Customer Product Description

Supported by:

Customer Product Description

Authors

Andy Cooper, Head of Technical Solutions, XConnect - [email protected], T - +44 208 371 4815 Klaus Landefeld, Head of Infrastructure and Networks, eco e.V., [email protected], T - +49 221 700 0480

T

ABLE OF

C

ONTENTS

.

1 Introduction – The Drivers and Benefits of DE-CIX NGN. ...3

1.1 NGN Interconnection – Issues and Opportunities. ...3

1.2 NGN Interconnection – DE-CIX NGN. ...4

1.3 DE-CIX NGN - Benefits Summary. ...5

2 DE-CIX NGN - Platform and Functional Overview. ...6

2.1 DE-CIX NGN Availability and Performance. ...8

3 DE-CIX NGN Federations. ...9

3.1 DE-CIX NGN Federations – Initial Service. ...9

3.1.1 Federation Rules. ... 11

3.2 German On-Net Federation – Performance Targets. ... 13

4 Interconnecting to DE-CIX NGN. ... 14

4.1 DE-CIX NGN Call Flow Example. ... 16

5 Operational Support. ... 17

5.1.1 Network Monitoring and Repair. ... 17

5.1.2 Interconnect Implementation. ... 17

6 Commercial. ... 17

6.1 Contractual Model. ... 17

6.2 DE-CIX NGN Pricing. ... 18

6.3 Federation Inter SP Settlement. ... 19

6.3.1 German National On-Net (Settled) Federation. ... 19

1 I

NTRODUCTION

–

T

HE

D

RIVERS AND

B

ENEFITS OF

DE-CIX

NGN.

The DE-CIX NGN service enhances the existing DE-CIX IP and transport layer interconnect services enabling eligible Service Providers to interconnect their NGN/IMS and VoIP networks at the SIP and RTP layers.

DE-CIX NGN enables ‘cross network’ support for advanced VoIP features, while minimising the effective cost of interconnection, by providing a carrier class, neutral ‘Exchange’ point run to the same exacting standards of performance and reliability with SLA guarantees, delivered by all DE-CIX services.

1.1 NGN

I

–

I

O

.

Most Service Providers (SP) are deploying NGN/IMS networks to take advantage of the cost savings and additional service features (and therefore revenue opportunities) offered by ‘Multi-media VoIP’ services vs traditional TDM telephony.

Whilst VoIP features (such as HD voice and video telephony) may be supported within an SPs network, experience has shown (for example with SMS) that only when these features are available ‘across networks’ do they become mass market adopted and successful.

Today, most calls between NGN networks transit the TDM PSTN, as shown below :

NGN Network

PSTN

NGN Interconnection via the TDM PSTN

This interconnect model has considerable disadvantages to the NGN Service Providers:-

 Advanced VoIP features will not work between networks.

 Cost of TDM-VoIP Gateways to convert traffic.

 Reduction in voice quality due to VoIP-TDM conversions.

To overcome these disadvantages, NGN SPs have started to implement direct bi-lateral VoIP Interconnects between their networks, as shown below:

NGN Network NGN Network NGN Network NGN Network

NGN Interconnection – Direct Bi-Lateral

Whilst this interconnect model can support VoIP services across networks, each SP has to implement and administer each individual interconnection (both technically and commercially). This represents a considerable cost in network and human resources (with the appropriate level of technical expertise), and the number of direct bi-lateral interconnects will therefore be cost limited.

1.2 NGN

I

–

DE-CIX

NGN.

The DE-CIX NGN service enables NGN SP customers to realise the benefits of providing cross network advanced VoIP services, whilst minimising the effective cost of interconnection compared with the direct bi-lateral model. This is shown below:

NGN Network NGN Network NGN Network NGN Network NGN Interconnection – DE-CIX NGN

The DE-CIX NGN service is a multi-lateral interconnect model (also known as Federation).

Customers connect their NGN network (IP interconnect and SIP interconnect) to the DE-CIX NGN platform , and can then send and receive VoIP traffic to/from any other connected network on a ‘policy’ basis.

DE-CIX NGN will support a number of Federation services, allowing customers to select the best interconnect service (in terms of traffic types supported, quality of service requirements, settlement models etc.) to suit their business.

The DE-CIX NGN service is designed to carry advanced VoIP services, provide carrier class availability and traffic performance, and is built on the DE-CIX IP fabric to guarantee VoIP media packet QOS and security.

DE-CIX have partnered with XConnect (a leading player in the NGN interconnect market) to leverage the expertise, experience and technology of both businesses to deliver a truly carrier class, next generation interconnect solution.

1.3 DE-CIX

NGN

-

B

S

.

Customers of the DE-CIX NGN service will benefit from the following:-

 Simple to implement NGN interconnection which supports end-to-end VoIP services across networks.

 High quality VoIP interconnection, with guaranteed QOS and availability, as good as the PSTN.

 Reach multiple networks with a single interconnect, reducing the technical, operational and commercial costs & risks of multiple direct interconnections.

 Reduced time to implement multiple interconnects.

 Bandwidth aggregation – efficient use of IP interconnect bandwidth by aggregation of traffic to multiple partners.

 Flexibility – Where possible DE-CIX will work with customers to tailor the implementation to their specific network requirements.

 Neutrality – DE-CIX will not compete with our customers, and all members are listened to equally.

 Experience – DE-CIX and XConnect have years of experience in deploying and operating NGN interconnection solutions.

 Future Direction – DE-CIX will work with our members to define the future direction of DE-CIX NGN as members deploy and enhance their NGN networks and service set.

2 DE-CIX

NGN

-

P

LATFORM AND

F

UNCTIONAL

O

VERVIEW

.

Figure 2-1 below shows a functional overview of the DE-CIX NGN platform . Note this example shows German Numbering being loaded into the Registry via the Vortex NP database. Numbers (representing either customer numbers or destinations) and routes may also be uploaded by customers directly, or obtained from other data sources depending on the Federation application being provided :-

Vortex Registry Vortex NP Database QOS IP Network Interconnect Hub SP C Network SP B Network SP A Network

+49123

+49456

+49789

Figure 2-1 – DE-CIX NGN Functional Overview.

The DE-CIX NGN service is delivered by the integration of 5 network ‘components’. All components and the underlying network connectivity provide carrier grade performance and availability and are at least replicated to avoid any single points of failure.

 Vortex Number Portability (NP) Database – The Vortex NP database contains the authoritative mapping of German Telephone Numbers (TN) to ‘owning’ Service Provider’ (as allocated and regulated by the German telecom regulator). The Vortex NP database is updated by participating SPs as part of the regulated porting and number management processes.

 Vortex Registry – Numbering data from the Vortex NP database is synchronised to the Vortex Private Carrier ENUM Registry .The Vortex Registry holds the mapping of Telephone Number to owning SP network and associated owning SP SIP address. The Registry runs ‘Federation’ service logic which is responsible for determining whether a call is allowed (policy), and which route to use (routing).

 Interconnect Hub – The interconnect hub is the central point for interconnecting SIP Signalling and Media between DE-CIX NGN customers. SPs connect their VoIP network to the Interconnect Hub and can pass calls to all other connected SPs, avoiding the need to implement multiple direct VoIP interconnects. The Interconnect Hub queries the Registry to determine whether a particular call between SPs is ‘allowed’ through any mutually joined Federation policy and if so where to route the call.

The Interconnect Hub provides the following functions:-

o Session Border Control – All SP SIP interconnects to the hub terminate on the interconnect hub SBC. The SBC supports SIP layer security (topology hiding, Call Admission Control, B2BUA, SIP message validation), and SIP interworking (allowing different implementations and methods of SIP to be ‘interworked’ amongst the SPs).

o Stateful SIP Proxy – The SIP Proxy routes the SIP messages between the SPs. The proxy's internal routing engine queries the Registry to determine whether a call is allowed, and the appropriate SIP route for the call. The SIP Proxy routing engine supplements the routing data received from the Registry to allow more complex routing scenarios if required (eg first choice, second choice etc.). If a call requires Media Relay, the proxy will allocate an appropriate address and port.

o Media Relay – The media relay is an optional element, and can be used to support particular call scenarios where media topology hiding or NAT traversal are required. Use of the media relay for a particular call is controlled by the SIP Proxy.

o CDR Generation – A Call Detail Record is generated for every call across the hub. CDRs are stored in a data-warehouse and form the basis for quality and usage reporting for the DE-CIX NGN services. For Federations utilizing the platform settlement option, the CDRs also form the basis of all inter-provider settlement charges.

 DE-CIX NGN IP Network – The DE-CIX NGN service is accessed via a dedicated DE-CIX NGN IP network, which provides a guaranteed QOS performance for the SIP and RTP media traffic across DE-CIX NGN. Customers can connect to the DE-CIX NGN IP network either via a dedicated layer 2 port (at DE-CIX sites in Frankfurt), or by activating a new VLAN on an existing DE-CIX layer 2 port. Customers have the option of connecting more than one link to the DE-CIX NGN IP network to increase resilience.

2.1 DE-CIX

NGN

A

P

.

DE-CIX NGN is designed to provide carrier class availability and performance, so that customers can interconnect their VoIP traffic with performance and quality at least equal to that delivered by the PSTN. Table 2-1 below describes the Service Quality metrics and targets for the DE-CIX NGN service.

Note: All measurements are between the IP interconnect points to the DE-CIX NGN platform , and exclude any scheduled maintenance windows.

Service Metric Description Target

One-Way Latency Time for media packets to transit between SP DE-CIX NGN access points.

<5ms for 97.5% of packets measured on a daily basis. Media Packet Loss % of media packets lost between SP DE-CIX NGN

access points.

<0.05% of total packets measured on a daily basis. Media Packet Jitter Delay variance for media packets to transit

between SP DE-CIX NGN access points.

<5ms for 97.5% of packets measured on a daily basis. Call Initiation

Processing Time

Time between sending a valid SIP Invite from the Originating SP DE-CIX NGN access point and the SIP Invite being forwarded to the terminating SP DE-CIX NGN access point

<50ms for 99% of valid SIP Invites received measured on a monthly basis.

Service Availability Availability of the DE-CIX NGN Exchange service to process calls, where SPs access the service via a single access link.

99.85% availability measured on a monthly basis.

3 DE-CIX

NGN

F

EDERATIONS

.

The DE-CIX NGN functional architecture allows the creation of ‘Interconnect Federations’ which are realised via the DE-CIX NGN Registry policy function.

A Federation is a logical ‘interconnect’ Community, where the Federation Members agree to a set of rules (documented in a Federation contract) which govern the Community. This ‘central contract’ model allows SPs to join the Community without having to sign an individual agreement with each member.

A Federation can be defined by:-

 The qualifying criteria for a Service Provider to become a Member. o Eg Licensed German Service Providers

 The TNs that can be reached via the Federation o eg On-Net owned numbers only

 Any specific traffic or technical service rules which the members must support :- o eg specific voice codecs, QOS performance criteria

 The commercial settlement regime for traffic between the Members o eg per minute settlement, pre-paid, etc.

SPs who meet the eligibility criteria may choose to belong to multiple Federations.

3.1 DE-CIX

NGN

F

–

I

S

.

For the initial DE-CIX NGN service, the following three public Federations for the exchange of VoIP traffic will be available.

 German National On-Net Federation (Settled) – This Federation will support calls between On-Net German Licensed Operators own numbers only (ie no transit to off-net networks). Members will be expected to sign up to VoIP network availability and performance targets, and tones/announcements to ensure that end –user VoIP service quality is at least equal to that of the PSTN. Number validation according to the National German Numbering Plan will apply. Members will settle for traffic termination based on termination charges according to the national regulation.

 German National On-Net Federation (Bill and Keep) – This Federation has the same rules as above, with the exception that Members will agree to a bill and keep commercial relationship rather than per minute settled. Membership will be limited to “Full Service” Operators with approximately symmetrical traffic patterns.

 Global On-Net Best Efforts Federation – in this Federation members do not have to sign up to any performance targets. This allows Members who do not have control over their end to end call path to still benefit from the DE-CIX NGN interconnection services. This Federation will be open to both national and International Service Providers with their own number ranges.

Additional public Federations or bespoke private Federations will be created by DE-CIX as driven by Member demand.

For clarity, the DE-CIX NGN service will provide the same levels of availability and performance (as described in section 2.1) to all Federations and customers.

Eligible SP customers may belong to several Federations. An example is shown in Figure 3-1 below:-

German National On-Net (Settled)

Federation

German National On-Net (Bill and Keep)

Federation SP A SP B SP C Physical Interconnect Logical Interconnect

Figure 3-1 – DE-CIX NGN Federation – Multiple Membership

In this example, SP A and B can exchange traffic on a settlement basis; SP B and C can exchange traffic on a Bill and Keep basis; SP A and C cannot exchange traffic at all.

3.1.1 Federation Rules.

The rules and characteristics of the initial Federations are shown in Table 3-1 below :-

German National On-Net – (Settled)

German National On-Net (Bill and Keep)

Global On-Net – Best Efforts Eligible

Customers

Licensed German Service Providers with national telephone numbers (TNs) allocated by the German Regulator

Licensed German Service Providers with national telephone numbers (TNs) allocated by the German Regulator

National or International Service Providers with national telephone numbers allocated by their respective Regulator

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Members will be expected to sign up to availability and performance targets, in addition to specific technical requirements to support ‘PSTN’ like quality of service and user experience.

Member TNs will need to be available within the German NP database.

Members will be expected to sign up to availability and performance targets, in addition to specific technical requirements to support ‘PSTN’ like quality of service and user experience. Member TNs will need to be available within the German NP database.

Member TNs will need to be available within the DE-CIX NGN Registry database.

Traffic Types On-Net SP TN to On-Net SP TN only. No national or international transit. On-Net SP TN to On-Net SP TN only. No national or international transit. On-Net SP TN to On-Net SP TN only. No national or international transit. Settlement Regime

Per Minute settlement model., based on German regulated termination rates.

Bill and Keep (Settlement Free)

Bill and Keep (Settlement Free)

Table 3-1 –DE-CIX NGN Federation Rules.

As described in Table 3-1 the DE-CIX NGN service will route only TNs belonging to the Member SPs within each Federation. No national or international transit traffic will be allowed. This is shown in Figure 3-2 below:

SP A SP B SP C SP D International German National Federations +4912 +4934 +4956 +4978

X

X

Figure 3-2 – German National Federations

SP A, B and C are Members of the German National Federation (either QOS or best efforts or both). SP D is not a Member.

SP A, B and C can exchange traffic amongst their own TNs only (as identified in the German NP database). They cannot transit to/from international or to/from SP D. These services require a private “transit” style federation which may be added on customer request.

To enforce this routing, DE-CIX NGN will use the numbering data synchronised from the Vortex NP database to check policy, and route to the SP who owns the TN (whether that is an original TN allocated by the Regulator, or a ported-in TN).Calls to TNs not owned by the participating Members will be rejected with standard SIP release cause allowing the originating Member to re-route via the PSTN.

3.2 G

O

-N

F

–

P

T

.

The intent of the German On-Net QoS Federations is to provide a user experience for VoIP traffic (in terms of performance and quality), at least equal to that of the German National PSTN.

SPs wishing to join the Federation will therefore have to sign up to a set of performance targets and service capabilities which apply to the end to end call (or at least to the edge of the SP network).

Table 3-2 below suggests some target metrics and methods. These will be finalised and agreed with the initial Federation Members and captured in the Federation contract.

End-to –End Quality Parameter Value Comment

One-Way Latency (Mouth to Ear) Maximum 150ms Average One Way Jitter Less than 30ms End to End Packet Loss Less than 1%

Speech Codec Used G.711 A law The DE-CIX NGN Exchange will also support HD voice traffic, however no transcoding will be supported, and therefore this will be dependent on the capabilities of the SP end-devices.

Post Dial Delay Less than 300ms Time between Originating end-user completing dialling and ringtone or treatment (tone or announcement) being heard.

Availability 99.85% Availability of the end-to-end network measured

on a monthly basis.

Network Efficiency Ratio (NER) 99% of calls. Percentage of SIP Invites which received a valid network response removing user impact (eg does not include User Busy or No Answer calls, incorrect/incomplete number dialled etc.).

CLI transparency 100% Percentage of calls providing the correct A

network number to the B network. User presentation privacy will be upheld.

Tones and Announcements German National standard

All calls are provided with German PSTN standard tones and announcements.

Fax/Model Support Method G711 pass-thru T.38 may be used, but will be negotiated between end-devices. Members should support G.711 pass thru as default.

4 I

NTERCONNECTING TO

DE-CIX

NGN.

The following section describes the general technical requirements for an SP wishing to interconnect to the DE-CIX NGN service.

As part of the service implementation, DE-CIX will work with customers to exchange interconnect design information, and conduct interoperability testing.

Connecting to DE-CIX NGN requires the following:-

 Interconnecting at the IP level to the DE-CIX NGN IP network.

o Interconnection may be either via a dedicated layer 2 interconnect (FastE/GigE) at any DE-CIX Frankfurt site, or by establishing a new VLAN on an existing DE-CIX IP port.

o SPs may interconnect at two different DE-CIX sites for increased resilience.

 Interconnecting at the SIP and RTP media layers to the DE-CIX NGN Interconnect Hub

o SPs need to establish at least one SIP trunk from their NGN network to the DE-CIX NGN interconnect hub but possibly one SIP trunk per federation. Generally this would be from the SP SBC (or other border element).

o The SPs can establish multiple SIP trunks from diverse border elements if required for resilience.

o SPs need to authorise RTP media to be sent from the DE-CIX NGN RTP source addresses. (eg within the SP firewall or SBC).

o All SIP/RTP IP addresses and common SIP parameter settings will be exchanged as part of the interop process.

 Federation Membership

o The DE-CIX NGN SP will indicate (and sign the appropriate contracts) which Federations they wish to belong to. This may have an impact on the routing scheme and number set which the SP wishes to include in the Federation.

 Establish Outgoing Routing Scheme

SPs will need to determine how to route outgoing national traffic via DE-CIX NGN instead of routing via the PSTN. A list of DE-CIX NGN members (in each Federation) will be available via the DE-CIX NGN portal. The SP has three options for outgoing routing:-

(1) Internal Routing with Internal NP data – Where the SP has a sufficiently capable internal routing engine, the SP can use the German NP database to support NP corrected routing to route calls via the DE-CIX NGN Exchange service to those on-net Member TNs only.

(2) Send ‘All Calls’ – the Originating SP can send all calls (or specific known ranges) to the DE-CIX NGN Hub. Calls which cannot be terminated will be rejected by DE-CIX NGN with the appropriate SIP response, and the SP can ‘route advance’ the call to their second choice carrier.

(3) Vortex Registry Edge Query – the Originating SP can do an ‘All Call Query’ (ACQ) against the Vortex Registry, the Registry will return the DE-CIX NGN Exchange SIP address if the call can be terminated via the DE-CIX NGN service. The query may be SIP Redirect or ENUM. If the call cannot be terminated via the DE-CIX NGN service a suitable ‘not allowed’ response will be returned and the Originating SP can ‘route advance’ the call to their second choice carrier. This method has the following advantages :

 The SP’s internal routing system is less complex, as it doesn’t have to integrate NP data.  An All Call Query uses less switch resources than sending all SIP calls to the DE-CIX NGN

Exchange hub.

 As new SPs are added to the DE-CIX NGN Exchange product, the SP does not have to modify their outgoing routing plan.

An example call flow with Edge query is shown in section 4.1 below.

 Billing and Reconciliation – Depending on the Federation, the SP needs to consider any impacts on internal billing and reconciliation systems for the end-to-end traffic.

o Customers will be able to access the DE-CIX NGN portal to get reports on traffic usage and performance (and CDR detail) to understand the volumes and flows of traffic with other Members.

o For all Federations, further services (i.e. group clearing/settlement services) will be available upon request.

4.1 DE-CIX

NGN

C

F

E

.

Figure 4-1 below shows an example call flow for a call between two DE-CIX NGN SP customers who are allowed to exchange traffic. Vortex Registry Vortex NP Database Interconnect Hub SP C Network SP B Network SP A Network

+49123

+49456

+49789

Call

+49789

Figure 4-1 – DE-CIX NGN Call Flow Example.

(1) A subscriber of SP A calls +49789. SP A network has chosen the ‘Edge Query’ routing method and launches a SIP or ENUM query against the Vortex Registry.

(2) The Vortex Registry contains the list of TNs to SP owners, in addition to the policy logic determining which calls between SPs are allowed. In this case the TN +49789 belongs to SP C, who can exchange traffic with SP A (they are Members of the same Federation). The Registry therefore returns the SIP address of the DE-CIX NGN Interconnect Hub.

(3) SP A sends a SIP Invite with destination TN of +49789 the Interconnect Hub (including all other appropriate SIP headers eg A number and SDP).

(4) The Interconnect Hub, performs a central query of the Vortex Registry. The policy is revalidated, and the Registry now returns the SIP address of the SIP trunk established to SP C.

(5) The Interconnect Hub sends a SIP Invite to SP C with B TN of +49789 (and all appropriate headers). The SDP address will be that of the Interconnect Hub media relay. Assuming the call is allowed by SP C, subsequent SIP signalling will flow via the Interconnect Hub.

(6) All subsequent SIP signalling will be relayed via the Interconnect Hub SIP Proxy. RTP media will either flow directly between SP IP ports, or via DE-CIX NGN media relays (if required, depending on call flows and SP IP configurations).

5 O

PERATIONAL

S

UPPORT

.

In addition to a highly resilient design and exacting performance criteria, the DE-CIX NGN service will also be supported on a 24x7x365 basis to monitor and repair the DE-CIX NGN platform , and respond to customer trouble tickets utilizing the proven DE-CIX customer service desk.

5.1.1 Network Monitoring and Repair.

The DE-CIX NGN service will be monitored on a 24x7x365 basis, via alarms and traps generated by the DE-CIX NGN platform components, and traffic level monitoring and alarms (eg ASRs, PDD, call attempts etc).

DE-CIX NGN includes a 24x7x365 Helpdesk available to report and respond to customer faults and inquiries following standard DE-CIX support and escalation processes.

An operational manual describing contact points, instructions on raising trouble tickets, escalation process and target response times will be provided to SPs at hand-over time.

5.1.2 Interconnect Implementation.

New CIX NGN customers will be implemented via an Interconnect Implementation process managed by DE-CIX.

The Interconnect process includes interconnect design, configuration documentation, interconnect testing and CDR/billing validation (between the SP and the DE-CIX NGN service).

6 C

OMMERCIAL

.

6.1 C

M

.

SPs wishing to sign up to the DE-CIX NGN service and Federations will sign a contract with DE-CIX which includes the following:

 DE-CIX Master Service Agreement (MSA)

o The DE-CIX MSA covers the generic terms and conditions applicable to all DE-CIX services. Existing DE-CIX customers will already have signed this agreement.

 DE-CIX NGN Platform Schedule to MSA

o This schedule to the MSA covers the connectivity to the DE-CIX NGN platform including IP interconnection and traffic exchange. This schedule will include all fees payable to DE-CIX for use of the NGN exchange platform and associated services.

 Federation Service Schedule to MSA

o SPs will sign a schedule for each Federation service they wish to join. The Federation schedule will cover the terms and conditions, qualifying criteria and obligations, and inter-SP settlement regime applicable to the particular Federation service.

This model allows SPs to exchange traffic, without having to sign individual contracts with each Federation member.

6.2 DE-CIX

NGN

P

.

DE-CIX NGN pricing covers the connectivity and interconnection of calls across the DE-CIX NGN platform as described above, and is paid by the SP to DE-CIX. A minimum term of 12 months applies.<

DE-CIX NGN pricing consists of the following components and pricing as shown in Table 6-1 below.

Pricing Item Price Comment

DE-CIX NGN VLAN € 350,00 Monthly NGN VLAN fee, DE-CIX

public peering port is mandatory

DE-CIX NGN linerate 1GE port fee € 500,00 Monthly IP port fee, eco

membership fee assumed, dedicated NGN port

DE-CIX NGN fractional 2,5GE port fee

€ 1200,00 Monthly IP port fee, eco

membership fee assumed, dedicated NGN port

DE-CIX NGN lineratel 10GE port fee € 2300,00 Monthly IP port fee, eco membership fee assumed, dedicated NGN port

DE-CIX NGN traffic volume SMALL € 250,00 >10 Mio. minutes

DE-CIX NGN traffic volume MEDIUM

€ 500,00 10 Mio. to 100 Mio. minutes

DE-CIX NGN traffic volume LARGE € 750,00 < 10 Mio. minutes

DE-CIX NGN Federation € XXXXX (TBD) Fee for participation in a

Federation Table 6-1 – DE-CIX NGN pricing.

In the trial phase – expected to last until 31.12.2013 – DE-CIX will not charge any of the above mentioned charges to connected SPs. All fees will be determined in a discussion based on actual numbers (i.e. number of

6.3 F

I

SP

S

.

SPs will sign a Federation schedule for each Federation they wish to join (assuming they are eligible).

The Federation schedule outlines the terms and conditions, and obligations associated with Federation membership. The Federation schedule also describes the settlement regime used between Member SPs for interconnect traffic.

This model allows the Federation members to exchange traffic without having to separately contract with each new Federation member.

6.3.1 German National On-Net (Settled) Federation.

SPs subscribing to this Federation will need to settle for the traffic exchanged over the DE-CIX NGN service. Rates and terms for such traffic are left to the subscribing SPs to agree, but are expected to mirror the German Regulated termination rates.

SPs can settle for traffic charges directly, or a settlement service can be provided by DE-CIX on request.

The DE-CIX NGN Service will provide a monthly traffic & minutes report (available via the portal). The report will be provided to each SP (for their specific originating and terminating traffic).

The report will detail all outbound and inbound calls for each Federation Member SP and will contain at least the following information:-

Outbound Call Report

Terminating SP Call Attempts Successful Calls ASR Minutes SP Name SP Name

Inbound Call Report

Originating SP Call Attempts Successful Calls ASR Minutes SP Name SP Name

6.3.2 Bill and Keep Federations.

The Bill and Keep Federation, will utilize a ‘bill and keep’ settlement regime, where there is no inter SP settlement for traffic. SPs can get the same set of reports as described in section 6.3.1 if they wish to check on the ‘balance’ of traffic between their Federation partners.