Bloomberg BNA Publishes New Lit Fiber Services Agreements Guide

Bloomberg BNA has published Fiber Optic Telecommunications Networks: Lit Fiber Services Agreements, a new publication that offers step-by-step guidance through the process of drafting strong and enforceable “lit fiber” services agreements — agreements between a provider of telecommunications services and its customers. 

This new reference, written for telecommunications lawyers, provides numerous tools to help service providers and their customers negotiate contracts that protect their respective interests most effectively. It outlines the use and purpose of the three major components of lit fiber services agreements:

• The Master Services Agreement, which contains general contract terms that are intended to apply to all services offered by the vendor
• The Service Description, which is a detailed, technical explanation of a service offered by the vendor
• The Service Order Form, which sets out all the commercial terms that are specific to a particular transaction and then integrates the terms into the service description, contract terms, and conditions clause

Fiber Optic Telecommunications Networks: Lit Fiber Services Agreements also offers an examination of a collection of clauses and contract forms that are secondary to the three major elements of a services agreement but that can, nonetheless, be critical elements in a variety of circumstances. Topics of these clauses and contracts include: portability; on-net, near-net, and off-net services; most favored treatment; minimum purchase obligations; preferred provider status; acceptable use policies; termination agreements; third-party vendors; intellectual property; bilateral carrier services agreements; reseller agreements; independent referral agreements; and bandwidth trading.

In his discussion of the elements of agreements and contracts, the author provides several alternate examples of sample language allowing the reader to select the clause that is most appropriate for any particular situation. The author’s discussion helps the reader master all the major elements of these complex agreements and comprehensively deal with the most important contract elements pertaining to high-speed, low-latency telecommunications services. The book comes with a CD-ROM that contains all the clauses, phrases, and sample forms, allowing copying and pasting for easy customization of lit fiber services agreements.