CenturyTel | Wholesale | The Negotiation Process

Enter your email for the latest offers and information from CenturyTel.

The Negotiation Process

Initiating Negotiations

To initiate negotiations with CenturyTel for local interconnection, a Carrier must submit a written request on company letterhead to the address shown below. The request for negotiations must identify the state(s) for which the Carrier would like to negotiate and delineate what type of agreement is required.
Please note that CenturyTel has multiple exchange companies in many states. The request must identify the specific companies and states in which the carrier intends to do business. See page 18 for a list of CenturyTel Operating Companies.
The written request to initiate negotiations should include the following:
1. Certified name of the carrier
2. Physical street address
3. City/State/Zip
4. Name of carrier contact person
5. Carrier Contact person's title
6. Carrier Contact person's telephone number
7. Carrier Contact person's fax number
8. Carrier Contact person's e-mail address
9. Type of negotiations desired; i.e., interconnection, resale, etc.
10.State(s) in which carrier wishes to do business
11. State of incorporation, if applicable
12. Include either a copy of proof of certification from the applicable state commission or application for certification .
13. Include carrier OCN and ACNA information for each state requested

For attorneys/consultants submitting requests on behalf of clients, please include all the information listed above.

We also request that you submit a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to protect confidential information we may need to exchange during the negotiations process. This document protects both parties. Click on the link below to access an NDA that CenturyTel has available for your use:
http://business.centurytel.com/business/Wholesale/Library/NDA.doc

Please address your request for negotiations to:

ATTENTION: Carrier Relations
CenturyTel
100 CenturyTel Drive, 1 North
Monroe, LA 71203

You will receive a response within 15 business days of our receipt of your request for negotiations.

Prior to Negotiations
A Carrier request for negotiations must be in writing as described previously in the Initiating Negotiations section. Carriers may request an agreement via either of the following methods:

1) Opt Into Another Carrier's Agreement

CenturyTel's Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers ("ILEC") make available any existing agreement between a specified CenturyTel ILEC and a Telecommunications Carrier that has been filed in accordance with the provisions of 251/252 of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, and approved by a state regulatory commission to any other requesting telecommunications carrier upon the same terms and conditions as those provided in the agreement in accordance with Section 252(i) of the Act, as that Section has been interpreted by the FCC in its First Report and Order, FCC Rule 51.809, and the United States Supreme Court in AT&T Corp. v. Iowa Utilities Bd., 119 S. Ct. 721 (1999), along with any other relevant decision(s) by a regulatory commission or court of competent jurisdiction.

A carrier may adopt an interconnection agreement that is approved by the State Commission that has not expired, been noticed for renegotiations or is within six months of the termination date. Carriers opting into an existing agreement are limited by the terms and conditions of the agreement to the CenturyTel ILEC that is party to the agreement. All commission-approved agreements are publicly available for review at the state regulatory commission. Some states publish the filed agreements on the Commission websites.

2) Request Interconnection or Resale Agreement

CenturyTel will provide a copy of its appropriate Template Agreement to begin the negotiations.

Topics Discussed in Initial Negotiations Meeting
CenturyTel has determined that an open discussion of the following points early in the negotiation process helps to build a firm foundation for negotiating and implementing an Agreement that meets the needs and expectations of a requesting carrier. These topics are usually discussed in the initial negotiations meeting, and include steps that must be completed prior to passing live traffic.

Facility-based Interconnection or Traffic Exchange.

Overview of the Carrier's plans including but not limited to the LATAs, area code [s], cities, central offices and rate centers in which the Carrier intends to operate, desired date for interconnection, and the CenturyTel Local Company with which the requesting carrier wishes to interconnect its network.
Options for Agreement format (e.g., CenturyTel standard, adopting the contract of another carrier on file with the State Commission.)

Resale

Overview of requesting carrier's plans (i.e., cities in which the carrier intends to operate, desired services
Options for Agreement format (i.e., CenturyTel standard, adopting the contract of another Carrier on file with the State Commission)

Deposits

Upon initial implementation or anytime thereafter, CenturyTel may request that a requesting carrier provide assurance of payment. A cash deposit (or an unconditional, irrevocable letter of credit if allowed by state regulation and agreement) is the standard form of payment assurance. The negotiated terms and conditions in the Agreement, or applicable tariff (should carrier be operating without an agreement) will provide specific criteria for CenturyTel requesting an initial or an additional deposit/assurance of payment.

Any of the following situations or events may be used to determine when a deposit/ assurance of payment will be requested:

A requesting carrier has not established satisfactory credit with CenturyTel by making at least twelve (12) consecutive months of timely payments to CenturyTel.
In CenturyTel's reasonable judgment, the credit-worthiness of a requesting carrier has been impaired, as reported or published in (but not limited to) one of the following sources: Moody's, Standard and Poor's or The Wall Street Journal.
Information obtained in an inquiry to a commercial credit agency indicates that the credit class of the carrier meets the criteria established by CenturyTel's Collection Policy for a deposit.
A carrier fails to pay timely, except portion(s) of bill subject to a good faith dispute.
A carrier admits its inability to pay its debts and declares bankruptcy, either voluntarily or involuntarily

Generally speaking, an assurance of payment shall equal two (2) to three (3) months anticipated billing for initial deposits, and two (2) to three (3) months average billing based on the previous six (6) months actual billing for existing customers with established billing. The anticipated or average billing will include, but not be limited to: recurring, non-recurring and usage sensitive charges, termination charges and advance payments. CenturyTel may establish a minimum deposit amount if carrier doesn't provide service forecast prior to ordering.

The fact that a deposit is requested by CenturyTel shall in no way relieve carrier from timely compliance with all payment obligations including but not limited to: recurring, non-recurring and usage sensitive charges, termination charges and advance payments. Nor, does it constitute a waiver or modification of the terms of the Interconnection Agreement (if applicable).

Operating Company Numbers - (OCNs)*

OCNs are company identifiers assigned by NECA, on a state-by-state basis for facilities-based providers, and one nationwide resale code. NECA administers OCNs for carriers to comply with FCC Tariff 4. Carrier will note that each of CenturyTel's operating companies have a unique OCN identifying switches and exchanges belonging to each operating company.

*Industry Requirements for Operating Company Numbers/Company Codes
OCNs, also known as company codes, and AECNs (Alternate Exchange Carrier Numbers) are company identifiers assigned by the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA). NECA and the telecommunications industry require state-specific company codes for facilities-based local service providers to fulfill the industry requirements of FCC Tariff Number 4 for intercompany compensation and meet-point billing arrangements.

NECA also assigns a nationwide company code for local wholesale customers, specifically for resale, for each local wholesale customer that resells other facilities-based providers' telecommunications services.
Directory listings, Line Information Database (LIDB), repair/maintenance and ordering processes utilize company codes to identify local wholesale customers and to distinguish between facilities-based UNE/Interconnection and Resale business.

NECA's guidelines are available on the Internet website (www.neca.org).

Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) are required to provide unique state-specific code(s) for facilities-based business (UNEs and Interconnection) and a single resale-specific code for use nationwide.

CenturyTel adheres to industry standards as defined by NECA. Carriers wishing to conduct business in any of the CenturyTel Rate Centers must establish Operating Company Numbers (OCNs) in accordance with the NECA standards. CLECs will be required to establish Resale and/or Facility-Based OCNs as outlined above prior to provisioning services under a Resale or Interconnection Agreement (ICA).

Other Helpful Information

CenturyTel has made additional information available for carriers which may be accessed on the following website:
http://business.centurytel.com/business/Wholesale/