HomeMy WebLinkAbout19980709Comments.docWELDON STUTZMAN
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
(208) 334-0300
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 GTE NORTHWEST INCORPORATEDS TARIFF ADVICE NO. 98-10 TO PROVIDE TWO NEW EAS ROUTES FOR THE TENSED/BLUEBELL AND EVERGREEN EXCHANGES.
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CASE NO. GTE T 98-3
COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF
COMES NOW the Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, by and through its Attorney of record, Weldon Stutzman, Deputy Attorney General, and submits the following comments for the Commissions consideration in Case No. GTE-T-98-3.
BACKGROUND
On April 28, 1998, GTE Northwest Incorporated (GTE) filed Tariff Advice No. 98-10 requesting approval to provide two-way EAS routes from the Evergreen Exchange (Farmington, Idaho) and the Tensed/Bluebell Exchange (Tensed, Idaho) into the towns of Potlatch, Plummer/Worley, and St. Maries. Both communities of Evergreen and Tensed are in the Spokane LATA and on the Idaho side of the Washington/Idaho borders. The current local calling areas are into Washington.
On June 18, 1998, the Commission determined that the public interest may not require a formal hearing in this matter and issued Order No. 27593 to proceed under Modified Procedure pursuant to Rules 201 through 204 of the Idaho Public Utilities Commissions Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.201 through .204.
DISCUSSION
Staff received a petition from the Tensed/Bluebell customers with 116 signatures requesting a local calling plan, which resulted in Staff contacting GTE in July 1997. GTE agreed to investigate the feasibility of a local calling plan for the Tensed and Farmington communities. GTE began a calling data study and cost analysis and found a reasonable community of interest was present for the Tensed/Bluebell customers calling into the St. Maries, Potlatch and Plummer/Worley exchanges. GTE proposed the following calling plans:
Current Exchanges Current Calling Areas Proposed Calling Areas
Evergreen Evergreen Evergreen
(Farmington, ID) Farmington, WA Farmington, WA
Tensed/Bluebell Tensed/Bluebell
Rock Creek Rock Creek
Plummer/Worley
Potlatch
St. Maries
Tensed/Bluebell Tensed/Bluebell Tensed/Bluebell
(Tensed, ID) Tekoa, WA Tekoa, WA
(DeSmit, ID) Evergreen Evergreen
Rock Creek Rock Creek
Plummer/Worley
Potlatch
St. Maries
GTE proposed the following rate design for its customers on GTEs Community Plus calling plan. This calling plan allows GTEs customers to place toll-free calls into the communities within the new calling areas. The following rate design is revenue neutral to GTE. The EAS adder will be required of all GTE Community Plus Calling Plan customers within the proposed calling plan areas. The EAS adder will be in addition to the pending rate increase that all GTE customers will experience as a result of its pending rate rebalancing case (Case No. GTE-T-98-2) that is currently before the Commission.
COMMUNITY PLUS CALLING PLAN
Current New
Monthly Rate EAS Adder Monthly Rate
Evergreen and
Tensed/Bluebell
Residential (1 line) $ 11.25 $ 6.76 $ 18.01
Business (1 line) 22.00 13.52 35.52
Business (Multi-line) 25.00 13.52 38.52
Central Office Located Trunk 19.00 13.52 32.52
Plummer-Worley
Residential (1 line) $ 16.20 $ 1.94 $ 18.14
Business (1 line) 38.30 3.87 42.17
Business (Multi-line) 43.00 3.87 46.87
Central Office Located Trunk 37.00 3.87 40.87
Potlatch
Residential $ 15.25 $ .39 $ 15.64
Business (1 line) 36.00 .77 36.77
Business (Multi-line) 39.00 .77 39.77
Central Office Located Trunk 33.00 .77 33.77
St. Maries
Residential $ 12.75 $ .29 $ 13.04
Business (1 line) 27.00 .58 27.58
Business (Multi-line) 30.00 .58 30.58
Central Office Located Trunk 24.00 .58 24.58
Staff has reviewed GTEs filing and believes that it is appropriate and meets the needs of its customers. Staff commends the Companys response to its customers request for an optional local calling plan that will afford GTE customers the ability to place local calls into the state in which they reside. Staff supports the proposed optional local calling plan that GTE has submitted.
Respectfully submitted this day of July 1998.
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Weldon Stutzman
Deputy Attorney General
Technical Staff: Carolee Hall
WS:CH:jo\i\umisc\comments\gtet983.ws
STAFF COMMENTS 1 July 9, 1998