Are electronic signatures legally binding?

Yes. Federal ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws generally render electronic signatures enforceable in interstate and intrastate transactions. To be valid, the signature must show intent, signer consent to electronic records, reliable attribution, and durable record retention.

Do I need notarization or witnesses?

Most Business Interconnection Agreements do not require notarization or witness signatures to be enforceable. Exceptions apply for documents governed by property law or certain statutory filings; verify state notary and witness rules and consider RON where permitted.

How do I verify signer identity?

Use layered authentication—email confirmation, SMS one‑time passcodes, SSO, KBA, or higher assurance methods for sensitive agreements. Configure signer authentication and audit trails in the workflow; consider stronger methods for high‑risk or regulated interconnections.

What records should I retain and for how long?

Retain executed agreements for the contract term plus a conservatively recommended period—commonly seven years. Follow federal minima: IRS records three years (IRC §6501(a)) and HIPAA six years (45 CFR §164.530(j)). Check state or industry rules for longer periods.

Can I use remote online notarization (RON)?

Many states permit RON, but requirements vary. RON typically requires identity proofing, audio‑video recording retention, and secure tamper‑evident evidence. Verify your state’s notary commission rules before relying on remote notarization for executed agreements.

Is the platform secure and compliant?

Platforms should use TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit and AES-256 at rest, provide detailed audit trails, and support required certifications. signNow is certified SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, PCI DSS compliant, aligned with ESIGN/UETA, and offers HIPAA support with a BAA where required.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Business Interconnection Agreement

Business Interconnection Agreement

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BUSINESS INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT

This Business Interconnection Agreement ("Agreement") is made and entered into as of Effective Date: by and between Company A Name: , with principal place of business at (hereinafter "Company A"), and Company B Name: , with principal place of business at (hereinafter "Company B"). Company A and Company B are individually a "Party" and collectively the "Parties."

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Company A operates communications and/or operational infrastructure and seeks to interconnect and exchange traffic, data, services, or otherwise integrate business functions with Company B; and

WHEREAS, Company B operates complementary infrastructure and services and desires to interconnect with Company A on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Parties intend by this Agreement to define the technical, commercial and legal terms for interconnection, the allocation of responsibilities, compensation arrangements where applicable, and protections for confidential and proprietary information.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Parties will perform the interconnection activities described below in accordance with the technical specifications, performance standards and schedules agreed by the Parties. Specific deliverables, milestones, and acceptance criteria shall be set forth in the Scope of Work field below:

Scope of Work and Deliverables

RESPONSIBILITIES

Each Party shall perform its obligations in a professional manner consistent with industry standards. Company A responsibilities include: provisioning of interconnection points, maintaining agreed-upon capacity, and providing technical contacts. Company B responsibilities include: provisioning of its facilities, complying with security requirements, and timely payment of any applicable fees. The Parties shall cooperate to resolve faults and incidents in accordance with the escalation procedures set out in the Scope of Work.

PAYMENT TERMS

Fees for interconnection services, if any, shall be paid as follows. Unless otherwise agreed, all amounts are payable in United States dollars and exclusive of taxes for which the paying Party is responsible.

Total Agreed Fee Payment Schedule / Milestones Net Payment Terms Late Payment Charge

TERM AND TERMINATION

This Agreement shall commence on Start Date: and shall continue until End Date: unless earlier terminated in accordance with this Section.

Notice Period for Termination Without Cause

Either Party may terminate this Agreement for material breach by the other Party that remains uncured for thirty (30) days following written notice specifying the breach. Termination shall not relieve a Party of obligations accrued prior to termination.

CONFIDENTIALITY

"Confidential Information" means non-public information disclosed by a Party (the "Disclosing Party") to the other Party (the "Receiving Party") that is designated as confidential or that reasonably should be understood to be confidential given the nature of the information. Receiving Party shall: (a) use Confidential Information solely to perform its obligations under this Agreement; (b) limit disclosure to employees, contractors or advisors with a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations no less protective than those herein; and (c) exercise at least the same degree of care to protect Confidential Information as it uses for its own confidential information, but in no case less than reasonable care. Confidential Information does not include information that is (i) publicly available through no fault of Receiving Party; (ii) rightfully received from a third party without restriction; or (iii) independently developed without use of Disclosing Party's Confidential Information.

DATA SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE

Each Party shall implement and maintain appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect data exchanged under this Agreement from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. Each Party shall comply with applicable laws and regulations relating to privacy, data protection, export controls and telecommunications. Any personal data processing shall be limited to the minimum necessary for performance of the Agreement and shall be handled consistent with Confidentiality obligations herein.

INDEMNIFICATION; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Each Party (Indemnitor) shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the other Party (Indemnitee) from and against claims, liabilities, losses and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from Indemnitor's breach of this Agreement, willful misconduct, or negligent acts or omissions. EXCEPT FOR A PARTY'S BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY OR A PARTY'S INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER FOR INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR SPECIAL DAMAGES. THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF EACH PARTY ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNTS PAID OR PAYABLE BY ONE PARTY TO THE OTHER UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

NOTICES

All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered to the addresses set forth below or to such other address as a Party may designate by written notice. Notice shall be deemed given when delivered in person, sent by overnight courier, or three (3) business days after deposit in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid, certified mail, return receipt requested.

Notice Address for Company A Notice Address for Company B

GOVERNING LAW; DISPUTE RESOLUTION

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of without regard to conflict of laws principles. The Parties shall attempt in good faith to resolve disputes promptly by negotiation between senior executives. If unresolved within sixty (60) days, either Party may pursue remedies in the courts of the chosen jurisdiction.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT; AMENDMENT

This Agreement, including all attachments, schedules and the Scope of Work, constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements and understandings. No amendment or modification shall be effective unless in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both Parties.

MISCELLANEOUS

If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. Neither Party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Party, except to a successor in interest in connection with a merger or sale of substantially all assets, provided that such successor assumes the assigning Party's obligations hereunder.

SIGNATURES

Company A Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Company B Printed Name:

By:

Date:

What a Business Interconnection Agreement Covers

The Business Interconnection Agreement is a contractual document that sets the terms and technical, operational, and legal responsibilities between two or more commercial entities that connect systems, services, or data flows. It typically addresses scope of interconnection, permitted uses, uptime and maintenance expectations, security controls, data handling, confidentiality, liability allocation, indemnification, and dispute resolution. For technology and services that cross organizational boundaries, this agreement clarifies service levels, change management, access rights, and termination procedures to reduce operational risk and define each party’s obligations throughout the interconnection lifecycle.

Why documenting interconnection terms matters

Use a Business Interconnection Agreement to allocate operational risk, set measurable service levels, and document security and data-handling requirements. Clear contractual terms reduce ambiguity during outages, audits, and regulatory reviews while establishing remedies and escalation paths for cross‑organizational incidents.

Who typically prepares and signs this agreement

Common parties include network operators, cloud service providers, managed service providers, and enterprise IT teams responsible for shared infrastructure.

Telecommunications carriers and IXPs managing physical interconnection and peering arrangements.
Cloud and SaaS providers defining API access, bandwidth, and security responsibilities.
Enterprises integrating partner services, third‑party appliances, or outsourced infrastructure for production environments.

Legal, security, and network operations stakeholders typically collaborate to negotiate terms, align technical details, and approve risk mitigations before execution.

Core sections to include in a professional agreement

Core sections show what each party must perform, how data is protected, and how operational incidents and changes are managed over time.

Scope

Define connected systems, interfaces, permitted traffic, excluded services, and geographic or environment constraints during normal operation and maintenance windows.

Service Levels

Specify uptime targets, performance metrics, measurement methods, reporting cadence, and remedies for missed targets with sample measurement formulas and test intervals.

Security

Document authentication, encryption standards, access controls, incident notification timelines, breach notification responsibilities, and requirements for third‑party audits such as TLS, AES‑256, periodic penetration testing, and SOC 2 or ISO 27001 evidence.

Data Handling

Define data classification, permitted processing activities, retention schedules, encryption at rest and in transit, and responsibilities for backup, restoration, and data portability requests.

Liability

Allocate indemnities, caps on damages, exclusions for consequential losses, insurance requirements, and procedures for resolving claims arising from interconnection failures.

Change Management

Set notification windows, approval workflows, testing requirements, rollback plans, and timelines for planned upgrades or emergency maintenance affecting the interconnection.

Required information and key fields at a glance

Party Names: Legal entity names as registered

Addresses: Street, city, state, ZIP

Primary Contacts: Name, title, email, phone

Scope Description: Systems, interfaces, traffic types

Security Controls: Encryption, MFA, logging, retention

Signature Blocks: Authorized signer names and dates

Step-by-step process to prepare and execute

Follow these steps to prepare, agree, and execute a Business Interconnection Agreement with clear technical and legal alignment.

01

Draft: Assemble scope, security, and SLAs for review.
02

Review: Legal, network, and security teams review terms.
03

Negotiate: Adjust liabilities, remedies, and technical responsibilities.
04

Execute: Obtain authorized signatures and record the effective date.

How to set up an electronic signing workflow

Configure an electronic workflow to enforce signer order, field validation, and audit trail requirements for the interconnection agreement.

Field	Configuration
Signer Order	Sequential order enforced with reminders
Authentication	Email, SMS code, or higher assurance methods
Conditional Fields	Show or hide fields based on responses
Notifications	Automatic emails for signature, completion, and expirations

Where to send and how executed copies are routed

Typical routing shows who sends, who signs, and where executed copies are stored for compliance and operational use.

Prepare: Originator uploads and applies required fields
Send: Distribute signing links to named signers
Sign: Signers authenticate, review, and sign electronically
Store: Signed copies plus audit trail archived securely

Technical and platform requirements for e-signatures

Use an eSignature platform that supports secure audit trails, common formats, and integrations with storage or ticketing systems.

Formats: PDF, DOCX, and XML supported
Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace, Box
Authentication: Email, SMS, SSO, KBA options

Typical timelines, deadlines, and response expectations

Common timing expectations include review cycles, signature windows, effective dates, and obligations for notification of changes or outages.

Review Period:

Allow two to four weeks for internal and vendor review

Negotiation Window:

Typically two to six weeks depending on complexity

Signature Deadline:

Set a firm date tied to project milestones or go‑live

Effective Date:

Use the agreed effective date or a specified activation event

Change Notices:

Require X days written notice before planned changes

Common mistakes and the risks they create

Contract Invalidity: Improper execution risks unenforceability

Data Breach Liability: Regulatory fines and damages possible

Service Interruptions: Operational losses and indemnity claims

Regulatory Noncompliance: HIPAA, FERPA, or sector fines

Tax Withholding Risk: Incorrect TINs can trigger backup withholding

Dispute Costs: Litigation and arbitration expenses

eSignature vendor comparison for signing and managing agreements

Comparison of common eSignature plan criteria and vendor starting prices relevant to signing and managing interconnection agreements.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	Yes, 7-day trial	Varies by plan; verify	Varies by plan; verify	Varies by plan; verify	Varies by plan; verify
Bulk Send	Yes (Premium)	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes (BAA required)	Varies; verify BAA	Varies; verify BAA	Varies; verify BAA	Varies; verify BAA
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Frequently asked questions about validity, signatures, and security

Answers to frequent questions about enforceability, notarization, eSignature validity, data security, amendment, and signature authority for Business Interconnection Agreements.

Need help? Contact support

Are electronic signatures legally binding?
Yes. Federal ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws generally render electronic signatures enforceable in interstate and intrastate transactions. To be valid, the signature must show intent, signer consent to electronic records, reliable attribution, and durable record retention.
Do I need notarization or witnesses?
Most Business Interconnection Agreements do not require notarization or witness signatures to be enforceable. Exceptions apply for documents governed by property law or certain statutory filings; verify state notary and witness rules and consider RON where permitted.
How do I verify signer identity?
Use layered authentication—email confirmation, SMS one‑time passcodes, SSO, KBA, or higher assurance methods for sensitive agreements. Configure signer authentication and audit trails in the workflow; consider stronger methods for high‑risk or regulated interconnections.
What records should I retain and for how long?
Retain executed agreements for the contract term plus a conservatively recommended period—commonly seven years. Follow federal minima: IRS records three years (IRC §6501(a)) and HIPAA six years (45 CFR §164.530(j)). Check state or industry rules for longer periods.
Can I use remote online notarization (RON)?
Many states permit RON, but requirements vary. RON typically requires identity proofing, audio‑video recording retention, and secure tamper‑evident evidence. Verify your state’s notary commission rules before relying on remote notarization for executed agreements.
Is the platform secure and compliant?
Platforms should use TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit and AES-256 at rest, provide detailed audit trails, and support required certifications. signNow is certified SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, PCI DSS compliant, aligned with ESIGN/UETA, and offers HIPAA support with a BAA where required.

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