20221017Final_Order_No_35563.pdf

ORDER NO. 35563 1
Office of the Secretary
Service Date
October 17, 2022
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF FARMERS MUTUAL
TELECOM, INC.’S PETITION FOR A
SAFETY VALVE WAIVER OF FCC
THRESHOLD REQUIREMENTS FOR
NUMBERING RESOURCES
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CASE NO. FMU-T-22-02

ORDER NO. 35563

On August 25, 2022, Farmers Mutual Telecom, Inc. (“Farmers” or “Company”)
petitioned the Commission for an order waiving the Federal Communications Commission’s
(“FCC”) Threshold Numbering Resource Requirements for the Fruitland, Idaho and Payette, Idaho
rate centers (“Petition”).
Having reviewed the record in this case, we issue this Order granting the Company’s
Petition.
THE PETITION
In the Petition, the Company asserted that it is replacing its existing Metaswitch
VP3510 equipment/facilities in its Fruitland and Payette, Idaho exchanges. Because of this change,
a new Number Plan Area (“NPA-NXX”) and Location Routing Number (“LRN”)1 are required to
establish homing arrangements for Local Exchange Routing Guide 7 Switching Homing
Arrangement information (“LERG7SHA”) so the Company can order and install new trunking.2
Petition at 1. The Company stated once the new switch is operational, its existing customers will
be ported to it from the old switch. Id. Any unneeded 1,000 blocks will be returned to the North
American Numbering Plan Administrator (“NANPA”). Id.
The Company stated that on August 22, 2022, it applied through the Pooling
Administration System (“PAS”) of the NANPA for an LRN for the new Fruitland and Payette,
Idaho switch within its Local Access Transport Area (“LATA”). According to the Company,
NANPA’s administrator, Somos, Inc., denied the Company’s application because the Company

1 The NPA, or Numbering Plan Area, is commonly called the area code. The NXX refers to the three digits of a phone
number immediately following the area code and is also called the “exchange” or Central Switching Office
Designation. The LRN, or Location Routing Number, is a unique 10-digit number used to identify a switch that holds
ported or pooled numbers. Calls to ported or pooled numbers are routed based on the NPA-NXX of the numbers
associated with the LRN.
2 The LERG provides routing data obtained from the iconectiv Business Integrated Routing and Rating Database
System (“BIRRDS”) into which data is entered by service providers (“SPs”) and/or their agents.
ORDER NO. 35563 2
did not meet the months-to-exhaust and/or utilization requirements in the Thousands-Block
Number Pooling Administration Guidelines3 (the “Guidelines”). See Petition, Attachment A.
STAFF ANALYSIS
After evaluating the Company’s Petition, Staff believes that granting this waiver will
not have any detrimental effect on the numbering resources in the Fruitland and Payette, Idaho rate
centers. Because of the Company’s business need to replace the existing Meta switch
equipment/facilities, it is reasonable for the Company to upgrade its facilities for the consumers of
the Fruitland and Payette rate centers. Staff believes that the new switch will improve the
performance of the two exchanges and will increase the need for additional numbers.
According to FCC orders and numbering guidelines, carriers may appeal NANPA
decisions of this nature to the appropriate state regulatory authority. This Commission has granted
similar waivers in the past to meet similar requests of other carriers. (See Commission Orders Nos.
33976, 34108, 34238, 34364, and 34501).
COMMISSION FINDINGS
Federal regulations allow a carrier to appeal a NANPA decision to withhold numbering
resources. See 47 C.F.R. § 52.15(g)(4)(iv) and (5). The Commission “may affirm or overturn the
NANPA’s decision to withhold numbering resources from the carrier based on its determination
of compliance with the reporting and numbering resource” requirements. See 47 C.F.R. §
52.15(g)(4)(iv) and (5). The Commission “also may overturn the NANPA’s decision to withhold
numbering resources from the carrier based on its determination that the carrier has demonstrated
a verifiable need for numbering resources and has exhausted all other available remedies.” 47
C.F.R. § 52.15(g)(5).
After reviewing Farmers’ Petition and Staff’s recommendation, the Commission finds
that the Petition should be granted despite NANPA’s August 22, 2022, denial. The requested
waiver is necessary for the Company in relation to its facilities upgrade and to meet the needs of
its customers. We further find that the waiver and assignment will not detrimentally affect
numbering resources for the Fruitland and Payette, Idaho rate centers. Consequently, we find it is
reasonable to direct that NANPA provide the new number assignment requested by the Company.

3 To be assigned an additional thousands-block (NXX-X) for growth, “Months to Exhaust” must be less than or equal
to six months. (FCC 00-104, Section 52.I5(g)(3)(iii)).
ORDER NO. 35563 3
Finally, we find that because the Company participates in number pooling the Company shall
return any unused 1,000-blocks of numbers to NANPA.
O R D E R
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Farmers’ Petition for waiver of the numbering
resource optimization Guidelines is granted.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that any unused 1,000-blocks of numbers shall be
returned to NANPA’s numbering pool within six months from the service date of this Order.
THIS IS A FINAL ORDER. Any person interested in this Order (or in issues finally
decided by this Order) may petition for reconsideration within twenty-one (21) days of the service
date of this Order with regard to any matter decided in 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 and 62-619.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this 17th day
of October 2022.

ERIC ANDERSON, PRESIDENT

JOHN CHATBURN, COMMISSIONER

JOHN R. HAMMOND JR., COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

Jan Noriyuki
Commission Secretary

I:\Legal\TELECOM\FMUT2202_order_md.docx