petition.ntc.doc

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FROM THE OREGON RESIDENTS OF VALE, ONTARIO, OREGON SLOPE, AND NYSSA FOR EXTENDED AREA SERVICE BETWEEN THOSE OREGON EXCHANGES AND THE IDAHO EXCHANGES LOCATED IN THE U S WEST TREASURE VALLEY EAS REGION AND CERTAIN EXCHANGES ALONG THE OREGON-IDAHO BORDER. )
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CASE NO. GNR-T-00-30

NOTICE OF PETITION
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YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that on May 31, 2000, the Oregon Public Utilities Commission found that a community of interest exists between the Oregon exchanges for Vale, Ontario, Oregon Slope, and Nyssa and the Idaho exchanges for Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Emmett, New Plymouth, Weiser, and Payette. See Oregon Public Utilities Commission Order No. 00275.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that pursuant to the Oregon Public Utilities Commission Order, the Oregon Public Utilities Commission Staff requested the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to approve extended area service (EAS) between the Oregon exchanges of Vale, Ontario, Oregon Slope, and Nyssa and the requested Idaho exchanges for Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Emmett, New Plymouth, Weiser, and Payette. Customers in Payette already have toll-free calling to Ontario and Oregon Slope and customers in Weiser have toll-free calling to Oregon Slope.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that while EAS creates toll-free calling among exchanges, the costs associated with converting a former long-distance toll route to a toll-free EAS route must be recovered from all customers within those exchanges by increasing all customer flat rates for local service.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that in Order No. 26311, the Commission adopted a set of standards or criteria to evaluate when EAS should be implemented. Those criteria are: call volume and call distribution (how many customers in an exchange call the other exchange); geographic proximity (distance between exchanges); the presence of geographic or other physical barriers (mountains, rivers, valleys) between exchanges; county seat relationship (are both exchanges in the same county); the relationship to school district (do both exchanges share the same school district); the proximity to medical facilities and services; and the willingness of customers to pay increased rates to cover the costs for converting those routes to toll free routes.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission balances these communityofinterest standards against the costs and rate impacts of providing EAS and when EAS costs are disproportionate to customer needs and benefits, the Commission has denied requests for EAS.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that in 1990, the Commission denied a request for interstate EAS telephone service from the New Plymouth, Idaho exchange, to the Ontario, Oregon exchange. See Case No. MTBT907; Order No. 23827.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that on February 23, 2000, the Oregon Commission Staff filed testimony based on a review of its geographic and calling traffic information which concluded that none of the requested EAS routes satisfied the Oregon Public Utilities Commission’s community of interest criteria as described in Oregon Order Nos. 89-815 and 92-1136.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Idaho Public Utilities Commission has opened this case to evaluate the need for and the costs associated with approving EAS among the exchanges located in the Qwest (U S WEST) Treasure Valley Region, all Idaho exchanges along the Oregon border in proximity to Ontario, Vale, Nyssa and Oregon Slope and the requesting Oregon exchanges.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Qwest (U S WEST) Treasure Valley EAS Region includes Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Kuna, Middleton, Emmett, New Plymouth, Weiser, Payette, Star, Mountain Home, Idaho City, Melba, and Glenns Ferry. The Treasure Valley EAS Region is expanding to include Rural Telephone exchanges of Boise River, Prairie, and Tipanuk.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the following exchanges are in proximity to the Oregon exchanges requesting EAS: Cambridge, Council, Indian Valley, Cuprum, Homedale, Wilder, Marsing, Parma, Grandview, Bruneau, and Graesmere-Riddle.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission is directing the Commission Staff to evaluate whether EAS for any or all of these exchanges meets the Commission’s criteria for approving EAS.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Qwest Communications, Inc. (formerly U S WEST Communications, Inc.), Cambridge Telephone Company, Midvale Telephone Company, Citizens Telecommunications Company of Idaho, Rural Telephone Company, and CenturyTel Telephone Company are designated as parties to this proceeding. The Commission understands that the parties as well as the Staff have already begun their investigations to determine the community-of-interest, costs, and feasibility of the requests.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that persons desiring to intervene in this matter for the purpose of presenting evidence or cross-examining witnesses at hearing must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission pursuant to this Commission’s Rules of Procedure 72 and 73, IDAPA 31.01.01.072 and -.073. Persons intending to participate at any potential hearing must file a Petition to Intervene on or before September 30, 2000. Persons desiring to present their views without parties’ rights of participation and cross-examination are not required to intervene and may present their comments without prior notification to the Commission or the parties. The Commission specifically invites all telephone cooperatives that may be potentially affected by a decision to grant EAS to participate.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the Commission will schedule a technical hearing in this case at a future time. The purpose of this hearing will be to take the technical evidence of the Companies and the Staff concerning the costs (including any projected rate increase to fund the requests), the community-of-interest, and feasibility of the requests.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Oregon Order in this case is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Commission offices. The prepared testimony and exhibits must conform to the requirements of Rules 230-231 of the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.230-231. The Commission is located at:
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone] (TELEPHONE)
[phone] (TEXT TELEPHONE)
[phone] (FAX)
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all proceedings in this matter will be conducted pursuant to the Commission's Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.000 et seq.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to Title 61 of the Idaho Code.

DATED at Boise, Idaho this day of August 2000.

DENNIS S. HANSEN, PRESIDENT

MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

PAUL KJELLANDER, COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

Myrna J. Walters
Commission Secretary

N:Gnrt0030_cc-notice

NOTICE OF PETITION
1

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
September 5, 2000