This metric tracks the time elapsed between a switch receiving a routing request and actually finding an available trunk to forward the traffic. When traffic spikes exceed the installed circuit capacity, the switch holds the request in a buffer. Engineers monitor these queuing times to decide when a facility needs hardware upgrades or better routing tables.
We're seeing heavy call delay on the outbound trunks to the Chicago tandem, so check if they have a fiber cut.
High call delays during peak hours often precede dropped calls and fast busy signals if the buffer fills up completely.
Related terms
Call center
A centralized facility equipped to handle large volumes of inbound or outbound telephone requests.
Hold time
The duration a caller remains in an active queue before an agent answers or the call drops.
Latency
The time it takes for a packet of data to travel from its source to its destination.
BHCA
Busy-Hour Call Attempts, a metric used to evaluate the peak processing capacity of a telephone exchange.