20000829Comments - Amendment.doc

JOHN R. HAMMOND
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
IDAHO BAR NO. 5470

Street Address for Express Mail:
472 W WASHINGTON
BOISE ID 83702-5983

Attorney for the Commission Staff

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
FOR ADOPTION OF THE ARBITRATED INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN GTE NORTHWEST INCORPORATED AND NEXTLINK IDAHO, INC. BY DSLNET COMMUNICATIONS LLC PURSUANT TO 47 U.S.C. § 252(i). )
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CASE NO. GTE-T-00-4

COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF

COMES NOW the Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, by and through its Attorney of record, John R. Hammond, Deputy Attorney General, in response to Order No. 28470,
the Notice of Amendment to an Existing Interconnection Agreement and Notice of Modified Procedure in Case No. GTE-T-00-4 issued on August 8, 2000, submits the following comments.
On July 26, 2000, GTE Northwest Incorporated submitted supplementing adopted terms to an existing interconnection agreement between itself and DSLnet Communications, LLC for review and approval. The Joint Application states that the amendment was reached through voluntary negotiations without resort to mediation or arbitration and is submitted for the Commission’s approval pursuant to Section 252(e) of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996.

STAFF ANALYSIS
Staff reviewed the language of this Amendment and did not find any terms or conditions that it would consider discriminatory. The Amendment adds terms and conditions for line sharing, and because they will be available to other competitors, increased options will be available to everyone. Staff concurs with the companies claim that the Agreement is consistent with the pro-competitive policies of the Commission, the Idaho Legislature, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Accordingly it is consistent with the public interest.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Commission approve the Amendment to the Agreement as filed.

DATED at Boise, Idaho, this day of August 2000.

________________________
John R. Hammond
Deputy Attorney General

Technical Staff: Wayne Hart

WH:JH:gdk:i:umisc/comments/gtet004.jhwh
STAFF COMMENTS 1 AUGUST 29, 2000