960417.docx

DECISION MEMORANDUM
TO:COMMISSIONER NELSON
COMMISSIONER SMITH
COMMISSIONER HANSEN
MYRNA WALTERS
TONYA CLARK
DON HOWELL
STEPHANIE MILLER
DAVID SCHUNKE
EILEEN BENNER
BILL EASTLAKE
JOE CUSICK
BIRDELLE BROWN
GARY RICHARDSON
WORKING FILE
FROM:JIM LONG
DATE:APRIL 17, 1996
RE:DOCKET GTE-T-95-1 KRPL-GTE (MOSCOW) COMPLAINT.
BACKGROUND
On May 15, 1995, the Commission received a formal complaint against GTE from Dennis Deccio of KRPL, Inc. Mr. Deccio expressed concerns about GTE’s announced intention to disconnect service to KRPL.  A letter to KRPL dated May 11, 1995, and signed by R. Leroy Bentley of GTE, notified the radio station that telephone service would be disconnected.  The letter stated that “Your promotional activities have caused repeated unacceptable interruptions in telephone service for all customers in the Moscow exchange.  Despite numerous attempts by GTE Northwest’s management to resolve these issues, your activities continue.”  On May 16, 1995, Myrna Walters issued a Summons and Complaint against GTE.  GTE filed its Answer which among other things withdrew the Notice of Disconnection.  This action made the complaint by KRPL moot. However, the Commission ordered Staff to follow this situation until it could be resolved.
On July, 12, 1995, a town meeting was held at the University Inn in Moscow, Idaho.  The meeting was sparsely attended and the results of that meeting were reported to the Commission by Staff on July 21, 1995.  Pursuant to this meeting, Staff worked with GTE to insure the proposed augmentation of the Moscow central office was completed and then tracked the results of that effort through the “Sweeps” which occurred during March 1996.  This long term effort was determined as the best method to insure that the switch anomaly that occurred in March 1995 would not resurface.
STAFF FINDINGS
Through the balance of 1995, and with the most recent report provided by GTE on           April 9, 1996, Staff has been assured the problem that had occurred in the Moscow central office has been resolved.  The print out received from GTE shows only three instances during the month of March when dial tone was slow.  Other equipment within the Moscow central office was operating at about 50% of designed capacity at peak hour.  
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Docket No. GTE-T-95-1 be closed.
Does the Commission agree?
______________________________
Jim Long
jl:gdk/gtet951/utelcomm