This object reports a numeric threshold value (typically a BBE count like 832) for OTU-layer signal degradation using background-block-error-based detection. BBE (Background Block Errors) are pre-FEC errors occurring outside defect events; exceeding this threshold indicates degrading signal quality. A concrete example would be '832', meaning if more than 832 background block errors are detected in a standard measurement interval (e.g., 1 second), OTU degradation is declared.