benefit from PLT DS1, examples include:

  • Health Care
  • Retail
  • Government
  • Manufacturing
  • Education

PLT DS1 service can be used for:

  • Centralized Networking for Data Processing - Connect data center at the headquarters to remote locations providing billing and inventory (such as banks and insurance companies).
  • Integrated voice, data and closed circuit video networking - Provide a way to aggregate point-to-point voice, data and closed circuit video traffic on one circuit.
  • Private Branch Exchange (PBX) trunking

Implementation

Product Prerequisites

If you are a new CLEC and are ready to do business with CenturyLink, view Getting Started as a Facility-Based CLEC or Getting Started as a Reseller. If you are an existing CLEC wishing to amend your Interconnection Agreement or New Customer Questionnaire, additional information is located in the Interconnection Agreement.

For term pricing plans, please work with your CenturyLink Sales Executive to establish the contract and obtain a contract identification number. The contract identification number must be noted in the Variable Term Agreement (VTA) field of the LSR form.

Pre-Ordering

General pre-ordering information is located in the Pre-Ordering Overview.

The following functions may need to be performed by you in preparation for the issuance of the local service request:

  • Validate Address
  • Check Facility Availability
  • Validate Connecting Facility Assignment (CFA)
  • Check Service Availability
  • Review Customer Service Record (CSR)

Ordering

General ordering activities are identified in the Ordering Overview.

Service interval guidelines are found in the Service Interval Guide (SIG).

Intrastate Resale PLT DS1

NOTE: Intrastate ATM and/or Frame Relay may be ordered via an Access Service Request (ASR) or Local Service Request (LSR) and will be billed through the Carrier Access Billing System (CABS) regardless of the order process (ASR or LSR) utilized.

Service requests for Intrastate Resale PLT should be placed using EASE-LSR Extensible Markup Language (XML) or EASE-LSR Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Intrastate Resale PLT DS1 service requests are submitted using the following LSOG forms:

  • LSR
  • Resale Private Line (RPL)

When ordering Resale PLT DS1 follow the field entry requirements of the Private Line Resale - Non-switched product as described in the LSOG.

For pricing plans, be sure to enter your contract identification number in the Variable Term Agreement (VTA) field of the LSR form.

Valid LSR ACT types that will be accepted for use on the RPL form are:

  • C = Change
  • D = Disconnect
  • M = Inside Move
  • N = New Installation
  • T = Outside Move
  • V = Conversion as specified
  • W = Conversion as is (limited to conversions from one CLEC/Reseller to another)

The valid REQTYP is 'KB'. The valid TOS is '1' for business or '3' for government. The REQTYP and TOS fields are located on the LSR form.

The use of Network Channel (NC) and Network Channel Interface (NCI) codes on the LSR identifies the service type and some of the related optional features being requested. NC and NCI codes are available in the previously stated list of Technical Publications under Product Description.

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.

Interstate or Intrastate Non-resold Resale PLT DS1

NOTE: LSRs issued requesting Interstate or Intrastate Non-resold PLT DS3 will be rejected and the request will need to be submitted through the ASR process.

Interstate PLT DS1 service or intrastate PLT DS1 that is not eligible for resale must be submitted through Access Service Ordering Guidelines (ASOG) via ASR.

To place a service request through ASOG use the following forms:

  • Access Service Request
  • Administrative
  • Transport Request
  • Service Address Location Information Form

For circuits that cross state boundaries, i.e., WA and OR, the Receiver Code (aka Interexchange Carrier Service Codes (ICSC)) used on the request must coincide with the SECLOC if CenturyLink-owned. All billing will take place within that state.

CenturyLink specific forms and field entry requirements are identified in the ASOG.

Provisioning and Installation

General provisioning and installation are described in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.

Firm Order Confirmation (FOC) intervals are found in the SIG.

A jeopardy occurs on a LSR request if a condition exists that threatens timely completion. Jeopardy notification is described in the Provisioning and Installation Overview.

Maintenance and Repair

General maintenance and repair activities are described in the Maintenance and Repair Overview.

Billing

On a monthly basis, CenturyLink will provide you with billing information that will provide summary account information as well as end-user sub-account information.

Intrastate Resale DS1 service is billed through Customer Records and Information System (CRIS) Summary Bill, Inquiry and Disputes is described in Billing Information - Customer Records and Information System (CRIS).

Interstate PLT DS1 or Intrastate PLT DS1 that is not eligible for Resale service is billed through the Carrier Access Billing System (CABS). Additional information is described in Billing Information - Carrier Access Billing System (CABS).

Training

View available CenturyLink courses in the Course Catalog.

Contacts

CenturyLink contact information is located in Wholesale Customer Contacts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I order an Interstate Private Line circuit through the LSR process?
No. Interstate services or Intrastate service not in a resale arrangement are not eligible for Resale rates. Rates are located in the State specific and the CenturyLink Operating Companies Tariff F.C.C. No. 11.  LSR's for Interstate Private Line services, or Intrastate services that are not in a resale arrangement will be rejected and the request will need to be submitted via the ASR process. Resale Intrastate Private Line is the only Private Line service available via an LSR.

Last Update: April 10, 2017

Last Reviewed: October 26, 2023