20000421Comments.doc

JEFF H. CAPELL
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
IDAHO BAR NO. 5764

Street Address for Express Mail:
472 W. WASHINGTON
BOISE, IDAHO 83702-5983

Attorney for the Commission Staff

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION OF GTE NORTHWEST INCORPORATED AND NEW EDGE NETWORK, INC. DBA NEW EDGE NETWORKS FOR APPROVAL OF AN INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO 47 U.S.C. § 252(E). )
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CASE NO. GTE-T-00-6

COMMENTS OF THE COMMISSION STAFF
COMES NOW the Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, by and through its attorney of record, Jeff H. Capell, Deputy Attorney General, and in response to the Notice of Joint Application and Notice of Modified Procedure, Order No. 28332 issued on March 31, 2000, submits the following comments.
On March 22, 2000, GTE Northwest Incorporated (GTE) and New Edge Network, Inc. dba New Edge Networks (New Edge), a competitive provider of wireline telecommunication services, submitted a Joint Application for approval of an Interconnection, Resale and Unbundling Agreement in accordance with Section 252(e)(1), (2)(A) of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. The companies indicated the Agreement had been reached through voluntary negotiations, and claimed the Agreement was not discriminatory against any other company, and that it is consistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity. They requested the Commission approve the Agreement without a hearing or intervention by other parties.
Staff reviewed the language of this Agreement and did not find any terms or conditions that Staff would consider discriminatory. Terms, conditions and rates contained in this agreement appear to be similar to those contained in the GTE-Nextlink Agreement, approved by the Commission in Order No. 28269. Therefore, 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, and therefore is consistent with the public interest.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Commission approve the Interconnection Agreement as filed.

Respectfully submitted this day of April 2000.

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Jeff H. Capell
Deputy Attorney General
Technical Staff: Wayne Hart

JHC:WH:gdk:i:word/umisc/comments/gtet006.jhcw

STAFF COMMENTS 1 APRIL 21, 2000