Virginia Law

A. The Alternative Dispute Resolution Process ("ADRP") is limited to disputes between telecommunications carriers that arise from action or inaction by a telecommunications carrier that allegedly: (i) compromises the ability of a carrier to provide uninterrupted service, (ii) unreasonably delays the provisioning of scheduled service, (iii) violates a provision of an enforceable interconnection agreement, including nonexemption specific collocation disputes, or (iv) constitutes unfair competition.

B. For purposes of the ADRP, the term "scheduled service" includes scheduled installation, connection, provisioning, maintenance and repair, and disconnection, intervals for telecommunications services, unbundled network elements and other services, facilities and arrangements, provided by one carrier to another carrier that are necessary for the provision of telecommunications service to an end user. Such services, facilities, and arrangements include, but are not limited to, local number portability with and without loops, coordinated loop cut-overs, updates to databases, such as 911 databases, line information databases and directory assistance databases, directory listings, and lines that one carrier provides to another carrier.

C. A carrier unreasonably delays the provisioning of a scheduled service when the carrier misses the commitment time (if any) and date for the provisioning of the scheduled service, without good cause, as determined by the hearing examiner.

D. ADRP is not designed to be a substitute for any dispute resolution procedures that may be specified in the carriers' interconnection agreements; nor is the process designed to handle disputes that involve generic policy issues, consumer complaints against carriers, requests for damages such as under any performance assurance plan, or any issues that the hearing examiner finds cannot be reasonably tried or the record developed on an expedited basis.