All LECs shall interconnect directly or indirectly with the facilities and equipment of other LECs for the seamless provision of local exchange service.

1. A. Interconnection to ILEC networks. Each ILEC shall, upon request, allow any other LEC to interconnect with its network for the purpose of providing local exchange and exchange access services. Rates, terms and conditions for interconnection shall be just, reasonable, nondiscriminatory and in accordance with the requirements of this rule.
2. B. Quality of interconnection. The interconnection provided by the ILEC must be at least equal in quality to that provided by the ILEC to itself or any subsidiary, affiliate, or other party to which the ILEC provides interconnection.

3. C. Points of interconnection.

   (1) An ILEC shall allow any other LEC to interconnect to its network at any technically feasible point.

   (2) The ILEC and the requesting LEC shall negotiate meet points of interconnection. Each party shall be responsible for the costs of constructing facilities to the meet point and neither party may impose a meet point that would require one party to incur significantly greater construction costs to build to the meet point than the other party.

   (3) Each LEC shall construct and maintain its facilities at the point of interconnection in accordance with accepted engineering standards and practices in the exchange carrier industry.

   (4) Each terminating LEC will make available to each originating LEC all technical references to documents issued by industry standards bodies or equipment manufacturers that define the engineering specifications necessary for the originating LEC’s equipment to interface with the terminating LEC’s interconnection facilities.

4. D. Joint facilities construction and use. LECs may jointly construct interconnection facilities and apportion the cost and expense between any joint users of those facilities.

[17.11.18.8 NMAC - N, 1-1-01]