Niacom Interconnect Policy Applicable to MMG/NTIA Funded Projects

 

Interconnection Policy General Information

Niacom will provide interconnection access to network facilities at technically feasible points along the network route via SLA’s with terms of 12 months to 20 years and beyond. This policy is offered in perpetuity. Common interconnection points are regeneration shelters and ILAs but may include active cabinets depending on the requestor’s network delivery requirements. Requestors may connect directly to the public Internet through Niacom network or request lit transport to a colocation facility where a peering provider of the requestor’s choice may be used. Dark fiber will be allowed for all those that agree to our terms of service without discrimination should there be adequate fiber available. Rates for interconnection are reasonable and nondiscriminatory. Requestors making legitimate requests for interconnection or wholesale services will be negotiated in good faith. If no point of interconnection exists, the requestor may bear any reasonable costs to improve Niacom facilities to allow for interconnection. Interconnection requests are processed first-come, first-served basis. Requests for secure colocation separated from Niacom-owned equipment may result in a facility upgrade to provide dedicated cabinet access. Access shall be 24-hour, escorted or non-escorted depending on the facility requirements, and provide AC power connection.

Types of interconnection services:

·         Local transmission

·         Transport

·         Dedicated Internet access

Niacom provides Service Level Agreements for carrier, enterprise, government, and interconnect customers. The SLA guarantees network performance for:

·         jitter

·         latency

·         delivery ratio

·         service availability

SLAs also account for:

·         provisioning and installation within 30 days

·         service outage credits

·         repair and maintenance timeframes

·         established Mean Time to Repair for all services

Under Non-Disclosure Agreement, detailed information such as: route maps, interconnection points, splice locations, and type and availability of fiber will be made available to requestors for dark fiber requests. General route information, Points of Interconnection (POI) with census block, community, town, city and state information will be made available on the Niacom website. Requests for service are standardized with a web application or phone assistance of the web application. Initial response to requests will be provided within 10 days. Negotiations for service will be completed in no more than 90 days. Niacom policies and relevant interconnection terms will be made available on the Niacom website.

Network Nondiscrimination and Universal Access

Niacom is committed to an open and positive Internet experience for our customers. Niacom policy ensures customers are entitled to:

·         access the lawful Internet content of their choice.

·         run applications and services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement.

·         connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.

·         competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.

·         Niacom does not favor any lawful Internet applications and content over others.

·         Niacom uses standard best effort capacity allocation and provides unlimited usage. Last-mile services to non-provider subscribers utilizes Quality-of-Experience-Optimized Shaping using Active Queue Management. AQM FQ-CoDel provides a better end-user subscriber experience.

·         Niacom does not filter, block, or intercept customer network traffic unless instructed by law enforcement using required channels and procedures. Lawful intercept TAP is available to LEA on Niacom network hardware at Layer 2 and Layer 3 levels.