R746-348-5. Construction and Maintenance

A. Responsibility -- Each local exchange service provider shall be responsible for construction and maintenance of facilities on its side of the point of interconnection, unless two or more providers mutually agree to another arrangement.

B. Standards -- Each local exchange service provider shall construct and maintain its facilities at the point of interconnection in accordance with accepted engineering standards and practices in the exchange carrier industry.

1. Each terminating provider will make available to each originating provider any documents and technical references issued by industry standards bodies or equipment manufacturers which define the engineering specifications necessary for the originating provider's equipment to interface with the terminating provider's essential interconnection facilities.

2. No local exchange service provider shall construct or maintain facilities on its side of the point of interconnection in a manner contrary to 47 USC Section 256, or in a manner that is lower in quality than that which it provides itself, its affiliates, or another local exchange service provider.