uswt9910.wsw.doc

WELDON 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, IDAHO 83702-5983

Attorney for the Commission Staff

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION OF U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AND HIGHSPEED.COM OF IDAHO, LLC FOR APPROVAL OF AN INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO 47 U.S.C. § 252(e).
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CASE NO. USW-T-99-10

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. 28092, the Notice of Joint Application and Notice of Modified Procedure in Case No. USW-T-99-10 issued on July 9, 1999, submits the following comments.
On June 7, 1999, U S WEST Communications, Inc. (U S WEST), and HighSpeed.Com of Idaho, L.L.C. (HighSpeed), a competitive local exchange service company, submitted a Joint Application for approval of a negotiated interconnection agreement for wireline interconnection 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 terms and conditions of the Agreement, which are based upon the terms and prices that resulted from the U S WEST-AT&T arbitration, and does not find any of the terms or conditions to be discriminatory. As the Agreement is the result of voluntary negotiations and is not discriminatory, Staff does not believe the Agreement is contrary to the public interest, convenience or necessity.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Commission approve this interconnection Agreement as filed.
DATED at Boise, Idaho, this 30th day of July, 1999.

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Weldon Stutzman
Deputy Attorney General
Technical Staff: Wayne Hart

WH:va:word:u:umisc/comments/uswt9910.wsw
STAFF COMMENTS 1 JULY 30, 1999