20070410final_order_no_30290.pdf

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
April 10, 2007
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF CUSTER TELEPHONE
COOPERATIVE, INC.S PETITION FOR
AMENDMENT OF ITS CERTIFICATED
SERVICE AREA BOUNDARY
CASE NO. CUS- T -07-
ORDER NO. 30290
On February 14, 2007, Custer Telephone Cooperative, Inc. filed a Petition for
Amendment of Certificated Service Area Boundary, asking the Commission to amend Custer
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to include three areas identified as Yankee
Fork, Morgan Creek, and Slate Creek areas. Custer is a mutual, non-profit telephone company
over which the Commission has very little regulatory authority. The Commission issued a
Certificate to Custer pursuant to Idaho Code ~ 62-615, but that version of the statute was
repealed by the Legislature in 1997. The Commission has authority to designate a geographic
service area for eligible telecommunications carriers, including mutual telephone companies
pursuant to Idaho Code ~ 62-610E, and the Commission considered Custer s Application under
that statute.
On February 28 2007, the Commission issued a Notice of Application and Notice of
Modified Procedure to process the Application. Written comments were filed only by the
Commission Staff in response to the Notice. Staff reported that the three affected areas currently
are not within any company s service area, and that granting the Application is in the public
interest.Staff recommended that Custer s Petition to amend its certificated service area
boundaries be approved.
On the record in this case, we find it reasonable and appropriate to approve Custer
Petition for Amendment of Certificated Service Area Boundary. Granting the Petition will bring
three geographic areas into the certificated area of an incumbent telephone company, enabling
customers to request service from an established service provider. Accordingly, we approve
amendment of Custer s certificated service area to include the Yankee Fork, Morgan Creek, and
Slate Creek areas.
ORDER NO. 30290
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Petition of Custer Telephone Cooperative, Inc.
for Amendment of its Certificated Service Area Boundary is approved. Custer s Certificate No.
308 is amended to include the areas as described in Exhibit C to Custer s Petition.
THIS IS A FINAL ORDER. Any person interested in this Order may petition for
reconsideration within twenty-one (21) days of the service date of this Order. Within seven (7)
days after any person has petitioned for reconsideration, any other person may cross-petition for
reconsideration. See Idaho Code ~ 61-626.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this /Oflo-
day of April 2007.
MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER
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ATTEST:
~,J7jJe D. Jewell
Commission Secretary
bls/O:CUS-07-01 ws2
ORDER NO. 30290