20210326Decision Memo.pdf

DECISION MEMORANDUM 1
DECISION MEMORANDUM

TO: COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
COMMISSIONER RAPER
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON
COMMISSION SECRETARY
COMMISSION STAFF
LEGAL

FROM: MATT HUNTER
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL

DATE: MARCH 26, 2021

SUBJECT: IN THE MATTER OF CENTURYLINK COMMUNICATIONS, LLC’S
APPLICATION FOR DESIGNATION AS AN ELIGIBLE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER; CASE NO. QCC-T-21-01.

On March 12, 2021, CenturyLink Communications, LLC (“Company”) applied for
designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (“ETC”) in Idaho.
THE APPLICATION
The Company’s ultimate parent company, Lumen Technologies, Inc., was a winning
bidder in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (“RDOF”) auction to provide voice and broadband
services in select Idaho census blocks. Application at 1. The Company states that Lumen
Technologies, Inc. assigned Qwest Corporation (the Company’s parent) the RDOF support for
winning bids in the state of Idaho. Id. at 4. While Qwest Corporation’s affiliates are already
designated by the Commission as ETCs for most of the awarded census blocks, 161 census blocks
(“Incremental CBs”) fall outside the authorized service areas of Quest Corporation’s affiliates. Id.
at 2. The Company is a Commission-certified telephone corporation in the Incremental CBs but is
not designated as ETC in these areas. Id. The Company therefore seeks ETC designation in the
Incremental CBs. Id.
The Company asserts it meets all federal and state requirements for designation as an
ETC and argues that designating the Company as an ETC is in the public interest. Id. at 4-7. The
Company asks that the Commission grant it ETC status by June 1, 2021. Id. at 7.

DECISION MEMORANDUM 2
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Commission issue a Notice of Application and Notice of
Modified Procedure, setting an April 26, 2021 comment deadline and a May 3, 2021 reply
comment deadline.
COMMISSION DECISION
Does the Commission wish to issue a Notice of Application and Notice of Modified
Procedure, setting an April 26, 2021 comment deadline and a May 3, 2021 reply comment
deadline?

__________________________
Matt Hunter
Deputy Attorney General

I:\Legal\TELEPHONE\QCC-T-21-01\Memos\QCCT2101_dec memo_mh.docx