Telecommunications Information Notice 05-05
Telecommunications Service Order, Repair, and Billing Processing Arrangements
Resulting from Hurricane Katrina

October 04, 2005

Due to disruption of telecommunications services in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, the Office of Telecommunications Management (OTM) is releasing the following information to all state agencies.

What will be service providers' and OTM's billing arrangements for telecommunications services in affected areas?

OTM personnel are in contact with all service providers regarding their policies on service credits to the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. While some providers are still working to finalize their policies, OTM is providing the following known information.

• There will be no billing from OTM for the Standard Dial Tone line of service on the September 2005 OTM bill for Centrex lines provisioned through BellSouth Business in telephone service areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Billing for subsequent months will be evaluated and determined in the coming weeks.
• There will be no billing for the Frame Relay line of service on the September 2005 OTM bill for services provisioned through BellSouth in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.Billing for subsequent months will be evaluated and determined in the coming weeks.
• Credits for data and Non Standard Dial Tone lines of service in affected areas provisioned through BellSouth Business systems will be received in October, 2005 and passed to agencies on the OTM bill as soon thereafter as possible.

As other telecommunications service providers' billing policies become known, OTM will issue credits or provide agencies with that relevant information.

How is OTM handling service provisioning (relocation/rerouting), repair services, and disconnection of services during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? 

• Provisioning--OTM is working with agencies and providers to identify and progress toward restoration or relocation of service as directed.  OTM is coordinating with the National Communications System to provide Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) to agency users as identified. OTM is working closely with services providers to provision vital services as expeditiously as possible.
  
  To make changes to voice services, including voice mailboxes, please fax requests to OTM Customer Service at 225-342-7757. For changes to data services, fax requests to OTM Advanced Services at 225-342-7372. To make changes to pager/BlackBerry service, fax requests to the OTM Wireless group at 225-219-7775.

• Repair Services--The OTM Help Desk is available 24 hours per day, seven days per week to assist in the restoration of telecommunications services.  During regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, OTM is fully staffed to assist all agencies.  From 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and at all times on weekends and holidays, OTM personnel continue to be on call to assist critical care facilities and other state agencies with emergency telecommunications problems.  Following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, additional Help Desk staff is on call after hours to assist agencies. 
  
  To access the OTM Help Desk at anytime, call 225-342-7777.
  
• Disconnecting services in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina--OTM will not disconnect services in the affected areas until written instructions are received from an authorized department or agency representative, as OTM does not know which services continue to be used.  To identify and request service disconnection for facilities no longer in use, OTM requests the assistance of department and regional telecommunications coordinators, accounting personnel, and information technology staff. As many of OTM's local agency contacts in impacted areas have themselves been displaced, OTM often has no means of contacting them.
  
  To disconnect voice services, including voice mailboxes, fax requests to OTM Customer Service at 225-342-7757. For disconnection of data services, fax requests to Advanced Services To disconnect pager/BlackBerry service, fax requests to the OTM Wireless group at 225-219-7775.

Questions regarding this notice should be directed to Rose Trahan at Rose.Trahan@la.gov or 225-342-7718, or J.D. Liford at 225-342-7744 or James.Liford@la.gov.