uswt007.wsw.doc

WELDON B. STUTZMAN
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
IDAHO BAR NO. 3283

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 APPLICATION OF
U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AND HEALTHCARE LIABILITY MANAGEMENT CORPORATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN ADOPTED WIRELINE INTERCONNECTION AND RESALE AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO 47 U.S.C.  252(e).
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CASE NO. USW-T-00-07

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 Order
No. 28361, the Notice of Joint Application and Notice of Modified Procedure in Case
No. USW-T-00-7 issued on April 28, 2000, submits the following comments.
On April 12, 2000, U S WEST Communications, Inc. (U S WEST) and Healthcare Liability Management Corporation, a competitive provider of telecommunication services, submitted a Joint Application for approval of a negotiated Interconnection Agreement in accordance with Section 252(e)(1), (2)(A) of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Companies indicated the Agreement had been reached through voluntary negotiations, and claimed the Agreement was not discriminatory against any other company, and that it is consistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity. They requested the Commission approve the Agreement without a hearing or intervention by other parties.
Staff reviewed the language of this Agreement and did not find any terms or conditions that Staff would consider discriminatory. The Agreement is essentially the same as the AT&T-US WEST Agreement previously been approved by this Commission. 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 this Interconnection Agreement as filed.

DATED at Boise, Idaho, this 19th day of May, 2000.

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Weldon B. Stutzman
Deputy Attorney General
Technical Staff: Wayne Hart

WH:va:word/umisc/comments/uswt007.WSw.doc

COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF 2 MAY 19, 2000