28694.ntc.doc

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FROM THE RESIDENTS OF THE SHOUP AREA REQUESTING EXTENDED AREA SERVICE INTO SALMON, IDAHO. )
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CASE NO. GNR-T-01-3

NOTICE OF PETITION AND DEADLINE FOR INTERVENTION

ORDER NO. 28694

On February 21, 2001, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission received a Petition from approximately twenty-six (26) residents of the Shoup, Idaho area requesting toll-free extended area service (EAS) into Salmon, Idaho. The Shoup exchange is located in northern Lemhi County and is served by Rural Telephone Company. Although the exchange has approximately forty (40) residential and ten (10) business telephone customers, there is presently no toll-free calling to any other exchange.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that Salmon, Idaho is the county seat of Lemhi County and is served by CenturyTel of Idaho. CenturyTel has approximately 4,200 customers in Lemhi County and operates three adjoining exchanges with Salmon, North Fork and Leadore. The Salmon Extended Area exchange runs from Leadore to the Montana border and interconnects with the Shoup exchange approximately twenty-two (22) miles north of Salmon.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the petitioners allege that one of the many reasons they are requesting toll-free EAS to Salmon, Idaho is that it is prohibitively expensive for Shoup residents to dial outside their exchange area to contact local physicians, the local medical facility, schools, social services, Internet providers, law enforcement and emergency services.
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 between Rural Telephone’s Shoup exchange and CenturyTel of Idaho’s Salmon exchange.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that CenturyTel of Idaho 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 April 30, 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 Shoup, Idaho.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CenturyTel of Idaho and Rural Telephone Company are parties to this case.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho, this
day of April 2001.

DENNIS S. HANSEN, PRESIDENT

MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

PAUL KJELLANDER, COMMISSIONER
ATTEST:

Jean D. Jewell
Commission Secretary

O:gnrt0103_ln

NOTICE OF PETITION
ORDER NO. 28694 1

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
April 3, 2001