19990626Comments.doc

WELDON B. STUTZMAN
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
IDAHO BAR NO. 3283

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 JOINT APPLICATION OF CENTURYTEL OF IDAHO, INC., CENTURYTEL OF THE GEM STATE, INC. AND SPRINT SPECTRUM L.P. FOR APPROVAL OF AN INTERCONNECTION AND RECIPROCAL COMPENSATION AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO 47 U.S.C. § 252(e).
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
CASE NO. CEN-T-00-1

COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF

COMES NOW the Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, by and through its Attorney of record, Weldon B. Stutzman, Deputy Attorney General, and in response to the Notice of Joint Application for Approval of Interconnection And Reciprocal Compensation Agreement and Notice of Modified Procedure issued in Order No. 28398 on June 6, 2000, submits the following comments.
On May 22, 2000, CenturyTel of Idaho, Inc. and CenturyTel of the Gem State, Inc. (CenturyTel) and Sprint Spectrum L.P. (Sprint) a wireless telecommunications services provider filed a Joint Application requesting approval of an Interconnection and Reciprocal Compensation Agreement. The Joint Application states that the Agreement was reached through voluntary negotiations without resort to mediation or arbitration and is submitted for approval pursuant to Section 252(e) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
The Companies claim the Agreement is not discriminatory against any other company, and that it is consistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity. They request the Commission approve the Agreement without a hearing or intervention by other parties.
Staff reviewed the language of this Agreement and did not find any terms or conditions that Staff would consider discriminatory. This is the first wireless interconnection agreement filed by either CenturyTel of the Gem State or CenturyTel of Idaho, so the terms cannot be compared to other CenturyTel agreements. However, these terms must be made available to any other similarly situated carrier, so Staff does not believe they can be considered discriminatory. Staff concurs with the Companies claim that the Agreement is consistent with the pro-competitive policies of the Commission, the Idaho Legislature, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and therefore is consistent with the public interest.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Commission approve this Agreement as filed.

DATED at Boise, Idaho, this ____ day of June, 2000.

____________________________________
Weldon B. Stutzman
Deputy Attorney General
Technical Staff: Wayne Hart

WS:WH:va:word:u:umisc/comments/cent001.WSw.doc

COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF 1 JUNE 26, 1999