20040507Comments.pdf

JOHN R. HAMMOND
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
IDAHO BAR NO. 5470
RECEIVED 0
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UTILITiES COMt-lISSION
Street Address for Express Mail:
472 W. WASHINGTON
BOISE, ID 83702-5983
Attorney for the Commission Staff
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF BG
ENTERPRISES, INC. DBA GRIZZLY TELEPHONE
FOR A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE)
AND NECESSITY TO PROVIDE LOCAL
EXCHANGE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.
CASE NO. BGE-O4-
COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF
COMES NOW the Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, by and through its
Attorney ofrecord, John R. Hammond, Deputy Attorney General, and submits the following
comments in response to Order No. 29476, the Notice of Application and Notice of Modified
Procedure issued on April 21 , 2004.
BACKGROUND
On March 12 2004, BG Enterprises, Inc. d.a. Grizzly Telephone ("Grizzly" or
Company ) filed an Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to
provide resold competitive local exchange service throughout the State ofldaho.
Grizzly is a solely owned corporation headquartered in Missoula, Montana. The
Company is incorporated in the same state. The Company obtained a Certificate of Authority to
transact business as a foreign corporation from Idaho s Secretary of State on January 24, 2000.
Although the Company does not maintain an office in Idaho, it does have a registered in-state
STAFF COMMENTS MAY 7, 2004
agent. The Company states that it has been serving Idaho customers since 2000. Grizzly has
submitted its financials for the period ending February 4 2004. Staff has reviewed these
documents and believes the Company is solvent.
Grizzly proposes to provide pre-paid residential local exchange service with optional
services such as Caller ID and Call Waiting. The Company does not propose offer toll services
or collect separate deposits. The Company has obtained an interconnection agreement with
Qwest in Idaho.
Grizzly has been granted authority to provide local exchange service in several other
states such as Washington and Oregon. The Company states that granting its Application for a
Certificate is in the public interest because Grizzly s entry into the local telecommunications
services market will enhance competition in Idaho. Grizzly also states that it has reviewed the
rules of this Commission and affirm their commitment to abide by them.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff has reviewed the Application submitted by Grizzly Telecommunications LLC and
believes the Company understands and agrees to comply with the Commission s rules and
requirements. Based on this review of Grizzly s Application, Staff believes that the Company
filing has satisfied all the requirements of the Commission s Rules and Procedural Order No.
26665. Therefore, Staff recommends approval of the Application for Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity.
Respectively submitted this Pctay of May 2004.
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John R/Hammonct
Deput~ Attorney General
Technical Staff: Doug Cooley
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STAFF COMMENTS MAY 7 2004
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I HAVE THIS 7TH DAY OF MAY 2004
SERVED THE FOREGOING COMMENTS OF THE COMMISSION STAFF, IN
CASE NO. BGE-04-, BY MAILING A COpy THEREOF, POSTAGE PREPAID, TO
THE FOLLOWING:
LINDA GORDON
PRESIDENT
BG ENTERPRISES INC
2347 SOUTH AVENUE WEST
MISSOULA MT 59801
THOMAS C ORR ESQ
ATTORNEY AT LAW
PO BOX 8096
MISSOULA MT 59807
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SECRET
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE