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WorldCom Policy for Settlement-Free
Interconnection with Internet Networks
January
2001 Background and Introduction
This document sets forth WorldCom's Policy for Settlement-Free
Interconnection with Internet Networks ("Policy"), also referred to
as "peering." The Policy extends WorldCom's existing North American
Policy to Europe and Asia-Pacific and adjusts the minimum operating
requirements to current traffic levels. The Policy is consistent
with settlement-free interconnection policies recently announced by
other Internet Networks. WorldCom will publish, maintain, and update
its Policy on the WorldCom public Web site at www.worldcom.com/peering/.
Part 1 of the Policy details the interconnection requirements
that an Internet Network requesting interconnection (the
"Requester") must meet in order to qualify for settlement-free
interconnection. The Policy establishes separate requirements for
each of WorldCom's three regional Internet Networks, AS701
(WorldCom-US), AS702 (WorldCom-Europe), and AS703 (WorldCom-ASPAC),
with the requirements scaled for each network. WorldCom also will
consider requests for settlement-free interconnection on a national
level or in other regions of the world, with the same guiding
principles and with appropriately scaled interconnection
requirements. Part 2 of the Policy specifies the operational
requirements for interconnecting networks, which both the Requester
and WorldCom must satisfy. Finally, Part 3 delineates some general
notifications regarding the Policy.
This Policy is effective January 5, 2001, and applies to all
requests for settlement-free interconnection with a WorldCom
Internet Network, either via dedicated connections ("direct
peering") or via traffic exchange at a multi-party network access
point ("public peering"). WorldCom will not apply the Policy with
respect to existing agreements for settlement-free interconnection
via dedicated connections until January 5, 2002. At this time, due
in part to inadequate measurement capabilities and WorldCom's
traffic levels at public peering points, WorldCom has no plans to
apply the Policy with respect to existing agreements for
settlement-free interconnection at multi-party network access
points, and WorldCom will provide at least 12 months notice to
existing public peers before doing so.
1. Interconnection Requirements
| 1.1 |
Geographic Scope. The Requester shall
operate facilities capable of terminating customer leased line
IP connections onto a router in at least 50% of the geographic
region in which the WorldCom Internet Network with which it
desires to interconnect operates such facilities. This
currently equates to 15 states in the United States, 8
countries in Europe, or 2 countries in the Asia-Pacific
region. The Requester also must have a
geographically-dispersed network. In the United States, at a
minimum, the Requester must have the ability to meet
WorldCom's Internet Network at an East Coast location, a West
Coast location, and at least two Midwest locations. |
| 1.2 |
Traffic Exchange Ratio. The ratio of the
aggregate amount of traffic exchanged between the Requester
and the WorldCom Internet Network with which it seeks to
interconnect shall be roughly balanced and shall not exceed
1.5:1. |
| 1.3 |
Backbone Capacity. The Requester shall
have a fully redundant backbone network, in which the majority
of its inter-hub trunking links shall have a capacity of at
least 622 Mbps (OC-12) for interconnection with WorldCom-US,
45 Mbps (DS-3) for interconnection with WorldCom-Europe, and
12 Mbps for interconnection with WorldCom-ASPAC. |
| 1.4 |
Traffic Volume. The aggregate amount of
traffic exchanged in each direction over all interconnection
links between the Requester and the WorldCom Internet Network
with which it desires to interconnect shall equal or exceed
150 Mbps of traffic for WorldCom-US, 30 Mbps of traffic for
WorldCom-Europe, and 5 Mbps of traffic for WorldCom-ASPAC.
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2. Operational Requirements
The following operational requirements apply both to the
Requester and to the WorldCom Internet Network with which it desires
to enter into a settlement-free interconnection arrangement:
| 2.1 |
Each Internet Network must establish and
maintain traffic exchange links of a sufficient robustness,
aggregate capacity, and geographic dispersion to facilitate
mutually acceptable performance across the interconnect links.
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| 2.2 |
Each Internet Network must operate a fully
functional 24x7 Network Operations Center. |
| 2.3 |
Each Internet Network must set next hop to be
itself, the advertising router of the network. Each Internet
Network will propagate such routes to its transit customers
with its own router as next hop. |
| 2.4 |
Each Internet Network shall implement "shortest
exit routing" and advertise routes consistent with that
policy, unless both Internet Networks mutually agree otherwise
based on special circumstances. |
| 2.5 |
Each Internet Network must operate a fully
redundant network, capable of handling a simultaneous
single-node outage in each network without significantly
affecting the performance of the traffic being exchanged.
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| 2.6 |
The two Internet Networks must exchange with
each other prior to any settlement-free interconnection
agreement a free shell or PPP account for testing and auditing
purposes related to routing. This will be used for
confirmation of traffic flows, troubleshooting of
interconnection-related issues, and auditing purposes. |
| 2.7 |
Each Internet Network must be responsive to
unsolicited email and network abuse complaints, as well as
routing and security issues, providing a knowledgeable
technician within a two-hour period after notice. |
| 2.8 |
For the purposes of Requirements 1.2 and 1.4 of
the Policy, all traffic is to be measured over interconnection
links. In the event that such links do not exist, the two
Internet Networks may establish temporary test links for the
purposes of traffic measurement. In the event that
establishing such links is not feasible or desirable, traffic
will be measured at peak utilization, based upon a
representative sample consistent with industry practice.
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| 2.9 |
For the purposes of Requirements 1.2 and 1.4 of
the Policy, the traffic to be measured will include only what
is being exchanged by the two Internet Networks and their
respective customers (excluding any transit traffic).
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3. General Policy Notifications
| 3.1 |
The two Internet Networks must enter into a
Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement and an Interconnection
Agreement. |
| 3.2 |
The requirements in Part 1 must be met at the
time the request for settlement-free interconnection with
WorldCom is made. |
| 3.3 |
All requirements of the Policy must continue to
be met to continue a settlement-free interconnection
relationship. Status under the policy will be evaluated
periodically. In the case of a change in ownership or control
of an Internet Network with which WorldCom has an
interconnection agreement, status under the policy will be
evaluated within 30 days of such change. |
| 3.4 |
WorldCom will continue to monitor the
development of the Internet and traffic conditions and make
appropriate changes in this Policy as the Internet continues
to evolve. WorldCom reserves the right to modify this Policy
at any time. Any contractual rights shall arise out of a
bilateral interconnection agreement, not this Policy. |
| 3.5 |
All requests for settlement-free
interconnection should be submitted to WorldCom via e-mail at
peering@wcom.com.
An Internet Network may submit a request for interconnection
once per calendar quarter. | |
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