§  51.325   Notice of network changes: Public notice requirement.

   (a) An incumbent local exchange carrier (“LEC”) must provide public
   notice regarding any network change that:

   (1) Will affect a competing service provider's performance or ability
   to provide service;

   (2) Will affect the incumbent LEC's interoperability with other service
   providers; or

   (3) Will affect the manner in which customer premises equipment is
   attached to the interstate network.

   (4) Will result in the retirement of copper loops or copper subloops,
   and the replacement of such loops with fiber-to-the-home loops or
   fiber-to-the-curb loops, as those terms are defined in § 51.319(a)(3).

   (b) For purposes of this section, interoperability means the ability of
   two or more facilities, or networks, to be connected, to exchange
   information, and to use the information that has been exchanged.

   (c) Until public notice has been given in accordance with § § 51.325
   through 51.335, an incumbent LEC may not disclose to separate
   affiliates, separated affiliates, or unaffiliated entities (including
   actual or potential competing service providers or competitors),
   information about planned network changes that are subject to this
   section.

   (d) For the purposes of § § 51.325 through 51.335, the term services
   means telecommunications services or information services.

   [ 61 FR 47351 , Sept. 6, 1996, as amended at  64 FR 14148 , Mar. 24, 1999;
    68 FR 52305 , Sept. 2, 2003;  69 FR 77954 , Dec. 29, 2004]