Section 790.100  Definitions

"Act" means the Public Utilities Act [220 ILCS 5].

"Adjacent space collocation" is a type of physical collocation that, in the event space is legitimately exhausted in a particular incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) premises, an ILEC must make available in adjacent controlled environmental vaults or similar structures, to the extent technically feasible.

"Advanced services" is defined as high speed, switched, broadband, wire line telecommunications capability that enables users to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics or video telecommunications using any technology.

"Bona fide request" means a written request by a telecommunications carrier for interconnection for the purpose of exchange of local traffic, access or connection to an unbundled network element (including combinations and collocation arrangements) that is customized or different in quality from those recognized under the Illinois Commerce Commission's (Commission) requirements, included in existing interconnection agreements, or currently deployed in any other ILEC's network.

"Caged collocation" is a type of physical collocation whereby the collocation space is dedicated to the telecommunications carrier by placing a chain link fence or other structure around the telecommunications carrier's collocation space (not including a top). This space shall be made available by an ILEC to a telecommunications carrier in 50 square feet increments and access to the space shall be limited to the telecommunications carrier and any of its authorized representatives.

"Cageless collocation" is a type of physical collocation that allows a telecommunications carrier to collocate in increments as small as a single bay or a single rack in any unused space in an ILEC's premises, without the ILEC requiring the construction of a cage or similar structure and without the ILEC requiring intermediate interconnection when direct connection to the ILEC's network is technically feasible.

"Central office" or "CO" means a location within a local exchange area where subscriber lines or interoffice trunks are connected to a local exchange carrier's switch.

"End user" means any person, corporation, partnership, firm, municipality, cooperative, organization, governmental agency, building owner, or other entity provided with a telecommunications service for its own consumption and not for resale. [220 ILCS 5/13-217]

"Federal Act" means the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 USC 151).

"FCC" means Federal Communications Commission.

"High frequency portion of the loop" or "HFPL" means the frequency range above the voice band on a copper loop facility that is being used to carry analog circuit-switched voice band transmissions. Use of the word "copper" is not intended to limit an ILEC's obligation to provide competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) with access to the fiber portion of a digital loop carrier loop for the provision of line-shared digital subscriber line services.

"Incumbent local exchange carrier" or "ILEC" means, with respect to an area, the telecommunications carrier that provided noncompetitive local exchange telecommunications service in that area on February 8, 1996, and on that date was deemed a member of the exchange carrier association pursuant to 47 CFR 69.601(b), and includes its successors, assigns, and affiliates. [220 ILCS 5/13-202.5]

"Interconnection" means the point in a network where one telecommunications carrier or end user interfaces with the ILEC's network or the network provided by another telecommunications carrier under the provisions of this Part.

"Interexchange carrier" means any telecommunications carrier that is certificated to provide interexchange services (see Section 13-403 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/13-403]) within Illinois as defined in Section 13-205 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/13-205].

"Legitimately exhausted" means that all space in a central office that can be used or is useful to locate telecommunications equipment in any of the methods of collocation available is exhausted or completely occupied.

"Local exchange carrier" or "LEC" means a telecommunications carrier under the Act that is a provider of local exchange telecommunications services as defined in Section 13-204 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/13-204].

"Loop" means a transmission path capable of transporting analog or digital signals from the network interface at a customer's premises to a distribution frame, digital signal cross-connect panel, or similar demarcation, that is accessible to the telecommunications carrier or end user. Loop types are distinguished primarily by their electrical interface, not by the type of transmission facility used.

"Meet point" means a point of interconnection between two networks, designated by two telecommunications carriers, at which point one carrier's responsibility for service begins and the other carrier's responsibility ends.

"Physical collocation" means the type of interconnection provided by an ILEC to a telecommunications carrier or end user where the telecommunications carrier or end user locates its equipment within space assigned by the LEC for the telecommunications carrier's or end user's exclusive use and where the telecommunications carrier or end user has physical access and control over its equipment subject to the provisions of this Part, FCC rules, any applicable tariff, and any agreement.

"Premises" refers to an ILEC's central offices, remote terminals, tandem offices, and serving wire centers, as well as all buildings and structures owned or leased by an ILEC to house its network facilities, and all structures that house ILEC facilities on public rights-of-way, including, but not limited to, vaults containing loop concentrators or similar structures.

"Rating point" means a point used in calculating the length of interoffice special access links.

"Rural telephone company" means a rural telephone company as defined by the Federal Act (47 USC 153(37)).

"Serving wire center" means the location in the LEC network that serves a telecommunications carrier's (such as an interexchange carrier) point of presence.

"Shared collocation" means a type of physical collocation in which two or more telecommunications carriers share a collocation space pursuant to the terms and conditions agreed to by the telecommunications carriers.

"Special access or private line" means a transmission path that connects customer-designated premises directly through a local exchange carrier's hub or hubs where bridging or multiplexing functions are performed, or to connect a customer-designated premises and a serving office, and includes all exchange access not utilizing the local exchange carrier's end office switches.

"Subloops", as defined in 47 CFR 51.319(a)(2) as of September 12, 2001, mean any portion of the loop that it is technically feasible to access at terminals in the ILEC's outside plant. No later amendments or editions are included in this incorporation.

"Technically feasible" means that interconnection, access to unbundled network elements, collocation, and other methods of achieving interconnection or access to unbundled network elements at a point in the network shall be deemed technically feasible absent technical or operational concerns that prevent the fulfillment of a request by a telecommunications carrier for such interconnection, access, or methods. A determination of technical feasibility does not include consideration of economic, accounting, billing, space, or site concerns, except that space and site concerns may be considered in circumstances where there is no possibility of expanding the space available. The fact that an ILEC must modify its facilities or equipment to respond to such request does not determine whether satisfying such request is technically feasible. An ILEC that claims that it cannot satisfy such request because of adverse network reliability impacts must prove to the Commission by clear and convincing evidence that such interconnection, access, or methods would result in specific and significant adverse network reliability impacts. A requesting telecommunications carrier seeking a particular collocation arrangement, either physical or virtual, is entitled to a presumption that such arrangement is technically feasible if any LEC has deployed such collocation arrangement in any ILEC premises.

"Telecommunications carrier" means any telecommunications carrier, as defined in Section 13-202 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/13-202] providing local exchange telecommunications services as defined in Section 13-204 of the Act. In addition, a telecommunications carrier is any entity certificated by the Commission under Section 13-401, 13-403, 13-404, or 13-405 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/13-401, 13-403, 13-404, and 13-405].

"Tier 1 LEC" means a local exchange carrier having annual gross revenues from regulated telecommunications operations of $100 million or more.

"Virtual collocation" means an offering by an ILEC that enables a telecommunications carrier or end user to specify equipment to be used for interconnection for the purpose of accessing LEC, switched and special access services or access to unbundled network elements in an ILEC's premises and electronically monitor and control the telecommunications carrier or end user's communications channels terminating in such equipment.