28643.doc

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF QWEST’S TARIFF ADVICE NO. 00-02-N AND TRANSMITTAL NO. 00-07-PL ADJUSTING THE EQUAL ACCESS RECOVERY CHARGE FOR NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN IDAHO )
)
)
)
)
)
CASE NO. QWE-T-00-4

ORDER NO. 28643

On August 1, 2000, Qwest Corporation (formerly U S WEST Communications, Inc.) filed revisions to its equal access and network reconfiguration charge previously approved by the Commission and implemented by Qwest in July 1999. See Order No. 28072, Case No. GNRT94-5. The equal access charge is designed to recover the costs associated with implementing intraLATA toll dialing parity and is charged per minute of use to all providers of intraLATA long distance service. When the Commission approved Qwest’s equal access charge, it required Qwest to report its implementation costs and allow for a true-up in the event the charge was too high or too low. In its filing, Qwest proposed to reduce the charge from $.001861 to $.001338 per minute in its northern Idaho service area and increase the charge from $.001861 to $.003560 per minute in southern Idaho, effective September 1, 2000.
On August 30, 2000, the Commission issued a Notice of Filing and Notice of Right to Intervene, and also suspended the proposed effective date for the adjustments to Qwest’s equal access charge. Order No. 28495. Subsequently, a Petition to Intervene was filed by AT&T Communications of the Mountain States, Inc. (AT&T), which Petition was granted by the Commission. Thereafter the Commission determined to process the proposed adjustments by Modified Procedure, and issued on December 20, 2000, a Notice of Filing and Notice of Modified Procedure. During the comment period provided in the Notice of Modified Procedure, AT&T and Qwest stipulated to the filing of late comments while the parties attempted to reach agreement on adjustments to the proposed equal access charge.
On January 26, 2001, Qwest and AT&T filed a Settlement Stipulation, agreeing that the recovery rate should be $.001081 per originating intraLATA minute in northern Idaho and $.002598 per originating intraLATA minute in Qwest’s southern Idaho service area. The Stipulation also addresses the cost of money, reporting intervals, and the total amount of the cost to be recovered. Qwest and AT&T also agreed to additional reporting and true-ups in July 2001, and a final true-up by Qwest in July 2002. Staff reviewed the Stipulation and filed comments on January 30, 2001. The Staff comments support the Stipulation reached by Qwest and AT&T.
The Commission has reviewed the record in this case, including the Stipulation filed by Qwest and AT&T. We find the terms of the Stipulation to be just, fair and reasonable. The Stipulation provides for lower equal access charges than originally proposed by Qwest, based on the removal of certain costs in the recovery calculations. The Stipulation also requires Qwest to provide data in July 2001 and a final report in July 2002 regarding its recovery of allowed costs through the equal access charge. The terms in the Stipulation for verifying complete recovery of appropriate costs by the equal access charge are reasonable and appropriate. In sum, we find the Stipulation to be just, fair and in the public interest.
O R D E R
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Settlement Stipulation between Qwest and AT&T is approved. Qwest may adjust its equal access and network reconfiguration charge to $.001081 per originating intraLATA minute in northern Idaho and $.002598 per originating intraLATA minute in its southern Idaho service area, effective the date of this Order. Qwest is directed to provide the appropriate accounting information as set forth in the Settlement Stipulation.
THIS IS A FINAL ORDER. Any person interested in this Order may petition for reconsideration within twenty-one (21) days of the service date of this Order. Within seven (7) days after any person has petitioned for reconsideration, any other person may cross-petition for reconsideration. See Idaho Code § 61-626.

DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this
day of February 2001.

DENNIS S. HANSEN, PRESIDENT

MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

PAUL KJELLANDER, COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

Jean D. Jewell
Commission Secretary

vld/O:QWET004_ws3

ORDER NO. 28643 1

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
February 12, 2001