Glossary of Telecom Terms : P

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P

 

Packet Switched
A form of data transmission in which data is broken into small packets that are transmitted independently and reassembled at the destination. This is in contrast with circuit-switching, traditionally used for voice telephony, in which the transmission occurs over a dedicated circuit.

 

Partial Conversion
This situation occurs when a Verizon end user elects to use a CLEC or Reseller billing service for some, but not all of the lines on his/her account.

 

Percent of Interstate Usage (PIU)
Refers to the amount of traffic subject to FCC authority and charged under GTOC FCC #1.

 

Percent of Local Usage (PLU)
Verizon and the service provider provide this factor to each other each quarter or (as otherwise specified in their agreement) in order to identify the jurisdiction of each call type carried over their trunk groups.

 

Personal Communications Services (PCS)
A new generation of wireless-phone technology that introduces a range of features and services surpassing those available in analog- and digital-cellular phone systems. PCS provides the user with an all-in-one wireless phone, paging, messaging, and data service.

 

PI
See Power Influence.
 

PIC
See Primary Interexchange Carrier.

 

PIC Availability Inquiry
A Verizon Wholesale Local pre-order transaction that allows the CLEC to identify the carrier that provides InterLata and IntraLata service to a specified NPA/NXX.

 

PIU
See Percent of Interstate Usage.

 

Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)
The basic single line switched access service offered by local exchange carriers to residential and business end users, using loop-start signaling.

 

PN
See Provider Notification.

 

Point Code
Signaling System 7 address of a network element, used to identify the signaling point in SS7 messages. Consists of a network and cluster identifier and a member number.

 

Point of Interface or Point of Interconnection (POI)
Demarcation point between the local exchange carrier and a wireless service provider, which establishes the points for testing and the technical interface. It also establishes where each carrier has responsibility.

 

Point of Interconnection or Point of Interface (POI)
Demarcation point between the local exchange carrier and a wireless service provider, which establishes the points for testing and the technical interface. It also establishes where each carrier has responsibility.

 

Point of Presence (POP)
The physical place within a LATA where a long distance carrier or a cellular provider interfaces with the network of the local exchange carrier.

 

Point of Termination (POT)
The point of demarcation at which Verizon's responsibility for the provision of service ends.

 

Point of Termination Bay (POT Bay)
The intermediate distributing frame, which serves as the point of demarcation for physically collocated interconnection. POT Bay terminations are provided with either or both analog/voice frequency, and/or digital capabilities.

 

POP
See Point of Presence.

 

Port

  1. The physical or electrical interface through which a device gains access to a network or computer.
  2. Network access point for data entry or exit.
 

Port A Line Card
The Port A line card (or equivalent) and associated peripheral equipment are found on on an end office switch, which serves as the Interconnection between individual loops or individual customer trunks and the switching components of an end office switch and the associated switching functionality in that end office switch. Each port is typically associated with one (or more) telephone number(s), which serve as the customer's network address. The port element is part of the unbundled local switching element.

 

Portable NXX
An NXX from which at least one number has ported or there is a pending order to port a telephone number.

 

Ported In
A telephone number is considered to be ported in when service provider A provides service in their switch with a telephone number assigned to service provider B's switch using local routing number (LRN) technology.

 

Ported Out
A telephone number is considered to be ported out when a number assigned to service provider A is moved from service provider A's switch to service provider B's switch, using local routing number (LRN) technology.

 

Post Completion Discrepancy (PCD)
A service order request that fails the billing system edits.

 

POT
See Point of Termination.

 

POTS
See Plain Old Telephone Service.

 

Power Influence (PI)
The power of a longitudinal signal induced in a metallic OSP facility by an electromagnetic field emanating from a conductor or conductors of a power system. PI is also called longitudinal noise or noise-to-ground.

 

Pre-designated IntraLATA Carrier (LPIC)
The telephone company chosen by the end user as being the default carrier for calls outside the local calling area but within the same LATA. These calls are often referred to as regional calls. An LPIC is similar in nature to a Primary Interexchange Carrier (PIC), the difference being that the PIC carries call traffic across LATA boundaries.

 

Pre-Order
A recommended set of activities and inquiries to Verizon performed by Wholesale customers prior to submission of an Access Service Request (ASR) or Local Service Request (LSR). Pre-order activities enable more accurate submission and completion of orders. Learn more about ASR pre-order or Learn more about LSR pre-order.

 

PRI ISDN Line Port
A Verizon Wholesale UNE service offering that enables end-to-end digital connectivity for transmitting voice and data simultaneously. The port provides a DS1 electrical interface to Verizon's local switch. Learn More.

 

Primary Bill Version
This version of the bill is delivered electronically or by a cartridge tape that contains the monthly CLEC or Reseller bill in Bill Data Tape (BDT) formatted records.

 

Primary Interexchange Carrier (PIC)
The long distance company to which traffic is automatically routed when an end user dials 1+ a telephone number.

 

Primary Rate ISDN (PRI)
PRI is a 4-wire 1.544 megabits per second (DS1) local switching system port that uses the B8ZS line code and the ESF framing format. PRI is available in a twenty-three B channel plus one D channel (23B + D) configuration or a twenty-four B channel (24B) configuration.

 

Private Branch Exchange (PBX)
A private telephone switching system commonly located on the end user premises with an attendant console. The PBX is connected to a common group of lines from one or more central offices to provide service to a number of individual phones

 

Private Line
A communications service between specific locations that involves dedicated circuits, private switching arrangements, and/or predefined transmission paths, whether virtual or physical.

 

Product & Service Availability Inquiry
A Verizon Wholesale local pre-order transaction that provides information about the availability of Verizon's products and services in a particular serving central office.

 

Profile
CLECs interested in doing business with Verizon are required to provide Local Services Profile data. Profile data includes information such as tax and fee exemptions, contact numbers, applications requested, and other data required to establish ordering capabilities and billing services to the CLEC.

 

Profile Management Team
A Verizon team that provides assistance to the CLEC to help establish and maintain business relationships between the two companies for billing and ordering.

 

Protocol Address
Numeric character string used to specify the location of the called customer. Also known as network address.

 

Protocol Code
A component of an interface code that is readily associated with the basic electrical function of the interface.

 

Provider Notification Report
Previously known as the Line Loss Report (LLR), this report provides existing Local Service Provider (LSP) customers concerning migration of End Users to a competing LSP (Loss Notification) or that the status of DSL service has been modified (Line Sharing Notification). The Provider Notification report is available in the Verizon East region.

 

Provisioning
The activities required for a telephone company to supply telecommunications service or unbundled network elements.

 

Public Access Line Port
A Verizon Wholesale UNE offering whereby Payphone Service Providers (PSPs) may purchase network services from Verizon in order to provide public telephone services to the end user (calling public).

 

Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)
An answering location for 9-1-1 calls originating in a given area. A PSAP may be designated Primary or Secondary, which refers to the order in which calls are directed for answering. Primary PSAPs respond first; Secondary PSAPs receive calls on a transfer basis only, and generally serve as a centralized answering location for a particular type of emergency call. PSAPs are staffed by employees of Emergency Response Agencies (ERAs) such as police, fire or emergency medical agencies or by employees of a common bureau serving a group of such entities.

 

Public Service Commission (PSC)
State regulatory agencies for utilities (including telecommunications); various state agencies have names such as Public Service Commission, Public Utility Commission, Board of Public Utilities, Public Service Board, Dept. of Telecommunications and Energy.

 

Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
1.The worldwide voice telephone network.
2. Any common carrier network that provides circuit switching among public users.

 

Publisher Lists Mid-Atlantic
A Verizon Wholesale service whereby Verizon provides listing data for New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Washington D.C. to directory publishers for use in the publication of a directory.

 

Publisher Lists Northeast
A Verizon Wholesale service whereby Verizon provides listing data for Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and New York to directory publishers for use in the publication of a directory. Learn more.

 

Publisher Lists West/Southeast
A Verizon Wholesale service whereby Verizon provides listing data for Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin to directory publishers for use in the publication of a directory.

 

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