P5SOA MEMBER GENERAL SURVEY RESULTS – July 1997

GENERAL COMMENTS

The following information is based on the survey results received from ten organizations. Although the sampling is small it does provide some useful information.

(note: Averages are calculated after the lowest and highest values have been removed.)

• Size Range: Total Circuits: 2,610 thru 170,000 Average: 25,542
• Percent ISDN to Analog Circuits: 9% thru 40.5% Average: 63%
• Annual Operating Budget Dollars per Circuit: $140 thru $1,225 Average: $561

• Items included in Operating Budget:

• System Release

Currently	Expected in 2 Years
5E10 – 8 organizations	5E13 – 2 organizations
5E8 – 1 organization	5E12 – 6 organizations
5E7 – 1 organization	5E11 – 1 organization
	5E8 – 1 organization

• Justification for Change: (summarized actual input comments)

• To be compatible with the Year 2000
• Utilize 15 digit dialing
• Maintain switch compatibility with its Public Network counterparts
• Maintain switch at current rerlease levels to take advantage of new features and services (i.e. wireless interfaces, computer telephony interfaces, SONET interfaces, etc)
• Maintain Switch Vendor’s highest level of support

• Plan on replacing or upgrading their Nework Management System in 2 years:

Yes – 6 organizations
No – 1 organization
Unsure – 3 organizations

• Service Order processing only
• System will be re-competed in two years
• Current system is no longer supported by Manufacturer
• As in-house database to manage availabilitly

• Interested in developing a joint effort for renting NMS:

Yes – 4 organizations
No – 1 organization
Unsure – 5 organizations

• Considering purchasing telephone service from Local Exchange Carrier:

Yes – 4 organizations
No – 4 organizations
Unsure – 2 organizations

• Will re-evaluate at end of current contract
• There were some price justifications to purchase from LEC
• Being considered because of problems getting money to upgrade our system
• Ownership is still lower operating cost solutions
• Necessary because of so many off-premise locations

• Reselling Unused Capacity:

Yes – 1 organization
No – 6 organizations
No Comment – 3 organizations

• Registered as alternate carrier:

Yes – 1 organization
No – 9 organizations

• Comments on how the organizations bill for service:

• 6 organizations use some sort of ‘flat rate’ for billing purposes. The methods varied from one rate no matter what type of service was provided, to a mult-level rate based on the major types of service (i.e. analog, ISDN, special circuit)
• 2 organizations did direct expense charge back where they billed the customer for what they used
• 2 organizations did no billing to the customer at all, costs were paid out of the organizations overhead
• One rate (analog/ISDN) varied from $32/ln to $39/ln
• Analog only rates varied from $13.73 to $39.23
• ISDN only rates varied from $20.95 to $80
• The variance in rates can be related back to whether or not MAC orders and long distance charges where included in the rate or charge as extra

• Provide off-campus telephone service:

• 8 organizations provide some type of off-campus telephone service. The preferred method of the service appears to be via subscriber line carrier or tie trunks to PBX/Key system. Off-premise extension and terminal loops are used when it is not cost effect for the other options.
• 2 organizations do not provide off-campus telephone service

• Are you using xDSL technology:

Yes – 3 organizations
No – 7 organizations

Below is the original survey questions:

P5SOA MEMBER GENERAL SURVEY

1) What type of Organization are you (i.e Government, Commercial, University, Other)?

2) How many circuits do you have in-service?

Analog: ISDN: Special:

3) What is your approximate total annual operating budget?

(note: This will be summarized and will not be provided as detail)

4) Does this include moves ( ), adds ( ), changes ( ), upgrades ( ) long distance ( ), enhancements ( )?

5) What (5ESS) software release are you currently at?

6) What release do you expect to be at 2 years from now?

7) What is your main justification for making the change?

8) Do you plan on replacing or upgrading your Network Management System in the next two years?

9) Would you be interested in developing a joint effort to attract a major NMS supplier for the development of a month-to-month rental agreement(s) for a product?

10) Are you considering the possibility of going back to purchasing telephone service from the local exchange provider or some other type of alternative service providerr? If so, why?

11) Are any of you reselling or considering reselling your unused switch capacity to other businesses? If yes, are you or do you plan to register as alternative carriers?

12) Have any of you registered or are considering registering to become alternative carriers to gain additional discounts from the local exchange carrier? If so, where and how did you expect to accomplish the savings/discounts?

13) How do you bill for your service(s) (i.e. flat rate, by unit, by type)?

14) What service(s) are you billing for and what are the approximate rates?

(note: This information will be summarized and not given out as detail)

15) Do you provide telephone service to building/organizations off-campus? If so, how do you feed them (i.e. rent terminal loops; place cable to the facilities; use a wireless solution; other)?

16) Are you deploying ADSL or HDSL technology? If so, how much?

17) What is the configuration at the central office (i.e. rack mounted, individual units)?

18) What and how are you billing for the service?

(note: This will be summarized and will not be provided as detail)