970903.docx

DECISION MEMORANDUM
TO:COMMISSIONER HANSEN
COMMISSIONER NELSON
COMMISSIONER SMITH
MYRNA WALTERS
TONYA CLARK
DON HOWELL
STEPHANIE MILLER
DAVE SCHUNKE
JOE CUSICK
DAVID SCOTT
WORKING FILE
FROM:WELDON STUTZMAN
DATE:SEPTEMBER 3, 1997
RE:CASE NOS. USW-T-97-16/SPR-T-97-3; AN APPLICATION FOR APPROV­AL OF AN INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN SPRINT COM­MUNI­CA­TIONS COMPANY AND U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
On August 28, 1997, the Commission received an Application from Sprint Communications for approval of a negotiated interconnection agreement between Sprint and U S WEST Communications.  Although the parties initially sought arbitration of an interconnection agreement with the Commission, the Petition for Arbitration was withdrawn by Sprint and the parties were able to negotiate an agreement, which is now filed for approval by Sprint pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 252(e)(2)(A).
The Application states that the agreement will allow Sprint to begin providing local exchange telecommunication services in competition with U S WEST and other providers.  The interconnection agreement provides terms for numerous interconnection issues including colocation, entrance facilities or meet point arrangements, the exchange of traffic between U S WEST and Sprint, compensation for transport and termination of traffic, the purchase of U S WEST retail services for resale, the acquisition of unbundled network elements from U S WEST and other issues.  Staff recommends that the Application for approval of the interconnection agreement between Sprint and U S WEST be processed by Modified Procedure.
Commission Decision
Should the Application of Sprint Communication for approval of an interconnection agreement with U S WEST be processed by Modified Procedure?

Weldon Stutzman
vld/M:USW-T-97-16.ws