20140821final_order_no_33105.pdf

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
August 21,2014
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF )
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS )CASE NO.VZN-T-14-01
NORTHWEST INC.SEEKING A WAIVER )
OF FCC THRESHOLD NUMBERING )
RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS FOR )
SANDPOINT,IDAHO )ORDER NO.33105
________________________________________________________________________________________
)
On August 8,2014,Frontier Communications Northwest Inc.(“Frontier”)petitioned
the Public Utilities Commission for a waiver of numbering resource guidelines,and appealed the
denial of its application for additional numbering resources by Neustar,the North American
Numbering Plan Administrator.Frontier operates as the incumbent local exchange carrier in its
northern Idaho service area after acquiring Verizon Northwest’s local exchanges in July 2010.
Order No.32142.As outlined below,the Commission grants Frontier’s Petition.
THE PETITION
Frontier customer Litehouse Inc.requested a block of 300 contiguous direct inward
dialing (DID)’numbers to accommodate a new headquarters facility in Sandpoint,Idaho,and to
permit internal dialing by using the last four digits of each number.Litehouse also requested a
block of 100 contiguous DID numbers for its Ella Street facility.To allow use of internal
extensions between the headquarters and Ella facilities,Litehouse asked that the first digit of the
Ella extensions differ from the corresponding digit of the headquarters extensions.2
On August 6,2014,Frontier applied to Neustar for release of two one-thousand
number blocks of telephone numbers for Litehouse.As part of its Application,Frontier
submitted a “Months to Exhaust”(MTE)worksheet,indicating when Frontier would deplete or
exhaust its telephone numbering resources in the Sandpoint rate center.Frontier calculated that
it would be more than 53 months before it would run out of available telephone numbers in each
of the two requested blocks.This exceeds the maximum MTE required by Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)guidelines,in order to be assigned an additional thousands-
DID is a feature of a PBX or Centrex telephone system that allows a caller to directly dial an internal telephone
number.
2 For example,if headquarters numbers are 208-XXX-1 100 through 208-XXX-l399,the Ella facility could have
numbers 208-XXX-2 100 through 208-XXX-2 199.This way,the extensions —or last four digits —at headquarters
would not duplicate extensions at the Ella facility.
ORDERNO.33105 1
block of numbers for growth.3 Accordingly.Neustar denied Frontiefs application on the day it
was submitted.
The FCC has delegated authority to state commissions to waive the FCC threshold
required for releasing numbering resources where there is a demonstrated need,through a
process called the safetv valve.”See Petition at 1.Third Report and Order on Reconsideration.
CC Docket No.99-200.17 F.C.C.R.252 (2001)and Errata (Feb.2.2002)(the ‘Optimiza1ion
Order”).Frontier filed a Petition under this process and now asks that the Idaho Commission
approve its request for waiver and direct Neustar to release two thousand-number blocks from
the Sandpoint rate center.The blocks 208-920-2XXX and 208-920-4XXX are currently reserved
pending approval of Frontiers request,but are set to be released on Friday,August 22,2014.
STAFF ANALYSIS
Staff recommended the Commission grant Frontier’s Petition.Staff believes that the
‘safety valve”criteria has been met because Frontier cannot meet Litehouse’s request with its
current numbering inventory.Staff has reviewed and evaluated Frontier’s request as well as the
letter from Litehouse and believes the waiver is reasonable for Litehouse’s business plan.
DISCUSSION AND FINDINGS
After considering Frontier’s Petition and reviewing Neustar’s initial decision.the
Commission finds that Frontier’s Petition should be granted.The FCC grants the Idaho
Commission the authority to overturn a denial by Neustar for a numbering assignment “based on
its determination that the carrier has demonstrated a verifiable need for numbering resources and
has exhausted all other available remedies.”47 C.F.R.§52.15(g)(4).We find that Frontier’s
current numbering inventory is insufficient to meet the specific customer’s service request.
Optimization Order.¶61,Errata.¶18.The requested block will be used to fulfill reasonably
expected and specifically identified customer requirements.We further find that the assignment
will not detrimentall affect number resources for the Sandpoint rate center.and that it is
reasonable to direct that Neustar provide the number blocks as requested by Frontier to meet the
customer’s need.
To be assigned an additional thousands-block (NXX-X)for growth,“Wonths to Exhaust”must be less than or
equal to six months.47 C.F.R.§52.15 (g)(3)(iii)).
ORDERNO.33105
ORDER
IT iS HEREBY ORDERED that Frontiers Petition for a “safety vaIve’waiver of the
FCC’s numbering resource optimization guidelines is granted.
IT iS FURTHER ORDERED that the reserved number blocks NPA NXX X (208-
920-2XXX and 208-920-4XXX)be released to Frontier for its Sandpoint rate center customer.
THIS IS A FiNAL ORDER.Anv person interested in this Order may petition for
reconsideration within twenty-one (21)days of the service date of this Order.Within seven (7)
days after any person has petitioned for reconsideration.any other person may cross-petition for
reconsideration.Idaho Code §61-626.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise,Idaho this /
day of August 2014.
£2(4L€
PAUL KJELLANDER,PRESIDENT
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\.
MACK A.REDFORD.COMMISSIONER
MARSHA II.SMITH,COMMISSIONER
ATTEST:
ft.
sean D.JewelI1
Cmmission Secretary
O:VZN-T-14-Oldjh
ORI)ERNO.33105 3