MTS Demarcation and Wiring Policy

On April 22nd, MTS Communications Inc. held an educational seminar for property managers and Landlords at which time the company's current demarcation and wiring policy was outlined for those in attendance. Following the seminar, Dalmar Matheson, Senior Product Manager for MTS wrote the following letter to the PPMA to provide a further explanation of MTS's position for PPMA Members.

Competition in local exchange telecommunications
service is causing a change in the relationships between
Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS) and building
owners, building managers and the building
construction industry. Specifically, issues concerning
demarcation and responsibility for inside wiring have
been reassessed, and have resulted in various policy
changes. Some of these issues being discussed include:

The appropriate demarcation point for multi-tenant buildings (point in a building where MTS's responsibility for telecommunications wiring ends).
The roles and responsibilities of building owners respecting the installation and repair of telecommunications wiring inside the building.
The extent of building owner's responsibility to competing local exchange carriers respecting access to in building wiring facilities.

Some of your members may be unaware of MTS's
current policy on demarcation and wiring and/or the
impact that this policy could have on their business
operations. This letter outlines MTS's current policy on
demarcation and inside wiring for single tenant,
multi-tenant and new or rewired buildings. Note this
inside wiring policy covers copper facilities only.

MTS's Current Demarcation and Wiring Policy

MTS classifies a building in one of three categories;
single tenant, multi-tenant or new. MTS's demarcation and wiring policy is based on a building's classification. These building types are defined as follows:

Building - includes both residential and commercial types
Single tenant building - one in which there is only one tenant (e.g. Great-West Life building at Broadway and Osborne)
Multi-tenant building - one in which there are two or more tenants with distinct and separate operations (e.g. Trizec Hahn building at 360 Main Street)
New/retrofit building - includes a newly constructed or renovated building and/or one where new wiring is being installed throughout.

Demarcation and Wiring in an existing or new
Single Tenant Building

In single tenant buildings, MTS's responsibility for wiring ends within 15m of the first point of entry into the building, usually in the main terminal room (MTR). MTS maintains responsibility for all the cabling from this demarcation point in the MTR all the way back to MTS's central office. In a single tenant building, the building owner owns all the inside wiring beyond the demarcation point and is wholly responsible for the provisioning and repair of this wire. The building owner pays for any and all work involving wiring beyond the established demarcation point. MTS is willing to do all in-building wiring on behalf of the building owner, on a contract basis.

Demarcation and Wiring in an existing Multi-tenant Building

MTS's current demarcation and wiring policy for existing
multi-tenant buildings is as follows:

Demarcation is at the customers suite (i.e. within 15m of the first point of entry into the customers physical leased space within the building).
MTS will install and maintain the wire from the central office all the way to the demarcation point in the customer's suite - (i.e. MTS will continue to own, manage and control the in-building facilities).
MTS will not make any of this wire available to competitors to provision competing services.
Customers are responsible for the installation and repair of horizontal wiring within their suites.

Demarcation and Wiring in a new Multi-tenant Building

MTS's current demarcation and wiring policy in newly built or rewired buildings is as follows:

Demarcation is in the MTR.
MTS will install and maintain the wire from the central office to the demarcation point in the MTR.
Building owner is responsible for all the in-building wiring facilities beyond the demarcation point (i.e. all the wiring past the demarcation point including house cable).
MTS is willing to do all in-building wiring on behalf of the building owner, on a contract basis.

Note; MTS would be prepared to remove what building owners deem "excess wire" in their buildings, as long as basic service and choice for the building's tenants are not compromised. This work will be done at MTS's competitive hourly rate.

Please be aware that the policy described above is subject to change. There is an ongoing CRTC public proceeding to establish demarcation and wiring policies consistent with the evolving competitive market place. Should any of our current policies change as a result, MTS will advise your association.

If any of your members should have any further questions regarding inside wire or demarcation feel free to contact me at 958-1309. For any work related requests you may contact our Building Industry Consulting Service (BICS) Group at 941-4600.

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