Title 3 . Commerce, Community, and Economic Development

Chapter 52 . Telecommunications

Section 260. Engineering and maintenance

3 AAC 52.260. Engineering and maintenance

(a) In order to maintain compatibility with the national telecommunications network, all telephone plants must be designed, constructed, maintained, and operated in accordance with the provisions outlined in the most current editions of such national industry recognized standards as the National Electrical Safety Code published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) Telephone Bulletins , the REA Telephone Operations Manual, Bell System Practices, Continental Telephone System Practices, General Telephone Engineering Practices, Northern Electric Practices, or Notes on Transmission Engineering issued by the United States Independent Telephone Association.

(b) Each telephone utility shall provide equipment and facilities designed and engineered in accordance with forecasts based on known conditions of subscriber demand and shall maintain a stock of associated equipment adequate to meet that demand.

(c) Telephone utilities shall furnish and maintain in their service areas the necessary plant, equipment and facilities to provide modern, adequate, sufficient and efficient transmission of communications for any given grade of service between customers. Transmission for a given grade of service must be at adequate volume levels and free of excessive distortion. Levels of noise and cross-talk must not impair communications. The loss objective of trunks must be consistent with the requirements of the nationwide switching plan, and overall transmission losses within each trunk group may not vary by more than plus or minus two decibels.

(d) Telephone utilities may not provide switching service to service lines which do not meet standard technical criteria and shall eliminate nonconforming service lines.

(e) A telephone utility shall design and install facilities to comply with the requirements set out in the 3 AAC 53.700 - 3 AAC 53.720 (State Telecommunications Modernization Plan) or seek and obtain an extension of time under 3 AAC 53.700 to meet those requirements.

(f) Each telephone utility shall adopt and pursue a maintenance program of periodic tests, inspections, and field maintenance to achieve efficient operation of its system so as to permit safe, adequate, and continuous service at all times. The utility shall maintain reasonable records indicating compliance with this rule.

(g) Each utility shall maintain or have access to test facilities enabling it to determine the operating and transmission capabilities of all equipment and facilities, both for routine maintenance and for fault location.

(h) Telephone utilities shall maintain as part of each central office entity a test line providing connection on a dial-up basis to an accurate 1004 hertz milliwatt power source and a quiet termination. In addition, a loop-around test line must be maintained at all central office entities. Central offices not having test lines should have these installed along with any central office addition or change-out, but no later than January 1, 1981.

(i) Each telephone utility shall undertake additions to and modifications of its equipment and facilities as may be required to provide on customer-dialed toll calls from individual line stations a method to automatically identify the calling number for billing purposes. This program must be initiated without unreasonable delay; and it must be completed by January 1, 1982.

(j) Each utility shall maintain current equipment assignment records, cable assignment records, office equipment drawings, office trunking diagrams, and outside plant layout drawings.

(k) Where mechanical or electronic means are used for registering or recording information which will affect a subscriber's bill, that equipment must be in good mechanical and electrical condition, must be accurately read, and must be frequently inspected by the utility to ensure that it is functioning properly.

( l ) Each utility shall maintain or have access to the necessary facilities, instruments, and equipment for testing its metering and recording equipment and shall adopt appropriate practices for periodic testing and maintenance to ensure the integrity of its operation.

(m) Upon the request of any subscriber, a utility shall test the billing devices associated with the subscriber's line, if the request is based upon reasonable grounds and the test is not requested by that subscriber more frequently than once each 12 months without clear cause.

History: Eff. 1/5/79, Register 69; am 3/15/96, Register 137

Authority: AS 42.05.141

AS 42.05.145

AS 42.05.151

AS 42.05.291

AS 42.05.311

AS 42.05.321

AS 42.05.331

AS 42.05.800