HomeMy WebLinkAboutUSWT9813.docxWELDON B. STUTZMAN
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
472 WEST WASHINGTON STREET
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
(208) 334-0318
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 JOINT APPLICATION)
OF DAKOTA SERVICES, LTD. AND U S WEST) CASE NO. USW-T-98-13
COMMUNICATIONS, INC. FOR APPROVAL )
OF AN AGREEMENT FOR INTERCONNECTION)COMMENTS OF THE
PURSUANT TO 47 U.S.C. § 252(e).)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, and submits the following comments for the Commission’s consideration in Case No. USW-T-98-13.
On September 21, 1998, U S WEST Communications, Inc. (USW) and Dakota Services, Ltd. (Dakota), a competitive local exchange service provider, submitted a Joint Application for approval of an interconnection agreement in accordance with Section 252(e) of the Federal Telecommunications Act. The companies indicated the agreement had been reached through voluntary negotiations and claimed the agreement is consistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity. They requested the Commission approve the agreement without a hearing or intervention by other parties.
Section 252 indicates that such agreements are to be submitted to state commissions for approval. Agreements adopted through negotiation may only be rejected if the state commission finds that:
(i) the agreement (or portion thereof) discriminates against a telecommunications carrier not a party to the agreement; or
(ii) the implementation of such agreement or portion is not consistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity:
STAFF ANALYSIS
Staff reviewed the language of this agreement and found the terms and conditions to be very similar to those included in other interconnection agreements previously submitted to this Commission by U S WEST. Some of the terms and prices contained in this agreement are essentially the same as those contained in the agreements U S WEST executed with a number companies prior to any of the decisions in the arbitration between U S WEST and AT&T,
while other terms approach the arbitrated rates included in the agreement submitted jointly by
U S WEST and AT&T and approved by this Commission in September of 1998.
Staff concludes that the terms or conditions in this agreement are not discriminatory. 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 day of October 1998.____________________________
Weldon B. Stutzman
Deputy Attorney General
Technical Staff: Wayne Hart
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