28623.doc

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FROM THE RESIDENTS OF THE THREE CREEK AREA FOR EXTENDED AREA SERVICE INTO THE MAGIC VALLEY REGIONAL CALLING AREA

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CASE NO. GNR-T-00-41

NOTICE OF PETITION
AND DEADLINE FOR
INTERVENTION

ORDER NO. 28623

On November 2, 2000, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission received a Petition from approximately 28 residents of the Three Creek area requesting toll-free extended area service (EAS) into the Qwest Corporation Magic Valley regional calling area. The Three Creek exchange is served by Rural Telephone Company and consists of approximately 40 residential and 10 business customers. The exchange borders Nevada and covers areas of southern Owyhee and Twin Falls counties.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the proposed EAS would encompass the Magic Valley Calling Area, which consists of several communities including Twin Falls, Jerome, Richfield, Bliss, Buhl, Castleford, Hollister, Dietrich, Eden, Gooding, Hagerman, Hazelton, Kimberly, Murtaugh, Shoshone, Wendell, and Filer. These communities are served by Qwest, CenturyTel of the Gem State, and Filer Mutual Telephone Company.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the petitioners allege that one of the many reasons they are requesting toll-free EAS to the Magic Valley calling area is that it is prohibitively expensive for Three Creek residents and schools to dial an in-state, long distance phone number to access the Internet.
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 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. When EAS costs are disproportionate to customer needs and benefits, the Commission has denied requests for EAS.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission initiates this case to evaluate the need for and the costs associated with EAS among the Magic Valley regional exchanges served by Qwest, CenturyTel of the Gem State, Filer Mutual and Rural Telephone’s Three Creek exchange.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Qwest (formerly U S WEST Communications), CenturyTel of the Gem State, Filer Mutual, and Rural Telephone are designated as parties to this proceeding. The Commission understands that the parties as well as the Staff may have already begun their investigations to determine the community-of-interest, costs, and feasibility of the EAS request.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that persons desiring to intervene in this matter for the purpose of presenting evidence or cross-examining witnesses at a 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 February 28, 2001. 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.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the Commission may schedule a technical hearing in this case at a future time. The purpose of this hearing would 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 Petition in this case is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Commission offices. 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.
O R D E R
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that this case be initiated to examine the merits of the EAS Petition from the residents of the Three Creek Area.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Qwest Corporation, CenturyTel of the Gem State, Filer Mutual Telephone Company and Rural Telephone Company are parties to this case.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho, this
day of January 2001.

DENNIS S. HANSEN, PRESIDENT

MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

PAUL KJELLANDER, COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

Jean D. Jewell
Commission Secretary

O:gnrt0041_ln

NOTICE OF PETITION
ORDER NO. 28623 1

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
January 25, 2001