19980818.docx

DECISION MEMORANDUM
TO:COMMISSIONER HANSEN
COMMISSIONER NELSON
COMMISSIONER SMITH
MYRNA WALTERS
TONYA CLARK
DON HOWELL
STEPHANIE MILLER
DAVE SCHUNKE
RITA SCOTT
JOE CUSICK
DAVID SCOTT
WORKING FILE
FROM:WELDON STUTZMAN
DATE:AUGUST 18, 1998
RE:CASE NO. USW-T-96-15 & ATT-T-96-2
APPROVAL OF INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN U S WEST AND AT&T.
On August 17, 1998, U S WEST and AT&T Communications of the Mountain States, Inc. submitted their interconnection agreement for approval by the Commission.  The interconnection agreement was executed following a lengthy arbitration procedure before the Commission.  The agreement is submitted for approval pursuant to Section 252(e) of the Telecommunications Act.  Section 252(e) requires a Commission to act within thirty days when an arbitrated agreement is submitted for approval.  A state Commission may reject an arbitrated agreement only if the agreement does not meet the requirements of Section 251 (resale, access to unbundled elements, collocation, etc.) or the pricing standards set forth in Section 252(d).
The standards of Section 251, as well as the pricing standards of Section 252(d), require nondiscriminatory terms and conditions in certain aspects of interconnection agreements.  Accordingly, Staff believes other telecommunications companies should be made aware of the interconnection agreement.  Staff therefore recommends that the Commission issue a Notice of Modified Procedure, providing for a 14 day comment period, to process approval of the interconnec­tion agreement within thirty days.
Commission Decision:
Should approval of the interconnection agreement of U S WEST and AT&T be processed by Modified Procedure with a 14 day comment period?

Weldon Stutzman
cm\M:uswt9615.ws