cent002.wh.doc

JOHN R. HAMMOND
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
IDAHO BAR NO. 5470

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 APPLICATON
OF CENTURYTEL OF IDAHO, INC., CENTURYTEL OF THE GEM STATE, INC. AND U.S. CELLULAR CORPORATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN
INTERCONNECTION AND RECIPROCAL COMPENSATION AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO
47 U.S.C. § 252(e). )
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CASE NO. CEN-T-00-2

COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF

COMES NOW the Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, by and through its Attorney of record, John R. Hammond, Deputy Attorney General, in response to Order No. 28456,
the Notice of Application and Notice of Modified Procedure in Case No. CEN-T-00-2 issued on July 24, 2000, submits the following comments.
On July 10, 2000, CenturyTel of Idaho, Inc. and CenturyTel of the Gem State, Inc. and
U.S. Cellular Corporation 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.

Staff reviewed the language of this Agreement and did not find any terms or conditions that Staff would consider discriminatory. The terms and conditions are similar to the CenturyTel wireless agreement previously approved by this Commission. Therefore, Staff does not consider the terms and conditions to be discriminatory. Staff also 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. Accordingly, the Agreement is consistent with the public interest.

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

DATED at Boise, Idaho, this day of August 2000.

________________________
John R. Hammond
Deputy Attorney General

Technical Staff: Wayne Hart

WH:JH:gdk:i:umisc/comments/cent002.wh
STAFF COMMENTS 2 AUGUST 14, 2000