Service Standard
Every site and route on the Register of Sites is operated and maintained to a single service standard, whatever its origin and whichever member built it. The standard sets, for each class of shared infrastructure, the availability that members may expect over a year, the time within which the Department responds to a reported fault, the time within which service is to be restored and the interval at which plant is inspected.
The levels were agreed by members in June 2026 alongside the four classes of shared infrastructure and were adopted by the Department on its establishment. They apply from the day a site or route is entered on the register with the status In service. Sites under transfer remain the responsibility of the transferring member until that day.
Availability is measured over each calendar year and excludes interruptions notified in advance under the schedule of planned works. Performance against every target is reported to members each quarter, and the standard is reviewed with members after its first year.
- 99.9%
- Minimum availability for any class
- 1 hour
- Response to a fault at a staffed site
- 4
- Performance reports to members each year
- 12
- Months at most between inspections
Service levels by class
| Class | Availability | Fault response | Restoration | Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relay site, staffed | 99.95% | 1 hour | 8 hours | Every 6 months |
| Relay site, unstaffed | 99.9% | 4 hours | 24 hours | Every 6 months |
| Exchange point | 99.95% | 1 hour | 8 hours | Every 12 months |
| Data hall, power and cooling | 99.99% | 1 hour | 4 hours | Every 3 months |
| Cabling route | 99.9% | 4 hours | 48 hours | Every 12 months |
Severity of faults
- Severity 1: loss of service to more than one member
- Worked continuously until service is restored. Members are informed every hour while the fault is open.
- Severity 2: loss of service to one member
- Worked during the working day and, at staffed sites, overnight. The member is informed every four hours.
- Severity 3: degraded service
- Service continues at reduced capacity or with reduced resilience. Repair is scheduled within the restoration target and members are informed daily.
- Severity 4: no effect on service
- A defect found on inspection or reported by a member that does not affect service. Repair is added to the schedule of planned works.
Handling a fault
Step 1: Receipt and acknowledgement
A fault reported by a member, or detected by the Department's own monitoring, is logged with the site or route reference and the time of receipt. The reporting member receives an acknowledgement within thirty minutes.
Step 2: Classification
The fault is assigned a severity according to its effect on members. The classification is reviewed as more is learned and may be raised or lowered.
Step 3: Response
Staff attend the site or begin remote work within the response time for the class. For unstaffed relay sites the response time allows for travel by the access route.
Step 4: Restoration
Service is restored, by repair or by working around the fault, within the restoration target. A temporary restoration is followed by permanent repair under the schedule of planned works.
Step 5: Report
When the fault is closed the members affected receive a written report giving the cause, the times of receipt, response and restoration, and any further work required.
Reporting and review
June 2026
Service levels agreed by members
Members settled the availability targets, response and restoration times and inspection intervals for each class at the same time as the classes themselves.
6 September 2026
Standard adopted
The standard took effect for every site and route on the register on the day the Department was established.
December 2026
First reporting period closes
The first period runs from establishment to the end of the year. First inspections of every data hall and staffed site fall within it.
January 2027
First performance report
Availability, response and restoration against target for every site and route, published in the Newsroom.
March 2027
First full inspection cycle complete
By the end of March every relay site will have been inspected at least once under the standard.
September 2027
Annual review
The standard is reviewed with members after its first year and any revision takes effect from the following reporting period.
Reporting a fault
Faults are reported to contact@interior.gov.vin stating the site or route reference, the effect on service and the time the fault was first observed. The obligations of members using shared infrastructure are set out under Infrastructure; answers to common questions are given under Questions and Answers.