5140144 Public Service Commission - FORMAL CASE NO. 1102, IN THE MATTER OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CONTINUED USE OF VERIZON WASHINGTON, DC, INC.’S COPPER INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROVIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
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PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
PUBLIC NOTICE
FORMAL CASE NO. 1102, IN THE MATTER OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CONTINUED USE OF VERIZON WASHINGTON, DC, INC.’S COPPER INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROVIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
1. The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (“Commission”) gives notice of its intent to hold an evidentiary hearing in this proceeding, Formal Case No. 1102. This proceeding is an investigation regarding Verizon Washington, DC, Inc.’s (“Verizon DC” or “Company”) continued use of its copper infrastructure for the provision of telecommunications services in the District of Columbia and whether, and under what circumstances, the Company plans to transition customers from the telecommunications services provided over copper facilities to telecommunications services provided over fiber facilities. On December 3 and 4, 2014, the Commission will hold an evidentiary hearing on the following nine (9) issues:
1. Are there services, capabilities and functionalities of voice telecommunications service provided within a wire center service area that can be provided by copper lines connected to TDM-based circuit switched equipment which cannot also be provided by fiber lines connected to TDM circuit switched equipment or to fiber lines connected to IP softswitch equipment? If yes, specify and explain the importance of such to residential and business customers.
2. Do voice telecommunications services provided within a wire center service area that utilize fiber lines connected to either TDM-based circuit switch equipment or to IP softswitch equipment provide the same or better call and response capabilities for emergency services (including: fire, police and medical emergency response services and Personal Emergency Response System services), crisis management, priority access and security services (including law enforcement call monitoring services) as are provided when copper lines connected to TDM circuit switches are utilized to provide such services? If the answer is no, what additional equipment or services are needed to achieve the same level of response capabilities as exist with copper facilities?
3. Are there significant differences between voice telecommunications services provided over: copper lines connected to TDM-based circuit switch equipment; fiber lines connected to TDM-based circuit switched equipment; fiber lines connected to IP softswitch equipment; and VoIP service utilizing fiber lines connected to the public Internet or to private Internet networks? If so, should each of these voice telecommunication services be classified as separate types of voice telecommunications service and treated differently for regulatory purposes? If so, why?
4. Are there services, capabilities and functionalities of voice telecommunications service provided within a wire center service area that telecommunications service providers should be required to provide to customers irrespective of whether the carrier utilizes copper lines connected to TDM-based circuit switch equipment or fiber lines connected to TDM-based circuit switched equipment? If so, what are those services, capabilities and functionalities?
5. What network reliability, public safety, and service quality standards should be applied to voice telecommunications services provided within an exchange area that utilize fiber lines connected to TDM-based circuit switched equipment?
6. Are Verizon DC’s circuit-switched fiber or FiOS voice services, technically structured and provisioned at the customer’s premises and within Verizon’s network in the District to be classified as Internet Protocol-enabled Service or Voice Over Internet Protocol Service as defined in D.C. Code § 34-2001(7A) or 34-2001(23)?
7. Are there areas in the District where there are poorly performing copper-based facilities but no immediate plans to transition to fiber facilities? If so, what is the timeframe for Verizon DC’s deployment of fiber-based facilities to these areas and what are the plans for maintaining adequate and safe voice service in these areas, including plans for deploying alternate facilities, if any?
8. What information and disclosures should Verizon DC provide to District consumers about the features of voice service on fiber facilities before they switch from copper to fiber facilities, and what information and disclosures should Verizon DC provide to District consumers about the features of unregulated VoIP services before they may switch from regulated voice to unregulated VoIP services and why?
9. Are District customers who want to retain or return to copper facilities being allowed to do so and if not, why not?[1]
2. The evidentiary hearing will convene beginning Wednesday, December 3, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in the Commission Hearing Room, 1333 H Street, N.W., Suite 700 East Tower, Washington, D.C. 20005.
3. Copies of documents in this proceeding, Formal Case No. 1102, are available on the Commission’s website (www.dcpsc.org) and inspection at the Commission’s Office of the Commission Secretary, 1333 H Street, NW, Suite 200 West Tower, Washington DC 20005 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. through 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Copies of any of the documents in this proceeding may be purchased at the Commission at a cost of $0.10 per page, actual reproduction cost.
