MinuteOrder.doc

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF MIDVALE TELEPHONE EXCHANGE, INC.’S FILING FOR A NEW ACCESS TARIFF AND LOCAL EXCHANGE TARIFF
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CASE NO. MID-T-01-1

MINUTE ORDER
On January 29, 2001, Midvale Telephone Exchange, Inc. filed a new local exchange tariff. Midvale is a Title 61 telephone company serving approximately 1,000 customers in six exchanges around Idaho. The new tariff will replace Midvale’s existing local exchange tariff and Sawtooth Telephone Company’s local exchange tariff. Sawtooth Telephone serves customers in and around the Stanley, Idaho area. These companies merged in December 1999 (See Order No. 28233). The Company filed an amendment to its filing on June 23, 2001 and asked that the new local tariff become effective July 23, 2001.
The proposed local exchange tariff contains the same rates that are currently in the Midvale local exchange tariff in almost every case. A few customers in the Sawtooth exchange may see minor rate changes as the old Sawtooth Telephone tariff is consolidated into the new Midvale tariff. Staff reviewed these rate changes and found them to be on optional services and typically favor the customer. Also, Staff's analysis shows the revenue impacts for the Company will be minimal, and that the post-merger tariff eliminates many obsolete services, such as Centrex and fire alarm systems.
Midvale also is proposing a new structure for vacation service. Midvale’s existing vacation service allows one period of up to four months of the year to be billed at half the local residential rate. The local rate for exchanges with the existing vacation service is $21.63 per month. During the vacation period, no incoming or outgoing calls are provided and there is a connection charge ($25.00) when full service is reestablished.
The vacation service Midvale initially proposed in its new tariff would allow the option of either 50% off the local rate all year long or the ability to disconnect service for any period of time, but retain the phone number for future use. The Company proposed to offer these vacation service alternatives to both residential and business customers that qualify. To qualify for the first option, customers must demonstrate that they currently pay for “full telephone service” in another exchange. During the proposed vacation service, customers would be able to both send and receive calls. Under the second option, customers pay a monthly number reservation fee of $4.95. In response to concerns expressed by Staff, Midvale agreed to revise its proposal and set vacation rates at 75% of the local rate ($16.23 residential and $30.51 business), and also agreed that it would not seek recovery of any revenue loss associated with vacation service through the Idaho USF.
The Commission does not have sufficient information to approve the provisions of the tariff regarding vacation service. Accordingly, this Minute Order is entered to reflect the Commission’s approval of Midvale Telephone Exchange, Inc.’s new access tariff and local exchange tariff effective July 23, 2001, except for the new vacation service rates.
DATED at Boise, Idaho this day of July 2001.

PAUL KJELLANDER, PRESIDENT

MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

DENNIS S. HANSEN, COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

Jean D. Jewell
Commission Secretary

bls/O:midt011_ws

MINUTE ORDER 1

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
July 25, 2001