26587.docx

(text box: 1)BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF GTE NORTHWEST INCORPORATED TARIFF ADVICE NO. 96-09 TO ADD RATES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INTRALATA EQUAL ACCESS
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CASE NO. GTE-T-96-1
ORDER NO.  26587
On May 22, 1996, GTE Northwest Incorporated  (GTE) filed Tariff Advice No. 96-09 to provide rates, terms and conditions for implementation of intraLATA equal access in its Idaho service territory.  New rate elements included in the filing were an intraLATA Equal Access Recovery Charge (EARC), interLATA Primary Interexchange Carrier (PIC) charge, intraLATA Primary Interexchange Carrier (IPIC) charge and charges for correcting unauthorized PIC and IPIC charges.
GTE proposed an effective date of June 24, 1996, for the proposed tariffs.  On June 7, 1996, the Commission suspended the filing, and on June 11 the Commission issued a Notice of Modified Procedure.  The Notice of Modified Procedure provided for a 45-day comment period, but also asked that any interested party requesting a hearing do so within 21 days.
On July 2, 1996, AT&T Communications filed a request for a hearing.  AT&T requested that a hearing be conducted to address several issues, including details of the methods for conversion and technical conversion capability, and whether presubscription for payphones is included in the intraLATA dialing parity conversion schedule and details of the payphone conversion.
 On July 19, 1996, the Commission issued a Notice of Prehearing Conference and Order for an August 26, 1996 prehearing conference, and also establishing a time for interested parties to file Petitions to Intervene on or before August 19, 1996.  Petitions to Intervene subsequently were filed by MCI Telecommunications Corporation (MCI), AT&T Communications of the Mountain States, Inc. (AT&T), U S WEST Communications, Inc. (U S WEST), the Idaho Telephone Association (ITA), Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc. and TDS Telecom (Century/TDS).  All intervenors except ITA appeared at the prehearing conference.  
At the prehearing conference, the parties agreed to terms to allow the continued processing of GTE’s Tariff Advice No. 96-09.  The stipulation reached by the parties at the prehearing conference is the following:  
1.The Commission should issue an Order approving GTE’s Tariff Advice No. 96-09  on an interim or temporary basis, effective through December 20, 1996.
2.The parties will conduct a conference call on September 9, 1996, at 10:00 a.m. (Mountain Daylight Time) to discuss possible resolution of all issues regarding the tariff.
3.The parties will file a progress report with the Commission on or before October 25, 1996, informing the Commission whether a settlement has been achieved or whether a hearing is required to resolve remaining issues.  
The Commission at the prehearing conference stated its approval of the agreement of the parties.  We find that it is appropriate to issue an Order approving GTE’s Tariff Advice No. 96-09 on an interim basis, effective through December 20, 1996, in order to allow GTE to begin the implementation process for equal access dialing.  This procedure will create  an opportunity for the parties to resolve their differences and, should discussions ultimately prove unsuccessful, to request a hearing to resolve the remaining issues.
O R D E R
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the stipulation of the parties stated at the prehearing conference is approved.  GTE’s Tariff Advice No. 96-09 is approved on an interim basis through December 20, 1996.  The parties will hold a conference call on September 9, 1996, to discuss possible resolution of all issues.  On or before October 25, 1996, the parties will provide a progress report to the Commission informing the Commission whether settlement discussions have been successful or whether a  hearing is requested.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this                  day of August 1996.
                                                                                                                                      RALPH NELSON, PRESIDENT
                                                                                           MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

DENNIS S. HANSEN, COMMISSIONER
ATTEST:

Myrna J. Walters
Commission Secretary
vld/O:GTE-T-96-1.ws3
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Service Date
August 30, 1996