Verizon Business Voice over IP SLA

Overview

Verizon supports quality service on Verizon Business Voice over IP ("VoIP") by offering a performance Service Level Agreement (SLA) for customers who implement Verizon Business VoIP Bundled or A La Carte service using Verizon Business Internet Dedicated or Internet DSL Office (Bundled service only) transport service. The Verizon Business VoIP SLA is in lieu of, and entirely replaces, any other SLAs for Internet Dedicated service. Performance standards in the SLA cover: Jitter, Mean Opinion Score (MOS), Latency, Packet Delivery, Network Availability and Denial of Service (Internet Dedicated Access Only).

Performance is measured by collecting data from designated routers, at key network hubs, in 5-minute intervals, from which a monthly average is derived. However, no SLA credits will be given if Verizon Business fails to meet an SLA standard due to reasons of Force Majeure (as defined in the applicable service agreement).

Verizon Business VoIP Jitter Service Level Agreement

Also known as delay variation, jitter is defined as the variation or difference in the end-to-end delay between received packets of an IP or packet stream. Jitter is usually caused by imperfections in hardware or software optimization or varying traffic conditions and loading. Excessive delay variation in packet streams usually results in additional packet loss which impacts voice quality.

The Verizon Business VoIP Jitter SLA provides that Verizon Business's contiguous U.S. Network (as defined in the relevant Verizon Business service agreement) monthly jitter performance will not exceed 1.0 millisecond between Verizon Business-designated inter-regional transit backbone network routers ("Hub Routers") in the contiguous United States.

Click here to view Jitter performance statistics

To receive a credit, customer must submit their request within 30 business days after the month in which the SLA standard was not met. Customer must access the online Verizon Business VoIP Jitter Credit Request Form, and provide all required information (e.g., account number). The Verizon Business Customer Support department will use Verizon Business's public backbone statistics Web site to verify that the Jitter SLA standard was missed. If Verizon Business Support confirms Customer's request (i.e., that Verizon Business missed the Jitter SLA threshold), then the customer shall receive a credit to its account equal to one day's share of the Verizon Business VoIP service monthly recurring charge ("MRC") specified below for each unit of the Service affected by the missed SLA. For A la Carte service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is either the applicable site fee of simultaneous calling charge plus the applicable monthly recurring fee for the related Internet Dedicated service under the related Verizon Business service agreement. For Bundled service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is the applicable base charge plus the simultaneous calling charge. No credits will be given with respect to units of the Service that are not affected by the missed SLA.

Verizon Business VoIP MOS Service Level Agreement

Mean Opinion Score is a measure (score) of the audio fidelity, or clarity, of a voice call. It is a statistical measurement that predicts how the average user would perceive the clarity of each call.

The Verizon Business VoIP MOS SLA provides that Verizon Business's contiguous U.S. Network MOS performance will not drop below 3.8 between Verizon Business-designated inter-regional transit backbone network routers ("Hub Routers") in the contiguous United States. MOS is calculated using the standards based E-model (ITU-T G.107).

Click here to view MOS performance statistics.

To receive a credit, customer must submit their request within 30 business days after the month in which the SLA standard was not met. Customer must access the online Verizon Business VoIP MOS Credit Request Form, and provide all required information (e.g., account number). The Verizon Business Customer Support department will use Verizon Business's public backbone statistics Web site to verify that the MOS SLA standard was missed. If Verizon Business Support confirms customer's request (i.e., that Verizon Business missed the MOS SLA threshold), then the customer shall receive a credit to its account equal to one day's share of the Verizon Business VoIP service monthly recurring charge ("MRC") specified below for each unit of the Service affected by the missed SLA. For A la Carte service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is either the applicable site fee or simultaneous calling charge plus the applicable monthly recurring fee for the related Internet Dedicated service under the related Verizon Business service agreement. For Bundled service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is the applicable base charge plus the simultaneous calling charge. No credits will be given with respect to units of the Service that are not affected by the missed SLA.

Network Latency Service Level Agreement

The Verizon Business VoIP Latency SLA provides the Verizon Business's contiguous U.S. Network Latency performance will have a monthly average round-trip transmission of 55 milliseconds or less between Verizon Business-designated inter-regional transit backbone network routers ("Hub Routers") in the contiguous United States.

Click here to view Network latency performance statistics.

To receive a credit, customer must submit their request within 30 business days after the month in which the SLA standard was not met. Customer must access the online Verizon Business VoIP Network Latency Credit Request Form, and provide all required information (e.g., account number). The Verizon Business Customer Support department will use Verizon Business's public backbone statistics Web site to verify that the Network Latency SLA standard was missed. If Verizon Business Support confirms customer's request (i.e., that Verizon Business missed the Network Latency SLA threshold), then the customer shall receive a credit to its account equal to one day's share of the Verizon VoIP service monthly recurring charge ("MRC") specified below for each unit of the Service affected by the missed SLA. For A la Carte service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is either the applicable site fee or simultaneous calling charge plus the applicable monthly recurring fee for the related Internet Dedicated service under the related Verizon Business service agreement. For Bundled service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is the applicable base charge plus the simultaneous calling charge. No credits will be given with respect to units of the Service that are not affected by the missed SLA.

Network Packet Delivery Service Level Agreement

The Verizon Business VoIP Packet Delivery SLA provides that Verizon Business's monthly packet delivery rate will be 99.5 percent or greater for data delivery between designated Hub Routers in the contiguous United States.

Click here to view Packet Delivery performance statistics.

To receive a credit, customer must submit their request within 30 business days after the month in which the SLA standard was not met. Customer must access the online Verizon Business VoIP Packet Delivery Credit Request Form and provide all required information (e.g., account number). The Verizon Business Customer Support department will use Verizon Business's public backbone statistics Web site to verify that the Packet Delivery SLA was missed. If Verizon Business Support confirms customer's request (i.e., that Verizon Business missed the Packet Delivery SLA threshold), then the customer shall receive a credit to its account equal to one day's share of the Verizon Business VoIP service monthly recurring charge ("MRC") specified below for each unit of the Service affected by the missed SLA. For A la Carte service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is either the applicable site fee or simultaneous calling charge plus the applicable monthly recurring fee for the related Internet Dedicated service under the related Verizon Business service agreement. For Bundled service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is the applicable base charge plus the simultaneous calling charge. No credits will be given with respect to units of the Service that are not affected by the missed SLA.

Network Availability Service Level Agreement

The Verizon Business VoIP Network Availability SLA provides that Verizon Business's contiguous US Network will be available at least 99.9 percent of the time as measured on a monthly basis by trouble ticket time. The Network is considered not available for the number of minutes that a trouble ticket shows the Network, or an Verizon Business-ordered, third-party telephone company access circuit in the contiguous U.S., was not available to Customer. The unavailable time is started when a customer opens a trouble ticket with the Verizon Business Customer Support Center at 877-777-7176. The unavailable time stops when the applicable Network or access circuit trouble has been resolved and the service is again available to the customer.

This will not include unavailability resulting from:

1. Verizon Business Network maintenance;
2. Customer-ordered third-party circuits;
3. Inappropriate customer service configuration change(s) through the Verizon Business Customer Center Web site;
4. Customer Premise Equipment including, but not limited to, customer provided PBX, black phones, SIP phones, Quality of Service Box, firewalls, Router/modem and/or Analog/Ethernet Adapter;
5. Acts or omissions of Customer, or any use or user of the service that is authorized by Customer but outside the scope of Customer's service;
6. Reasons of Force Majeure (as defined in the applicable underlying Service Agreement).
7. "Customer Time," which is the time identified on the trouble ticket (if any) attributable to, or caused by, through no fault of Verizon Business, the following: (a) incorrect or incomplete contact information provided by Customer which prevents Verizon Business from completing the trouble diagnosis and service restoration; (b) Verizon Business being denied access to network components at the Customer location when access is required to complete trouble shooting, repair, diagnosis, or acceptance testing; (c) Customer's failure or refusal to release the circuit for testing; (d) Customer being unavailable when Verizon Business calls to close a trouble ticket or verify service restoration, (e) any other act or omission on the part of Customer; or (f) down time caused by the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) local loop for periods where the LEC's maintenance support is not available.

Customer must open a trouble ticket with Verizon Business Support while they are experiencing a service problem. The calculation of unavailable time is based on trouble ticket times.

To receive credit, customer must request it within 30 business days after the month in which the SLA standard was not met. Customer must access the online Verizon Business VoIP Network Availability Credit Request Form, and provide all required information (e.g., account number). Customer is responsible for tracking the time (on trouble tickets) that any unit of the Service is unavailable due to Network unavailability. If Verizon Business Support confirms the validity of customer's request (i.e., that Verizon Business missed the Network Availability SLA standard), then the customer shall receive a credit to its account equal to one day's share of the Verizon Business VoIP service monthly recurring charge ("MRC") specified below for each unit of the Service affected by the missed SLA, multiplied by each whole hour that the affected unit of Service was unavailable due to Network unavailability. For A la Carte service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is either the applicable site fee or simultaneous calling charge plus the applicable monthly recurring fee for the related Internet Dedicated service under the related Verizon Business service agreement. For Bundled service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is the applicable base charge plus the simultaneous calling charge.

Denial of Service Level Agreement

The Internet Dedicated Access Denial of Service SLA is also available to Verizon Business VoIP customers that use Internet Dedicated Access.

Process

Pursuant to this SLA, Denial of Service attacks on the customer's Internet Dedicated Access shall be responded to within 15 minutes of the customer opening a complete trouble ticket.

To open a trouble ticket for Denial of Service, the customer must call the Verizon Business Customer Support Center at 877-777-7176 and state: "I am under a Denial of Service Attack" and it must be confirmed that the attack is on their Internet Dedicated Access Service. A complete trouble ticket consists of Customer's Name, Account Number, Caller Name, Caller Phone Number, Caller Email Address and Possible Destination IP address/Type of Attack.

Remedy

If Verizon Business Support confirms the customer's request (i.e., that Verizon missed the Denial of Service SLA threshold), then a bundle customer shall receive a credit to its account equal to one day's share of the Verizon Business VoIP service monthly recurring charge ("MRC") specified below for each unit of the Service affected by the missed SLA. For A La Carte service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is either the applicable site fee or simultaneous calling charge plus the applicable monthly recurring fee for the related Internet Dedicated Service under the related Verizon Business service agreement. For Bundled service, the MRC used to calculate the credit is the applicable base charge plus the simultaneous calling charge. No credits will be given with respect to units of the Service that are not affected by the missed SLA. Customer may obtain no more than one credit per month, regardless of the number of Denial of Service SLA non-compliances during the month.

General Conditions

Verizon Business defines a Denial of Service attack on access as more than 95% bandwidth utilization. Verizon Business shall use trouble tickets and other appropriate Verizon Business records to determine, in its sole judgment, SLA compliance. To receive credit, customer must request it within 30 days after the Denial of Service attack occurred. Customer must access the online Verizon Business VoIP Denial of Service Credit Request Form, and provide all required information (e.g., account number).