HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000314_ws.docDECISION MEMORANDUM
TO: COMMISSIONER HANSEN
COMMISSIONER SMITH
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
MYRNA WALTERS
RON LAW
TONYA CLARK
DON HOWELL
STEPHANIE MILLER
DAVE SCHUNKE
DOUG COOLEY
LYNN ANDERSON
BEV BARKER
CAROL COOPER
WORKING FILE
FROM:
DATE: March 14, 2000
RE: CASE NO. INL-T-99-1
APPROVAL OF TOLL DIALING PARITY PLAN FOR INLAND TELEPHONE COMPANY
On March 18, 1999, Inland Telephone Company filed an Application for approval of an interstate, intraLATA toll dialing parity plan. Inland serves approximately 2300 customers in the state of Washington and approximately 325 customers in the Lenore and Leon exchanges in north Idaho. The Commission on April 7, 1999, issued a Notice of Application and Notice of Modified Procedure to process the Application. Written comments were provided the Commission Staff and U S WEST Communications, Inc. U S WEST objected to the plan because it provided for U S WEST to be the default carrier for intraLATA calls originating in Inland’s Idaho exchanges.
On June 29, 1999, Inland filed a Motion to Suspend its dialing parity deadline. Inland’s Motion stated that until U S WEST installed additional trunking facilities, intraLATA equal access for Inland’s Lenore exchange was technically infeasible. Inland asked the Commission to issue an Order suspending its obligation to provide intraLATA equal access until March 31, 2000. On August 2, 1999, the Commission issued Order No. 28107 granting Inland’s Motion and suspending its obligation to implement intraLATA dialing parity in its Lenore and Leon exchanges until March 31, 2000.
On January 27, 2000, Inland filed a Motion for approval of its dialing parity plan. Inland represented that the trunk capacity problem is resolved and Inland is now prepared to meet the March 31, 2000, deadline for implementing its toll dialing parity plan. Inland did not indicate in its Motion whether the issue of a default carrier had been resolved. Staff continued to work with Inland to resolve this issue and others that are identified in the comments filed Staff. Accordingly, on March 8, 2000, Inland sent by Certified Mail a letter to the Commission indicating its resolution of the default carrier and other issues identified by Staff. In its letter, Inland stated it agreed to offer all customers a 90-day grace period in which to make one carrier change in interLATA and one change in intraLATA service at no charge. Inland also indicated its agreement to charge a PIC-change fee of $5.00 for each change after the 90-day grace period. Regarding the default interLATA carrier, Inland stated that interLATA service will continue to be carried by AT&T and that intraLATA service will be carried by Inland Long-Distance Company, a subsidiary provider of Inland to be established and properly registered with the Commission prior to its implementation as the default carrier.
As a result of the changes agreed to by Inland, Staff believes that Inland’s toll dialing parity plan meets the requirements of the federal Telecommunications Act as well as the Federal Communications Commission. Staff accordingly recommends the Commission approve Inland’s toll dialing parity plan as amended by its Certified Letter dated March 8, 2000.
Commission Decision
Should the toll dialing parity plan of Inland Telephone Company be approved?
vld/M:INL-T-99-1_ws2
DECISION MEMORANDUM 2