Virtual collocation is an alternative to physical collocation which offers the CLEC the ability to interconnect to Verizon services or UNEs without physical access by its personnel to a central office. The CLEC leases the equipment to Verizon for a nominal sum of $1.00, or through some other arrangement. The equipment, labeled with the CLEC's name, is installed by an approved vendor, which under certain conditions may be selected by the CLEC. In addition to traditionally accepted transmission equipment, Verizon will allow the installation of equipment that is necessary for either interconnection or access to unbundled network elements in the same manner as physical collocation. A standard Verizon central office toll transmission environment is provided for any CLEC equipment deployed in Verizon premises.

The CLEC and equipment manufacturer complete a Verizon Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) Compliance Checklist for any equipment that is not currently identified by Verizon as being NEBS compliant. If a CLEC chooses to deploy equipment at a Verizon premise (both physical and virtual collocation) that is not in general use by Verizon, the CLEC is required to provide Verizon sufficient documentation to substantiate that NEBS testing was done per the stipulated procedures, methods, and ranges in the NEBS family of documents. Equipment cannot be installed in a virtual arrangement until it has been demonstrated to comply with NEBS. New components added to a piece of transmission equipment not previously certified as NEBS compliant must themselves be certified as NEBS complaint. Verizon then handles the servicing of the equipment at the CLEC's direction on a non-discriminatory basis. The CLEC does not have access to the central office or the equipment.

The CLEC is required to maintain the NEBS conformance for the product(s) throughout the service life when deployed in a collocation arrangement. Visit http://www.verizonnebs.com/ for details on NEBS compliance and obtaining a copy of the NEBS Checklist.

All cabling from manhole "0" back out toward the CLEC facility remains the CLEC's responsibility. The CLEC performs all servicing and maintains full ownership. As an option, the CLEC may purchase Verizon-provided unbundled dedicated IOF transport in place of CLEC-provided interoffice fiber. Connections to the Verizon network are accomplished by cabling the terminal equipment outputs to Verizon distributing frames. All elements/services are connected to the output cables of the collocated arrangements using cable assignments, not channel assignments. The selection and assignment of pairs for specific connections of UNEs are done by the CLEC as each UNE is ordered.

Virtual Collocation Arrangement

Verizon monitors local central office and environmental alarms to support the equipment. Verizon notifies the CLEC if a local office alarm detects an equipment-effecting condition and awaits instruction before servicing the equipment. Performance monitoring, alarm surveillance and trouble isolation are the sole responsibilities of the CLEC. No maintenance is performed without the CLEC's direction, instruction and authorization.

When the CLEC detects trouble and needs a Verizon technician dispatched to the equipment location for a servicing procedure, the CLEC enters a trouble ticket with Verizon. The CLEC needs to provide standard trouble information, including the arrangement's circuit or equipment identification, nature of the activity requested, and the name and telephone number of the CLEC's contact person. Verizon processes and prioritizes the ticket in the same manner it does for Verizon equipment, and dispatches a technician to the equipment. The technician contacts the CLEC at the number provided and services the equipment as directed by the CLEC.

• The fibers shall be single mode.
• The fiber optic units need to be of loose tube (12 fibers) or ribbon (12 fibers) design.
• The fiber cable shall be marked according to the cable marking requirements in GR-20-CORE.
• The fiber shall be identified according to the fiber and unit identification (color codes) in GR-20-CORE.
• Unless otherwise agreed upon, the outer cable jacket shall consist of a polyethylene resin, carbon black, and a suitable antioxidant system.
• Silica fibers shall be fusible with a commercially available fusion splicer(s) that is commonly used for this operation.

Cable Installation Options (Splicing)
The CLEC needs to provide sufficient cable length (length requirements are provided by Verizon) to pull the cable through the CEF to the transition splice point, where it will be spliced to Verizon-provided fire retardant cable. All cable installations into the CEF are performed by Verizon personnel.

In some instances, the fiber facilities connected to the CLEC's virtual optical terminating equipment may require attenuation. The CLEC is responsible for providing the attenuators to Verizon that would meet installation and turn-up specifications. Such attenuation requirements will be specifically identified and coordinated during the site implementation and turn-up process.

CLEC Equipment Options
In virtual collocation arrangements, the CLEC designates and provides the transmission equipment to be installed in the central office. All equipment to be installed in Verizon central offices must comply with the Telcordia NEBS Generic Equipment Requirements (documented in GR-63-CORE), Electromagnetic Compatibility and Electrical Safety Generic Criteria for Network Telecommunications Equipment (GR-1089-CORE), and the Verizon central office environmental and transmission standards in effect at the time of equipment installation.

The equipment also needs to comply with the Verizon Digital Environmental Requirements for fire, safety, health, environmental and network safeguards. It is the CLEC's responsibility to demonstrate and provide adequate documentation from an accredited source, certifying conformance to Verizon's equipment specifications prior to the equipment being delivered and installed. Other types of transmission equipment not currently defined in the appropriate tariffs may require a specific bona fide request to assess cost for deployment and delivery dates.

The CLEC is not required to utilize the types of equipment already deployed in a central office. However, in selecting equipment that is not deployed in a central office, the CLEC is responsible for the cost of training Verizon technicians in that office on the specified equipment.

A CLEC that is interested in avoiding the training charges associated with collocation may opt to utilize equipment that is identical to equipment already deployed in the central office. In this case, the CLEC should contact the Collocation Program Manager to determine if its choice of equipment is already deployed in the office or offices of interest. This information is provided on an office-by-office basis, for the particular office in which the CLEC is applying for virtual collocation.

CLEC Equipment Installation Options
There are two options regarding the installation and engineering of CLEC-provided equipment, except in the New England states where all equipment installation is done by Verizon employees, as defined in the appropriate tariffs:

1. The CLEC may contract with Verizon to perform the equipment installation and engineering. In Verizon-South, if Verizon is the contracted installation and engineering vendor, the CLEC will be charged a fixed non-recurring charge per piece of transmission equipment installed in accordance with applicable tariffs. In Verizon in New York, all vendor costs associated with equipment installation will be passed on to the CLEC on a dollar-for-dollar basis (vendor pass through). Verizon may subcontract to any vendor approved to perform the installation of the CLEC-provided equipment. This vendor will install and engineer the CLEC-provided equipment, in addition to updating the central office records.
2. The CLEC may contract directly with a Verizon-approved equipment installation and engineering vendor. In this case, the CLEC will pay the vendor directly. The vendor is responsible for engineering and installing the CLEC-provided equipment, in addition to updating the central office records. No tariff charges will apply for equipment installation.

Under option 2, the CLEC may opt to apply for approval as an authorized Verizon installation and engineering vendor. If the CLEC is approved as a Verizon installation vendor, then the CLEC is responsible for engineering and installing the CLEC-provided equipment, in addition to updating the central office records. No tariff charges for installation will apply.

The contracted vendor (Verizon or Verizon-approved) is responsible for the complete installation and engineering work associated with that collocation site.

Equipment Removal
A CLEC, at its option, can have its equipment removed from a virtual collocation arrangement. The equipment will be returned to the CLEC.

The following conditions apply:

• The CLEC is responsible for all costs associated with the removal of their equipment, including any delivery charges.
• The CLEC must file an augment application and remit the appropriate application or Design and Planning Fee.
• The CLEC must note on the augment application who will be designated for project management of the equipment removal; either Verizon or the CLEC by contracting directly with a Verizon approved vendor.
• The CLEC must define exactly what equipment is to be removed, and indicate where it will be delivered once removal is completed.
• The CLEC will be responsible for signing for the inventoried equipment and provide Verizon with a signed document verifying that all inventories match

The CLEC needs to provide the shop-wired piece of transmission equipment fully pre-equipped with plug-ins. This includes a requirement to provide working and spare plug-ins. Where maintenance spares are concerned, the CLEC needs to provide the central office Operations Manager with maintenance spares for each plug-in type. The number of maintenance spares should be the manufacturer's recommended amount, unless otherwise negotiated. There should be no less than two of each type of spare. Verizon is not responsible for maintaining service if the CLEC does not provide an adequate supply of plug-ins/cards.

The CLEC also needs to provide a spare card cabinet to house the spare cards. The cabinet can be either wall- or rack-mountable and must meet Verizon specifications. The spare card cabinet and a minimum number of maintenance spares need to be provided before the arrangement can be declared complete and ready for service. Verizon segregates and secures the CLEC-provided maintenance spares in the CLEC-provided card cabinet. These spares need to be tested prior to acceptance. An inventory record (e.g., initial pre-equipped number of plug-ins, initial level of maintenance spares) is kept by the Verizon Operations Manager. The CLEC should clearly designate and label each plug-in for the purpose of easy identification.

In addition to maintenance spares, the CLEC also provides unique tools or test equipment required to maintain, turn-up, or repair the equipment.

Defective Plug-Ins
When a plug-in is determined to be defective, Verizon will label the plug-in as DEFECTIVE and place it in the CLEC-dedicated plug-in storage cabinet. The CLEC contact will be informed by Verizon that the plug-in is defective and that a replacement is required. The plug-in will be exchanged when a replacement is provided. Replacement spares should be provided within one week of notification.

96/EQCU/234567/NY

Verizon-South
In earlier vintages of virtual collocation, the virtually collocated equipment is associated to each individual circuit ordered to the virtual arrangement. Therefore, CLECs should use the circuit ID of a service provisioned to the arrangement to request service or report a trouble. When placing a request for service or trouble report on the equipment itself, it is critical that the CLEC specify that the request is for the virtually collocated equipment, and not for the circuit itself. Fiber based CLECs will be provided a carrier record ID that may also be used to request service and report troubles. Verizon has adopted the equipment inventory methodology for the North on all new virtual arrangements.

Interconnection Access Cables
This information identifies the cables between the virtually collocated equipment and the frame terminations that are used for connection to UNEs in Verizon-North. This information is required on all orders that the CLEC submits for connections to the virtual arrangement. The format consists of a number, facility type code, assignment, and eleven and eight character Common Language Location Identification (CLLI) codes. All elements should be separated by a space delimiter.

Example: V101 22-T1 56 NYCMNY42HB1 NYCMNY42

Cross Connect Cables
This information identifies the cables between the virtually collocated equipment and the frame terminations that are used for connection to DS1 and DS3 UNEs in Verizon-South. This information is required on all orders the CLEC submits for connections to the virtual arrangement. The format consists of a number, facility type code, assignment, and eleven character CLLI codes. All elements should be separated by a space delimiter.

Example: 8001 T1S 28 BLTMMDCHHCA-BLTMMDCHK32

Entrance Fiber Identification
This information identifies the cable entering the central offices from the manhole.

Example: F208V LGSR 10 FRDLNYFV FRDLNYM0322

Access Customer Terminal Location (ACTL)
This code is utilized on orders for elements to define the connection point of the element to the virtual arrangement. It is a standard CLLI code.

Example: NYCMNY42HM2

All the inventory information above is provided to the CLEC prior to equipment turnover. It is used for all references in ordering, billing or service-related issues. It is imperative that the CLEC carefully manage and track this information.