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Dissertation Information for Andrew Paul Snow

NAME:
- Andrew Paul Snow

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- University of Pittsburgh (USA) (1997)

ADVISORS:
- Martin Weiss

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Richard A. Thompson
- David Tipper
- Sujata Banerjee
- Andre Rausch

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: A reliability assessment of the public switched telephone network infrastructure

Abstract: A comprehensive reliability assessment of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in the United States is presented. The study uses empirical fault data, principally from public sources, to explore fault residency, trends, and explanatory variables. The PSTN infrastructure is characterized in terms of usage, switching, transmission, signaling, plant capital investments and operational costs. The PSTN is first treated as a single entity and both classical time series and series of event statistical methods applied to large-scale failures. Next, faults are allocated to different populations, including Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) and Interexchange Carrier (IEC); major PSTN elements such as switches, transmission and signaling; fault causes such as software, hardware, human error; geographic regions; major services; and various strata including time of day and size of outage. In addition to specific population tests, repairable systems reliability theory is applied to formally assess trends and classify reliability processes. Specific instances of reliability growth, deterioration and constancy are pointed out. Following this fault residency analysis, a comprehensive analysis is made of LEC reliability. Comparisons of major fault trends and failure rates are made between the largest eight LECs, representing over ninety percent of the access lines in the PSTN. Next a representative analysis of switch type and model is presented, followed by individual subscriber fault analysis of out-of-service trouble reports. After LECs, an analysis is presented for the four largest IECs in which fault trends and fault rate per processed toll minute comparisons are made. Next, end-to-end reliability performance is investigated by analyzing reliability performance of a nationwide network called FTS2000. The applicability and limitations of non-homogeneous Poisson process techniques in modeling FTS2000 major faults are detailed, followed by the allocation of isolations from this service to IEC, LEC and Customer Premise Equipment. The analysis concludes with a statistical investigation of the FCC mandated reliability threshold, omissions in reporting, and the effectiveness of One-Call legislation in decreasing fiber cable dig-ups. Lastly, the adequacy of the publicly available data in allowing a thorough assessment, the objectivity of the industry reliability analysis, and the effectiveness of the regulatory activities related to PSTN reliability are presented.

MPACT Scores for Andrew Paul Snow

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:24:16

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Students under Andrew Paul Snow

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None