Many-to-many OSS connections: Bellcore service aims to streamline operations

Streamlining operations for carriers that must interconnect their operations support systems with numerous other carriers is the goal of a new interconnection service from Bellcore.

BellSouth and Sprint's competitive local exchange carrier operations will be the first carriers to use the ServiceGate Exchange Link service. Bellcore expects at least eight incumbent carriers to participate in the service.

Carol Bussing, Sprint vice president of systems and operations for national integration services, welcomed what she called the "clearinghouse" concept.

"There has got to be a way to manage the overwhelming expense around OSS activity," said Bussing. Without an interconnection service, Sprint would have to write separate interfaces to each trading partner. Now it will only have to write a single interface to the service.

"The service isn't intended to replace gateways but to simplify and make them more useful," said Phil Gamble, Bellcore's ServiceGate Exchange Link product manager.

The service offers carriers their choice of a direct OSS-to-OSS interconnection or a Web-based graphical user interface.

Ultimately, the service also may provide independent third-party verification of whether OSS performance measures are being met, said Gamble.

Competitive local exchange carrier Nextlink has rolled out service for small and medium-sized businesses in metropolitan New York. Nextlink serves 33 markets in 11 states with this new addition.

CTC Communications Corp., the company whose transition from Bell Atlantic agent to CLEC was fraught with legal battles, closed a $75 million, three-year financing arrangement with Goldman Sachs Credit Partners and Fleet National Bank. With its new funding, CTC plans to expand in existing markets and in six states in the Boston-Washington corridor.

CLEC State Communications received approval to provide local and long-distance service in Louisiana. The carrier also announced that during its first four weeks of operation in South Carolina, it has received orders from more than 15,000 customers.