History Log

Description

Forecasting of potential growth is important to interconnection. The availability of inventory is a key component of Qwest's Service Delivery process. Qwest strives to deliver wholesale services to meet your business needs. Through a Joint Forecasting Process, Qwest will provide network components in a timely manner to help you develop new solutions for your business.

Your Interconnection Agreement outlines that Qwest and Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) will work in good faith to define mutually agreed upon Local Interconnection Service (LIS), Wireless Type 2 Interconnection and Collocation forecasts. These forecasts provide information for planning the switch capacity facilities, power, space, and basic space construction, etc. Qwest and you will participate in joint planning meetings either quarterly or semi-annually to establish trunk design and provisioning requirement information to assure end-user call completion between networks. Important Note: If you choose to submit forecasts for Unbundled Network Elements (UNEs) to Qwest, we will accept them. However, Qwest has no obligation to construct facilities for use as UNEs, therefore, these forecasts will be filed for reference only.

If terms and conditions for forecasts are included in your Interconnection Agreement, and those terms differ from those set forth within this Web page, the terms of your Interconnection Agreement will prevail.

General Requirements

LIS/Wireless Type 2

Switch capacity growth requiring the addition of new switching modules may require six months to order and install. To align with the timeframe needed to provide for the requested facilities, including engineering, ordering, installation, and make-ready activities, Qwest collects forecasting information about orders that you will submit six to 48 months into the future. To establish trunk design and forecast requirements, Qwest and you have the obligation to participate in joint planning meetings at either quarterly or semi-annual intervals (See Schedule below). The forecast shall be for trunking that impacts the switch capacity and facilities of each party.

Typical forecast timelines are discussed in the LIS Trunk Forecast Directions and Wireless Type 2 Directions (shown below under "Forecasting Tools") for growth planning. For capacity growth, Qwest utilizes your forecasts to ensure availability of switch and transport capacity. In addition, after the close of the forecast cycle, Qwest will advise you, via e-mail, that you can request a copy of your Market Adjusted Forecast. This Qwest-adjusted forecast is used in the capital acquisition and build cycle by Qwest.

Click here for more information on LIS trunking:

The LIS/Wireless Type 2 quarterly and semi-annual forecasting schedule is as follows:

Quarterly Joint Planning:

Forecast Due (Month /Year)	Final View of Forecast For:
1st Friday in December, 2006	3rd Quarter, 2007
1st Friday in March, 2007	4th Quarter, 2007
1st Friday in June, 2007	1st Quarter, 2008
1st Friday in September, 2007	2nd Quarter, 2008
1st Friday in December, 2007	3rd Quarter, 2008

Semi-Annual Joint Planning

If Friday lands on a national holiday, the date will move to the next Monday.

Deposit Process

If, upon review of the Qwest-adjusted-forecast, you want to ensure that Qwest builds to your higher forecast, a refundable deposit is required. If your Interconnection Agreement does not discuss a forecast deposit, contact your Qwest Service Manager to process an amendment. Deposit process terms and conditions may vary by state.

A typical deposit process is as follows:

1. If your statewide trunk utilization (trunks in-service versus trunks-required) ratio over the past 18 months is less than 50% each month, you must submit a refundable deposit to Qwest if you want assurance that Qwest will build to your higher forecast.
2. The deposit will be calculated based on the difference between the higher forecast and the lower forecast.
   1. For an end office (direct trunk) connection, a deposit of $6,500 per DS1 is required.
   2. For a tandem office connection, a deposit of $16,000 per DS1 is required.
3. If your statewide trunk utilization ratio during the six-month period after submission of the deposit meets or exceeds 50% in any month, the deposit is refunded. If the statewide trunk utilization ratio is less than 50% a pro-rata portion is returned.

Deposits are held in the Billing and Receivable Tracking (BART) billing system.

Collocation

Qwest requests that you submit an annual forecast, updated at the end of each quarter, of your future Collocation requirements. Individual CLEC Interconnection Agreements may differ on specific terms and conditions for forecasting. See your Interconnection Agreement for clarification regarding how to submit forecasts prior to Collocation orders. You and the Qwest Collocation Service Manager shall review the quarterly forecast. Your forecast can be exceeded by twenty percent for floor space and power requirements where applicable. The forecast must include, for each Qwest premises, the following:

1. Identification of Qwest premises
2. Floor space requirements, including the number of bays for a cageless Collocation arrangement
3. Power requirements
4. Heat dissipation
5. Type of Collocation (e.g., caged physical, cageless physical, shared Interconnection Distribution Frame (ICDF), virtual, etc)
6. Entrance facility type
7. Type and quantity of terminations
8. Date you expect to submit your collocation application
9. Send quarterly forecast to rfsmet@qwest.com

Following is the Collocation Quarterly Forecasting schedule:

Forecast due to Collocation Mailbox	Final View of Forecast for:
Last Friday in December	1st Quarter
Last Friday in March	2nd Quarter
Last Friday in June	3rd Quarter
Last Friday in September	4th Quarter
Last Friday in December	1st Quarter

If Friday lands on a national holiday, the date will move to the next Monday.

Unbundled Elements

As stated earlier in this document, it is important to note that if you choose to submit forecasts for UNEs to Qwest, we will accept them. However, Qwest has no obligation to construct facilities for use as UNEs, therefore, these forecasts will be filed for reference only. In order to assist you in developing your forecasts, information is available regarding Qwest's existing services by wire center and product type that can be obtained from Qwest's Operations Systems Support. Qwest provides you a tool, Raw Loop Data Tool that contains information that may be useful in developing your forecasts. Contact your Qwest Service Manager for access to this tool.

If you choose to provide your forecast at the Distribution Area (DA) level, download the site for ArcExplorer and User's Guide. In addition to ArcExplorer, you will need the latest updated version of the DA level mapping on CD-ROM. For more information regarding DA Mapping refer to the Pre-Ordering section of Field Connection Point - Cross Connect Collocation.

Because UNE forecasts are not required by Qwest, there is no schedule for submitting them.

Terms and Conditions

Confidentiality of Forecasts

Qwest fully understands the confidentiality of forecasts. Your forecasts are confidential and Qwest will not distribute or reveal, in any form, your forecasts to Qwest's retail, marketing, sales or strategic planning personnel. Qwest may reveal, on a need to know basis only, your forecasts to our network planning and growth personnel. These personnel understand and are informed of the confidentiality of your forecasts. Qwest personnel know they may not reveal or use such information beyond that which is necessary to plan your network growth.

Implementation

Product Prerequisites

If you are a new CLEC and are ready to do business with Qwest, view the Getting Started as a Facility-Based CLEC.

If you are an existing CLEC wishing to amend your Interconnection Agreement or New Customer Questionnaire, additional information is located in the Interconnection Agreement.

Ordering

Forecasting Tools - Forecasting tools have been created by Qwest to simplify the joint forecasting process. New Qwest CLECs (CLECs not currently providing forecasts or not participating in joint planning sessions) may use the forms listed below and contact your Qwest Service Manager to submit the forecast. Existing CLECs may contact their Qwest Joint Planning Engineer to submit quarterly or semi-annual forecasts.

Unforecasted Demand - LIS/Wireless Type 2, Collocation & Unbundled
If you need to adjust a forecast submitted earlier as a result of errors, changes or corrections, you may use an Unforecasted Demand Notification Form at any time between regular forecast submissions.

Accurate forecasts enable timely provisioning although Qwest has not changed its practice of readily accepting orders that are not associated with a forecast. Qwest's capacity planners will prepare for both planned (they receive both your standard forecast and your adjustment, if any) and unplanned growth.

To access one of the following forms, click on the appropriate form to download the document. Contact your assigned Joint Planning Engineer for assistance in completing the form(s). We will help you specify your needs as requested in the forecasting process. Qwest will continue to work with you to refine your forecast as your needs change and as you grow.

Unforecasted Demand Notification Form - LIS/Wireless Type 2, Collocation Unbundled
Unforecasted Demand Notification Form

LIS Information
LIS Trunk Forecast Request Form
LIS Trunk Forecast Directions
CLEC POI Forecast Directions

Wireless Products Information
Wireless Type 2 Trunk Forecast Request
Wireless Type 2 Trunk Forecast Directions

Collocation Information
Collocation Forecasting Form

Unbundled Downloadable Information
Unbundled Forecasting Form 2005
Unbundled Forecasting Form 2006

Training

Local Qwest 101 "Doing Business With Qwest"

• This introductory web-based training course is designed to teach the Local CLEC and Local Reseller how to do business with Qwest. It will provide a general overview of products and services, Qwest billing and support systems, processes for submitting service requests, reports, and web resource access information. Click here for Course detail and registration information.

View additional Qwest courses by clicking on Course Catalog.

Contacts

Qwest contact information is located in Wholesale Customer Contacts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This section is currently being compiled based on your feedback.

Last Update: June 19, 2008