2001021_ws.doc

DECISION MEMORANDUM

TO: COMMISSIONER HANSEN
COMMISSIONER SMITH
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
JEAN JEWELL
RON LAW
LOUANN WESTERFIELD
TONYA CLARK
DON HOWELL
DOUG COOLEY
RANDY LOBB
WORKING FILE
FROM:
DATE:
FEBRUARY 1, 2001 RE: CASE NO. QWE-T-00-04
QWEST EQUAL ACCESS RECOVERY CHARGE

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. 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 northern Idaho 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. 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, 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 and Stipulation, agreeing that the recovery rate should be $.001081 per originating intraLATA minute in northern Idaho and $.02598 per originating intraLATA minute in southern Idaho. 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 in July 2002.
Staff reviewed the Stipulation and filed comments on January 30, 2001. Staff supports the Stipulation reached by Qwest and AT&T and recommends that the Commission approve it and approve the proposed adjusted equal access charges.
Commission Decision
Should the Commission approve the Stipulation filed by Qwest and AT&T, and approve the proposed adjustments to the equal access and network reconfiguration charge?

vld/M:QWE-T-00-04_ws

DECISION MEMORANDUM 2