Loop Provisioning Involving Integrated Digital Loop Carriers 2.6.1 Where Freedom has requested an Unbundled Loop and BellSouth uses IDLC systems to provide the local service to the End User and BellSouth has a suitable alternate facility available, BellSouth will make such alternative facilities available to Freedom. If a suitable alternative facility is not available, then to the extent it is technically feasible, BellSouth will implement one of the following alternative arrangements for Freedom (e.g. hairpinning):
1. Roll the circuit(s) from the IDLC to any spare copper that exists to the customer premises.
2. Roll the circuit(s) from the IDLC to an existing DLC that is not integrated.
3. If capacity exists, provide "side-door" porting through the switch.
4. If capacity exists, provide "Digital Access Cross Connect System (DACS)- door" porting (if the IDLC routes through a DACS prior to integration into the switch).
2.6.2 Arrangements 3 and 4 above require the use of a designed circuit. Therefore, non- designed Loops such as the SL1 voice grade and UCL-ND may not be ordered in these cases.
2.6.3 If no alternate facility is available, and upon request from Freedom, and if agreed to by both Parties, BellSouth may utilize its Special Construction (SC) process to determine the additional costs required to provision facilities. Freedom will then have the option of paying the one-time SC rates to place the Loop.
Abnormally Low Tenders 35.1 An Abnormally Low Tender is one where the Tender price, in combination with other constituent elements of the Tender, appears unreasonably low to the extent that the Tender price raises material concerns with the Procuring Entity as to the capability of the Tenderer to perform the Contract for the offered Tender price.
35.2 In the event of identification of a potentially Abnormally Low Tender by the evaluation committee, the Procuring Entity shall seek written clarification from the Tenderer, including a detailed price analyses of its Tender price in relation to the subject matter of the contract, scope, delivery schedule, allocation of risks and responsibilities and any other requirements of the tendering document.
35.3 After evaluation of the price analysis, in the event that the Procuring Entity determines that the Tenderer has failed to demonstrate its capability to perform the contract for the offered Tender price, the Procuring Entity shall reject the Tender.
Abnormally High Tenders 36.4 An abnormally high price is one where the tender price, in combination with other constituent elements of the Tender, appears unreasonably too high to the extent that the Procuring Entity is concerned that it (the Procuring Entity) may not be getting value for money or it may be paying too high a price for the contract compared with market prices or that genuine competition between Tenderers is compromised.
36.5 In case of an abnormally high tender price, the Procuring Entity shall make a survey of the market prices, check if the estimated cost of the contract is correct and review the Tender Documents to check if the specifications, scope of work and conditions of contract are contributory to the abnormally high tenders. The Procuring Entity may also seek written clarification from the tenderer on the reason for the high tender price. The Procuring Entity shall proceed as follows:
i) If the tender price is abnormally high based on wrong estimated cost of the contract, the Procuring Entity may accept or not accept the tender depending on the Procuring Entity's budget considerations.
ii) If specifications, scope of work and/or conditions of contract are contributory to the abnormally high tender prices, the Procuring Entity shall reject all tenders and may retender for the contract based on revised estimates, specifications, scope of work and conditions of contract, as the case may be.
36.6 If the Procuring Entity determines that the Tender Price is abnormally too high because genuine competition between tenderers is compromised (often due to collusion, corruption or other manipulations), the Procuring Entity shall reject all Tenders and shall institute or cause relevant Government Agencies to institute an investigation on the cause of the compromise, before retendering.
Two-Way Interconnection Trunks 2.4.1 Where the Parties use Two-Way Interconnection Trunks for the exchange of traffic between Verizon and KDL, KDL, at its own expense, shall:
2.4.1.1 provide its own facilities to the technically feasible Point(s) of Interconnection on Verizon’s network in a LATA; and/or
2.4.1.2 obtain transport to the technically feasible Point(s) of Interconnection on Verizon’s network in a LATA (a) from a third party, or, (b) if Verizon offers such transport pursuant to this Agreement or an applicable Verizon Tariff, from Verizon.
2.4.2 Where the Parties use Two-Way Interconnection Trunks for the exchange of traffic between Verizon and KDL, Verizon, at its own expense, shall provide its own facilities to the technically feasible Point(s) of Interconnection on Verizon’s network in a LATA.
2.4.3 Prior to establishing any Two-Way Interconnection Trunks, KDL shall meet with Verizon to conduct a joint planning meeting (“Joint Planning Meeting”). At that Joint Planning Meeting, each Party shall provide to the other Party originating Centium Call Seconds (Hundred Call Seconds) information, and the Parties shall mutually agree on the appropriate initial number of End Office and Tandem Two-Way Interconnection Trunks and the interface specifications at the technically feasible Point(s) of Interconnection on Verizon’s network in a LATA at which the Parties interconnect for the exchange of traffic. Where the Parties have agreed to convert existing One-Way Interconnection Trunks to Two-Way Interconnection Trunks, at the Joint Planning Meeting, the Parties shall also mutually agree on the conversion process and project intervals for conversion of such One- Way Interconnection Trunks to Two-Way Interconnection Trunks.
2.4.4 On a semi-annual basis, KDL shall submit a good faith forecast to Verizon of the number of End Office and Tandem Two-Way Interconnection Trunks that KDL anticipates Verizon will need to provide during the ensuing two (2) year period for the exchange of traffic between KDL and Verizon. KDL’s trunk forecasts shall conform to the Verizon CLEC trunk forecasting guidelines as in effect at that time.
2.4.5 The Parties shall meet (telephonically or in person) from time to time, as needed, to review data on End Office and Tandem Two-Way Interconnection Trunks to determine the need for new trunk groups and to plan any necessary changes in the number of Two-Way Interconnection Trunks.
2.4.6 Two-Way Interconnection Trunks shall have SS7 Common Channel Signaling. The Parties agree to utilize B8ZS and Extended Super Frame (ESF) DS1 facilities, where available.
2.4.7 With respect to End Office Two-Way Interconnection Trunks, both Parties shall use an economic Centium Call Seconds (Hundred Call Seconds) equal to five (5). Either Party may disconnect End Office Two-Way Interconnection Trunks that, based on reasonable engineering criteria and capacity constraints, are not warranted by the actual traffic volume experienced.
2.4.8 Two-Way Interconnection Trunk groups that connect to a Verizon access Tandem shall be engineered using a design blocking objective of ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ B.005 during the average time consistent busy hour. Two-Way Interconnection Trunk groups that connect to a Verizon local Tandem shall be engineered using a design blocking objective of ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ B.01 during the average time consistent busy hour. Verizon and KDL shall engineer Two-Way Interconnection Trunks using Telcordia Notes on the Networks SR 2275 (formerly known as BOC Notes on the LEC Networks SR-TSV-002275).
2.4.9 The performance standard for final Two-Way Interconnection Trunk groups shall be that no such Interconnection Trunk group will exceed its design blocking objective (B.005 or B.01, as applicable) for three
Inclement Weather 16.1 The parties are committed to working together to minimize the impact of inclement weather. The employer will ensure reasonable allowance is included in contracts taking into account historic weather conditions and forecast rainfall.
16.2 Inclement weather means the existence of rain or abnormal climatic conditions (whether hail, extreme cold, high wind, severe dust storm, extreme heat (as defined in clause 14), poor air quality (as defined in clause 15), or the like or any combination of these conditions) where it is not reasonable or it is unsafe for employees to continue working in those conditions.
16.3 The employer or its representative, when requested by the employees or their representative, must confer within a reasonable time (which does not exceed 60 minutes) for the purpose of determining whether or not the conditions referred to in clause 16.2 apply.
16.4 The time work stops due to inclement weather and the resumption of work after a period of inclement weather has ended will be recorded by the employer.
16.5 When inclement weather conditions exist, an affected employee is not required to start or continue to work where it is unreasonable or unsafe to do so. In cases where emergency work is required or it is necessary to complete a concrete pour already commenced to a practical stage, work may occur or continue provided that such work does not give rise to a reasonable concern on the part of an employee undertaking the work of an imminent risk to their health or safety.
16.6 Where emergency work or a concrete pour is completed in accordance with clause 16.5, work will be paid at the rate of 200% of the ordinary hourly rate calculated to the next hour, and in the case of wet weather, the employee will be provided with adequate wet weather gear. If an employee’s clothes become wet as a result of working in the rain the employee will be allowed to go home for the remainder of the day without loss of pay.
16.7 Where an employee is not able to perform any work at any location because of inclement weather, the employee will receive payment at the ordinary hourly rate for ordinary hours. Payment for time lost due to inclement weather is subject to a maximum of 32 hours pay in any 4-week period for each employee. Payment is subject to adherence to the terms of clause 16.
16.8 An employee working on a Job Share arrangement pursuant to clause 30—Job Share, that is affected by inclement weather, will be entitled to payment from the 32-hour inclement weather bank on a pro rata basis.
16.9 Employees accumulated inclement weather bank shall not be deducted whilst they remain on site.
16.10 Inclement weather occurring during overtime will not be taken into account for the purposes of clause 16 and employees will not be entitled to any payment for stoppages because of inclement weather that occurs outside of ordinary hours.
16.11 Employees on a portion of a site not affected by inclement weather must continue to work even though employees working on other areas of the site may have stopped work because of inclement weather.
16.12 Subject to the availability of alternative work in an employee’s classification, an employer may require employees to transfer:
(a) from a location on a site where it is unreasonable and/or unsafe to work because of inclement weather, to another area on the same site, where it is reasonable and safe to work; and/or
(b) from a site where it is unreasonable and/or unsafe to work because of inclement weather, to another site, where it is reasonable and safe to work, and where the employer, where necessary, provides transport.
16.13 Remaining on site where, because of inclement weather, the employees are prevented from working:
(a) for more than an accumulated total of 4 hours of ordinary time in any one day; or
(b) after the main meal break, for more than half of the ordinary work time; or
(c) during the final 2 hours of the normal workday for more than an accumulated total of one hour; the employer will not be entitled to require the employees to remain on site beyond the expiration of any of the above circumstances. However, where genuine training has been agreed in writing between the parties, then the course maybe completed in extraordinary circumstances.
16.14 Where the employees are in the sheds, because they have been rained off, or because it is at starting time, morning tea, or lunch time, and it is raining, they will not be required to go to work in a dry area or to be transferred to another site unless:
(a) the rain stops; or
(b) a covered walkway has been provided; or
(c) the sheds are under cover and the employees can get to the dry area without going through the rain; or
(d) adequate protection is provided.
16.15 Protection must, where necessary, be provided for the employees’ tools.