Self-healing Multi-nodal Alternate Route Topology Ring OC12 service (SMARTRing Service) is a dedicated, digital ring topology network with the capacity to transmit 12 BellSouth SPA DS3s between multiple customer-designated locations and Company Central Offices, where facilities can be made available as determined by the Company.

This service is provided utilizing a dedicated network of SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) OC12 fiber optic transmission equipment nodes configured in a self-healing ring architecture.

These nodes are connected by fiber routed through local and interoffice facilities, which allow for transmission of BellSouth SPA DS3 services simultaneously over both a primary and protect path between the customer designated locations and Central Offices. It is specifically designed to survive in the event of a single catastrophic failure within the network (such as a cable cut).

The system will monitor the quality of DS3 signals received over both the primary and alternate paths, and will take the best of the two signals. Therefore, if a failure is detected within the network which blocks the signal received over one path, the signal being transmitted over the alternate path will be accepted, thereby ensuring the integrity of the network.

This network is designed as a disaster recovery type system. Should a single failure of the Company's equipment result in a service outage of the entire system, and the system does not automatically self-heal around the point of failure within two and one half (2.5) seconds, a credit for service interruption shall apply.

Refer to individual state tariffs for terms of receiving credit for service outages.

For all other service interruptions resulting from a failure of the Company's equipment for SMARTRing Service where the system does not automatically self-heal around the point of failure, credit shall be allowed only for an interruption of thirty (30) minutes or more.

The major service elements of the SMARTRing architecture are the nodes. A ring must consist of at least three nodes

• one Central Office Node located in a Telephone Company Central Office
• one Customer Node located at the customer premises, and
• one other type node of the customer's choosing (central office or customer premises)

Additional nodes may be any combination of Central Office Node(s)/Customer Premises Node(s) at the customer's discretion.

The customer will choose where his Node locations will be placed, and based on that information, as well as customer requested routing information, Network will determine how facilities will be routed to connect those Node locations.

As stated earlier, the customer gains disaster recovery capabilities for all services contained entirely on the ring by providing diversity at the ring level. (Those parts of services that leave the ring are not protected against failure.) This survivability is ensured by having both a primary and a protect path for all ring transmissions.

A customer's primary path connects a Customer Node with the customer's normal Serving Wire Center. The customer will have a choice as to how he wants his protect path provisioned, as illustrated following. (The exhibits following illustrate rings with minimum configuration of three Nodes.)

Alternate Central Office Routing

(Central Office Diversity)

Alternate Central Office routing will ensure that the protect path is routed to a different central office than the normal Serving Wire Center. (Primary path from Customer Node A to Central Office B shown in solid line and protect path shown in dotted line.)

Shared Wire Center

(Loop Diversity)

Loop Diversity will ensure that even though the local loop for the protect path is provisioned out of the customer's normal serving wire center, a separate sheath will be used. (Primary path shown in solid line, protect path in dotted line.)

SMARTRing Service is connectable to any BellSouth SPA DS3/DS1 service provided out of the Private Line Services Tariff B7 at Company Central Office Node locations only, and in this way may be connected to LightGate^®Service or another SMARTRing Service at the DS3 level, or at the DS1 level by using the 28 BellSouth SPA DS1 Channel System. The 28 BellSouth SPA DS1 Channel System will also allow the customer to connect to MegaLink^®Service local channels and interoffice channels, allowing one end of the DS1 to be provisioned to a location off the ring configuration. Those portions of the service not within the ring configuration will not be self-healing. When interconnected with other services provided out of B7, rates and charges for those other services as set forth in their respective tariffs will apply.

• The customer must provide suitable floor space, controlled environment, and a source of non-switched suitable power to support SMARTRing Service.
• SMARTRing Service networks must contain a minimum of three nodes
  • One Customer Node
  • One Central Office Node, and
  • One other type node of the customer's choosing

• SMARTRing Service provides capacity for twelve (12) BellSouth SPA DS3 channels. Each activated BellSouth SPA DS3 channel will originate at only one node, and terminate at only one other node and will pass through all other nodes on the ring configuration.
• OC12 Customer Channel Interfaces at Customer Node locations are not available at the DS1 level, only the DS3 level. BellSouth SPA DS1 interfaces may be obtained at Central Office Node locations via the 28 BellSouth SPA DS1 Channel System and associated BellSouth SPA DS1 Central Office Channel Interfaces.
• SMARTRing service rate elements are initially available under variable contract periods:
  • to 48 months at 36 month rates
  • months at 60 month rates, and
  • months at 84 month rates, or
  • under a month-to-month payment plan
• A minimum service period of twelve months applies to the month-to-month payment plan. When the customer's chosen contract period has been satisfied, the customer may sign a new contract at current rates, or revert to a month-to-month payment plan. If the customer reverts to a month-to-month payment plan, no new minimum service period applies.
• All rate elements for a SMARTRing network, whether initially or subsequently ordered, must be provided under the same payment plan with the same service period (coterminous). All elements of a given network under the same payment plan must be disconnected co-terminously, i.e., when a network is disconnected, elements of that network may not be retained by the customer.
• Channel Interfaces may be ordered under payment plans equal to or shorter than the remaining service period for the SMARTRing Service; however, the payment period may not be shorter than twenty-four (24) months.
• A Termination Liability charge will be applicable if services provided under a CSPP (Channel Services Payment Plan) arrangement are disconnected prior to the end of the chosen service period. This charge is equal to the number of months remaining in the rate stabilized service period times sixty percent of the monthly rates for the SMARTRing Service.
• A twelve (12) month minimum service period applies for rate elements billed under a month-to-month payment plan.
• A credit for service interruption will apply when the system does not self-heal around a point of failure within 2.5 seconds, resulting in a service outage of the entire system. However, in order to qualify for this credit, the customer must report the service interruption to the Company, and the trouble must be determined to be in Telco equipment by Company surveillance equipment associated with the system.