951025.docx

DECISION MEMORANDUM
TO:COMMISSIONER NELSON
COMMISSIONER SMITH
COMMISSIONER HANSEN
MYRNA WALTERS
TONYA CLARK
DON HOWELL
STEPHANIE MILLER
DAVE SCHUNKE
JOE CUSICK
BEV BARKER
GARY RICHARDSON
WORKING FILE
FROM:WELDON STUTZMAN
DATE:OCTOBER 25, 1995
RE:CASE NO. USW-S-95-7.  INVESTIGATION OF U S WEST COMMUNICA-
TIONS’ SERVICE IN THE NORTH SHOSHONE AREA
BACKGROUND:
On May 12, 1995, the Commission’s Consumer Assistance Section received an informal complaint from Marlyn Brockbank, a resident of the north Shoshone area, regarding his telephone service.  According to Mr. Brockbank, the telephones go dead whenever there is a power outage in the area.  U S WEST was contacted by Mr. Brockbank and others about the problem, but it apparently was not resolved.
On Staff’s inquiry, U S WEST on May 17 advised Staff that the area is served by a pair gain device (SLC-96, referred to as a Slick 96).  A pair gain device is a multiplexer that allows a few lines to be run to a terminal where the device is located, and then provides a much larger number of lines to run from the terminal to individual telephone customers.  The device requires electrical power to operate, provided in this case by Idaho Power Company.  Batteries in the terminal provide a backup power supply.
When contacted by Staff, U S WEST suggested the batteries may have failed, and promised to test the batteries and replace them if they proved unsatisfactory.  On July 20, Mr.
Brockbank contacted the Commission Staff to advise that there had been another power outage and telephone service again was lost.  Staff contacted U S WEST on July 21 and was advised that the batteries had been replaced.  According to the Company, the batteries only provide power for four hours.  If an outage lasts longer than four hours the batteries lose their charge and telephone service is lost.
On September 18, the Commission received a petition with approximately 47 signatures of people residing in and around the north Shoshone area.  The petition states that for more than a year, north Shoshone has had no telephone service during power outages.  The petitioners also stated that inquiries to U S WEST had not produced acceptable results.  In particular, the petitioners pointed out the need for an adequate backup battery system in the terminal.
On October 4, 1995, the Commission issued a Notice of Investigation and Order No. 26187 directing U S WEST to respond to specific questions regarding telephone service in the north Shoshone area during power outages.  The Company filed its responses on October 18, 1995.
The problems U S WEST experienced apparently derived from two different pair gain devices serving the area.  It was not clear at first which unit was serving the affected customers.  Initially, U S WEST found a problem in the pair gain device furthest north in the exchange.  The Company replaced defective batteries in this unit, added an additional battery string, and installed a larger circuit breaker.
It was not until another power failure in the area that the Company realized that a second unit was also having problems.  The second unit had tested satisfactorily using standard test gear.  When the unit again failed, U S WEST retested it with other test gear and found that the battery string in the second device was in fact failing.  The Company installed a new battery string and also placed a backup string in the unit.  To help prevent lightning from tripping the system circuit breakers, U S WEST replaced the standard 20 amp circuit breakers with 30 amp circuit breakers.  The Company also transferred the power alarm reporting to its center in Denver, which has ungraded its alarms to better identify the nature of the alarms and thus provide better responsiveness to potential problems.
With these improvements, U S WEST is confident the problem has been resolved.  On October 10, the Company met with Mr. Brockbank and a reporter form the Lincoln County
Journal while the Company tested the new battery packs.  The Company tested the unit by cutting commercial power to it.  The system transferred to the backup power supply and functioned as required.  Mr. Brockbank subsequently wrote to the Commission, stating confidence that “the equipment repairs and the top priority U S WEST placed on this project due to the IPUC intervention has resulted in an operable system.”
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
It is unfortunate this problem became a formal complaint before being resolved.  However, Staff believes U S WEST has now taken appropriate action to solve the outage problems which these customers were experiencing.  Staff recommends that the complaint against U S WEST be considered resolved and that this case be closed.
COMMISSION DECISION:
Given the corrective action taken by U S WEST, should this case be closed?
_____________________________
Weldon Stutzman
vld/M:USW-S-95-7.ws