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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20150225final_order_no_33237.pdfOffice of the Secretary Service Date February 25.2015 BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF ) QWEST CORPORATION DBA CENTURYLINK )CASE NO.QWE-T-OO-20 QC FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO ) ITS TYPE 2 WIRELESS INTERCONNECTION ) AGREEMENT WITH CRICKET ) COMMUNICATIONS,INC.PURSUANT TO 47 )ORDER NO.33237 U.S.C.§252(e)) In this case,the Commission is asked to approve an amendment to the Type 2 Wireless Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and Cricket Communications,Inc.With this Order,the Commission approves the amendment to the Interconnection Agreement. BACKGROUND Under the provisions of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996,interconnection agreements,including amendments thereto,must be submitted to the Commission for approval. 47 U.S.C.§252(e)(l).The Commission may reject an agreement adopted by negotiations only if it finds that the agreement:(1)discriminates against a telecommunications carrier not a party to the agreement;or (2)implementation of the agreement is not consistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity.47 U.S.C.§252(e)(2)(A).As the Commission noted in Order No. 28427,companies voluntarily entering into interconnection agreements “may negotiate terms, prices and conditions that do not comply with either the FCC rules or with the provision of Section 251(b)or (c).”Order No.28427 at 11 (emphasis in original).This comports with the FCC’s statement that “a state commission shall have authority to approve an interconnection agreement adopted by negotiation even if the terms of the agreement do not comply with the requirements of [Part 511.”47 C.F.R.§51.3. THE APPLICATION On January 20,2015,CenturyLink and Cricket jointly submitted Amendment No.2 to their Type 2 Wireless Interconnection Agreement.The original Interconnection Agreement was approved by the Commission on January 26,2001,Case No.QWE-T-00-20.See Order No. 28618.The proposed amendment provides for Bill and Keep provisions as set forth in the Federal Communications Commission’s Docket No.01-95,in the Matter of Developing a ORDERNO.33237 1 Unified Intercarrier Compensation Regime.The proposed revisions are more fully described in Attachment 1 to the Amendment. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff reviewed the Application for approval of the aforementioned amendment to the Interconnection Agreement and does not find any terms or conditions that it considers to be discriminatory or contrary to the public interest.Staff believes that the amendment is consistent with the pro-competitive policies of this Commission,the Idaho Legislature,and the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996.Accordingly,Staff recommended the Commission approve the amendment to the Interconnection Agreement. COMMISSION DECISION Under the terms of the Telecommunications Act,interconnection agreements, including amendments thereto,must be submitted to the Commission for approval.47 U.S.C.§ 252(e)(1).The Commission’s review is limited,however.The Commission may reject an agreement adopted by negotiation py if it finds that the agreement discriminates against a telecommunications carrier not a party to the agreement or implementation of the agreement is not consistent with the public interest,convenience and necessity.Id. Based upon our review of the Application and Staff’s recommendation,the Commission finds that the amendment to the parties’Interconnection Agreement is consistent with the public interest,convenience and necessity and does not discriminate.Therefore,the Commission finds that the Agreement,including amendments thereto,should be approved. Approval of an Interconnection Agreement does not negate the responsibility of either party to an Agreement to obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity if they are offering local exchange services or to comply with Idaho Code §sS 62-604 and 62-606 if they are providing other non-basic local telecommunications services as defined by Idaho Code §62-603. ORDER IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the amendment to the Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and Cricket Communications,Inc.,Case No. QWE-T-00-20,is approved. THIS IS A Fll’JAL ORDER.Any person interested in this Order (or in issues finally decided by 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 ORDERNO.33237 2 reconsideration,any other person may cross-petition for reconsideration.See Idaho Code §§61- 626 and 62-619. DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise,Idaho this day of February 2015. //•/72,/7/ PAUL StLLAMIER,fOMMISSIONER MACK A.REDFOIt,!OMMISSIONER K TINE RAPER,COMMISSIONER ATTEST: Jtn D.Jewel! mmission Secretary O:QWE-T-OO-20np3 ORDERNO.33237 3