Tenn. Regulatory Authority (TRA) concluded BellSouth’s operation ...
Tenn. Regulatory Authority (TRA) concluded BellSouth’s operation support systems (OSS) actually weren’t uniform across all 9 BS states, as carrier had contended. But TRA hasn’t yet determined whether it needs to order 3rd party test of BS’s OSS in…
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Tenn. BS told TRA in previous filings in its Sec. 271 interLATA long distance entry docket (Case 01- 00362) that its OSS was same in all its states, so TRA could rely on results of OSS tests conducted in Ga., which BS passed, to determine carrier’s Sec. 271 compliance. But CLEC interests disputed BellSouth’s assertion, saying wide state- to-state variances in order flowthrough times proved BS systems weren’t identical. TRA ordered BS to file OSS performance data for all its states for comparison of order flowthrough times in other BS states to times in Tenn. Data showed performance ranged from 20% better in Ga. to 28% worse in Miss. Only in La., N.C. and S.C. was OSS performance same as Tenn. TRA concluded variances were too great to be accounted for by factors external to OSS itself, such as product mix or seasonal changes. BellSouth said TRA’s conclusion was totally out of step with findings by other states and by FCC, which concluded BS systems in Ga. and La. were essentially same. AT&T said TRA’s conclusion was caution to other BS states to review state-by-state OSS performance data before signing off on OSS-related portions of BS long distance applications.