1. October 2014
CenturyLink Design Service Repair Billing & Repair Billing Dispute Process Highlights

2. REFERENCES The following is a link to the Product Catalog
In general most contracts (ICAs) contain this or similar text:
12.3.4  Trouble Isolation
    CLEC is responsible for its own End User Customer base and will have the responsibility for resolution of any service trouble report(s) from its End User Customers.  CLEC will perform trouble isolation on services it provides to its End User Customers to the extent the capability to perform such trouble isolation is available to CLEC, prior to reporting trouble to Qwest.  CLEC shall have access for testing purposes at the Demarcation Point, NID, or Point of Interface.  Qwest will work cooperatively with CLEC to resolve trouble reports when the trouble condition has been isolated and found to be within a portion of Qwest's network.  Qwest and CLEC will report trouble isolation test results to the other.  Each Party shall be responsible for the costs of performing trouble isolation on its facilities, subject to Sections and
     When CLEC requests that Qwest perform trouble isolation with CLEC, a Maintenance of Service Miscellaneous Charge or a Trouble Isolation charge applies if the trouble is found to be on CLEC's side or on the End User Customer's side of the Demarcation Point.  If the trouble is on the End User Customer's side of the Demarcation Point, CLEC is required to perform its own maintenance.
      Before submitting a repair request to Qwest, CLEC will isolate trouble to the Qwest network and must submit test results indicating the location of the trouble when submitting the repair request.  If a trouble ticket with test results is accepted by Qwest, and Qwest determines that the trouble is on the CLEC or the End User Customer's side of the Loop Demarcation Point, a Maintenance of Service Miscellaneous Charge or a Trouble Isolation Charge applies.  When CLEC elects not to perform trouble isolation and Qwest performs tests at CLEC request, a Maintenance of Service Miscellaneous Charge or a Trouble Isolation charge applies if the trouble is not in Qwest's facilities, including Qwest's facilities leased by CLEC.  When trouble is found on Qwest's side of the Demarcation Point, or Point of Interface, during the investigation of the initial or repeat trouble report for the same line or circuit within thirty (30) Days, Maintenance of Service Miscellaneous Charges or Trouble Isolation Charges shall not apply.
12.3.5  Inside Wire Maintenance
Except where specifically required by state or federal regulatory mandates, or as may be provided for under Section 6 of this Agreement, Qwest will not perform any maintenance of inside wire (premises wiring beyond the End User Customer's Demarcation Point) for CLEC or its End User Customers.
Confidential: This material is be provided as informational only. Subject to Non-Disclosure Agreements.

3. Design Service Repair Billing
The following outlines some basic elements of Repair Billing associated with both E-bonded (electronically generated by the customer) and Non E-bonded (manually created by CenturyLink) trouble reports.
Repair Billing can occur under, but is not limited to, the following circumstances:
CLEC has submitted a trouble report to CenturyLink and has either authorized CenturyLink to perform Optional Testing and/or has provided its own test results. In either case, CLEC has also authorized CenturyLink to dispatch, isolate trouble, and ultimately resolve trouble that has been isolated to the CenturyLink network.
If Optional Testing has been authorized, regardless of the outcome of the trouble report, an Optional Test charge will be billed.
In addition, if the trouble report is closed out to Non-CenturyLink trouble, and a dispatch to the field occurred during the life of the ticket, a flat rate truck roll charge and a charge based on technician time spent on the ticket will be billed. These tickets would typically be closed to CPE, TOK, NTF, or IEC.
Also, regardless of how a trouble report is closed out, if the CLEC has requested and CenturyLink has performed testing that is above and beyond standard maintenance requirement testing, a charge for technician time may be billed even if a dispatch to the field did not occur. (This is a rare request from customers)
Confidential: This material is be provided as informational only. Subject to Non-Disclosure Agreements.

4. Design Service Repair Billing – Continued
Basic elements of the administration of Trouble Reports with potential Repair Billing by CenturyLink:
A single Network Billing Center* consisting of employees with extensive repair billing experience conducts a review of completed tickets for repair billing. This typically includes a review of trouble reports marked for repair billing (MSC field marked Y) and trouble reports meeting repair billing criteria that were not originally marked MSCY.
These technicians perform a Pre-Bill review, checking for accurate ticket closure, technician dispatch time, Optional Testing authorization, and documentation within the ticket log notes that supports Repair Billing.
Currently, they utilize a “billing macro” for the review process that requires entry of specific data. They may also add comments to the ticket log notes to further clarify/support the repair billing.
Trouble reports that have completed the Pre-Bill review are retained for 7-14 days to monitor for subsequent trouble reports with related trouble that may have been generated and closed to CenturyLink network trouble. Repair Billing is voided for any qualified tickets and no request is sent to the Market Units to issue a bill on the original trouble report.
Automation then completes the processing of the Repair Billing requests (EO135) for all qualified trouble reports and distributes them to the appropriate Market Units (Wholesale or Retail) who in turn issue the R Order for billing.
*NOTE: The Network Billing Center does not actually create or submit service orders to customers for billing but rather submits the billing requests to the appropriate Market Unit.
Confidential: This material is be provided as informational only. Subject to Non-Disclosure Agreements.

5. Design Service Repair Billing Dispute Process
The following outlines the essential elements of Repair Billing Disputes for completed Trouble Reports that were submitted by CLEC either manually or via E-bonding.
In General :
If CLEC generates a repair charge dispute, it does so through their CTL Account/Service representative.
At a minimum CLEC provides the following:
The CTL Trouble Ticket Number associated with the disputed charge
The Circuit ID associated with the disputed charge
A description of the repair billing charges they view as inaccurate and reason(s) why they view the charge was unwarranted (typically based on information they find in CTL trouble report coding and/or log notes).
The Account/Service representative reviews the dispute and attempts to answer the dispute.
When the Account/Service representative cannot resolve the dispute by explaining the reason for the charges to satisfy the CLEC inquiry or because they are unsure if the charge or a portion of the charge may not be warranted, they then enter a dispute on behalf of the CLEC into an internal tool that relays the dispute to the Network Billing Center*.
Confidential: This material is be provided as informational only. Subject to Non-Disclosure Agreements.

6. Design Service Repair Billing Dispute Process – continued
Basic elements of the administration of Repair Billing Disputes by CenturyLink:
Designated technicians in the CTL Network Billing Center* continuously monitor the Repair Billing Dispute Tool and any associated s sent from Account/Service teams.
If a dispute contains the required information, the technician in the CTL Network Billing Center* locates the trouble report and gathers ticket details from the ticketing database and/or archives.
If required information is not provided, i.e. valid circuit ID or CTL Trouble Report #, the Network Billing Center* technician will request needed information before proceeding.
The technician in the CTL Network Billing Center* then performs a thorough review of the Trouble Report submitted by the CLEC that is being disputed. They inspect technician log notes, test results, ticket coding, in-progress remarks from either company representative, and closeout summary remarks.
Based upon their findings, the CTL Network Billing Center* technician replies to the Account/Service representative with one of the following determinations:
Denial of the dispute with comments supporting the denial.
Grant of a partial credit from the original charges with comments supporting the decision
Grant of full credit from the charges with comments supporting the grant.
Unable to perform the research based on the information provided by the CLEC (i.e. invalid ticket number or circuit ID). This is very rare.
The Service/Account team provides the findings to the CLEC who may reply with additional information to justify further review
Confidential: This material is be provided as informational only. Subject to Non-Disclosure Agreements.

7. STATISTICS
In 2012 the aggregate count of disputes ranged from 1 to 42 per month.  The value of the aggregated disputes ranged from $85 to $3409. 
In 2012 approximately 38% of the disputes were found in favor of the CLEC
In 2013 approximately 55% of the disputes were found in favor of the CLEC. In addition, overall disputes declined by 53% from 2012 to 2013.
Confidential: This material is be provided as informational only. Subject to Non-Disclosure Agreements.

8. Summary
CenturyLink continues to refine its repair charge billing dispute process
CenturyLink Repair Billing involves proactive manual review and validation
Repair charge disputes are infrequent
Disputes are often granted in favor of the CLEC
Questions?