20001017Comments.doc

JOHN R. HAMMOND
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
IDAHO BAR NO. 5470

Street Address for Express Mail:
472 W. WASHINGTON
BOISE, ID 83702-5983

Attorney for the Commission Staff

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION
OF QWEST CORPORATION AND @LINK NETWORKS, INC. FOR APPROVAL OF AN INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO 47 U.S.C. § 252(e).
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CASE NO. QWE-T-00-6

COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF

COMES NOW the Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, by and through its Attorney of record, John R. Hammond, Deputy Attorney General, in response to Order No. 28515
the Notice of Joint Application and Notice of Modified Procedure in Case No. QWE-T-00-6 issued on September 26, 2000, submits the following comments.
On September 8, 2000, Qwest Corporation and @link Networks, Inc. (@link) filed a Joint Application requesting approval of a wireline interconnection agreement. The Joint Application states that the agreement was reached through voluntary negotiations without resort to mediation or arbitration and is submitted for approval pursuant to Section 252(e) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Staff reviewed the language of this Agreement and did not find any terms or conditions that Staff would consider discriminatory. @link essentially opted into the U S WEST-Covad agreement approved by this Commission on April 22, 1999 in Order 28012. Staff concurs with the Companies claim that the Agreement is consistent with the pro-competitive policies of the Commission, the Idaho Legislature, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and therefore is consistent with the public interest.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Commission approve the Interconnection Agreement as filed.

DATED at Boise, Idaho, this day of October 2000.

______________________________________
John R. Hammond
Deputy Attorney General

Technical Staff: Wayne Hart

WH:jo:i:umisc/comments/qwet006.jhwh
STAFF COMMENTS 1 OCTOBER 17, 2000