20050601Comments.pdf

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WELDON B. STUTZMAN
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
IDAHO BAR NO. 3283
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IDAHO PUBLiC
tJTILITiES COM~1ISSI0N
Street Address for Express Mail:
472 W. WASHINGTON
BOISE, IDAHO 83702-5983
Attorney for the Commission Staff
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF
QWEST CORPORATION FOR THE FURTHER
CONSOLIDATION OF RATE CENTERS IN SOUTHERN IDAHO.
CASE NO. QWE-O5-
COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF
COMES NOW the Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, by and through its
Attorney of record, Weldon B. Stutzman, Deputy Attorney General, in response to the Notice of
Petition and Notice of Modified Procedure in Case No. QWE-05-10 issued on May 11 2005
and submits the following comments.
On April 29, 2005 , Qwest filed a Petition requesting an Order authorizing the
consolidation of its Meridian and Boise rate centers. Because the rate centers do not have
identical local calling areas, consolidation of the two centers would require the Commission to
expand the local calling area of the Kuna, Meridian, Middleton and Star exchanges to include
Lowman. Lowman is served by Cambridge Telephone Company. Qwest in its Petition proposes
that the Commission grant one-way EAS between its exchanges and the Lowman exchange.
The Commission previously investigated consolidation of rate centers as a way to
conserve NXX prefixes. In February 2001 the Commission issued Order No. 28943, which
consolidated rate centers in Qwest's service area. The new Boise rate center includes the Boise
STAFF COMMENTS JUNE 1 2005
and Idaho City exchanges, and the Meridian rate center includes the Kuna, Meridian, Middleton
and Star exchanges. Qwest's Petition asserts that consolidation of the Boise and Meridian
exchanges is necessary for it to port local numbers between Boise and Meridian for its
customers.
Consolidating the Boise and Meridian exchanges would require modification of the local
calling area for Meridian customers. Customers in the Boise and Idaho City exchanges have toll-
free extended area service (EAS) to the Lowman exchange, and customers in the Meridian rate
center do not. Qwest proposes to provide one-way EAS from the exchanges in the Meridian rate
center to Lowman. Service is provided in Lowman by Cambridge Telephone Company. Qwest
does not seek reimbursement for implementing EAS for its Meridian rate center customers.
Should Cambridge Telephone decide to expand the Lowman EAS to include the Meridian
exchanges, Qwest asserts it would implement two-way EAS without compensation for lost
access and toll revenues.
ST AFF COMMENTS
Staffhas reviewed the information provided by Qwest in this Petition and finds
objection. In addition, Staffs discussion with Cambridge Telephone Company s President
Richard Wiggins, indicates his preference for the implementation of two-way EAS, versus a
more confusing, one-way EAS between Lowman and the Meridian exchanges. An annual long
distance cost study conducted by Cambridge shows minimal financial impact of two-way EAS.
Staff recommends the Commission approve Qwest's Petition for consolidation of Boise and
Meridian rate centers to include Lowman and that two-way EAS be implemented between
Cambridge Telephone s Lowman exchange and the Qwest exchanges in the Meridian rate center
that includes Meridian, Kuna, Middleton, and Star, with each company bearing any cost to
implement EAS.
Respectfully submitted this
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day of June 2005.
Weldon B. Stutzman
Deputy Attorney General
Technical Staff: Grace Seaman
i:uumisc/comments/qwetO5. 1 Owsgs
STAFF COMMENTS JUNE 1 2005
CERTIFICA TE OF SERVICE
HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I HAVE THIS 1ST DAY OF JUNE 2005 SERVED
THE FOREGOING COMMENTS OF THE COMMISSION STAFF IN CASE
NO. QWE- T -05-, BY MAILING A COpy THEREOF POSTAGE PREPAID, TO THE
FOLLOWING:
MARY S HOBSON
STOEL RIVES LLP
SUITE 1900
101 S CAPITOL BLVD
BOISE ID 83702-5958
ADAM L SHERR
QWEST CORPORATION
1600 7TH AVE ROOM 3206
SEATTLE WA 98191
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE