19960924Notice of Petiton for Arbitration.doc

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF WESTERN WIRELESS CORPORATION PETITION FOR ARBITRATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 252(b) OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996 OF THE RATES, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS OF INTERCONNECTION WITH U S WEST.
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CASE NO. USWT9611
WST-T-96-1

NOTICE OF PETITION FOR
ARBITRATION

To: U S WEST Communications Inc.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that Western Wireless Corporation (Western Wireless) on September 6, 1996 filed a Petition for Arbitration with the Commission pursuant to Section 252 of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Petition alleges that Western Wireless requested interconnection, services, or network elements with U S WEST pursuant to Section 251 of the Act, that negotiations for an agreement have occurred, but that issues between the parties remain unresolved.
The Petition and Section 252 establish the following dates for an arbitration process:

Date request filed with LEC
Date for LECs response to petition
Deadline for resolution by arbitration
March 29, 1996
October 1, 1996
December 30, 1996
To ensure timely resolution of the Petition, the Commission will schedule a pre-arbitration conference to occur within 21 days of the due date for US WESTs response. During the pre-arbitration conference, the parties must be prepared to identify specific issues that have been resolved and that remain unresolved, to discuss the need and schedule for exchanging information, and to determine a schedule for providing information and pre-filed testimony with the Commission.

The Petition identifies three issues submitted for resolution by arbitration as follows: (1) the rate for interconnection and the transport and termination of traffic, (2) the percentage of U S WEST traffic that terminates on Western Wireless network, and (3) the definition of and applicable charges for non-local traffic. Please refer to the Petition for a more particular description of the unresolved issues.
The Commission will limit its consideration of the Petition to the issues set forth in the Petition and in the response, if any, of U S WEST. The Commission may require the parties to provide information as may be necessary for the Commission to reach a decision on the unresolved issues. If any party refuses or fails unreasonably to respond on a timely basis to any reasonable request from the Commission, then the Commission will proceed on the basis of the best information available to it from whatever source derived.
The three-member Commission will serve as an arbitration panel unless the parties agree to retain a private arbitrator. Following resolution of the disputed issues by arbitration, the Commission will have 30 days to approve the entire agreement of the parties pursuant to Section 252(e) of the Act.
The Commission encourages the parties to continue their discussion to resolve these remaining issues. If the parties reach an agreement, it must be submitted to the Commission for approval pursuant to Section 252(e).
DATED at Boise, Idaho this day of September 1996.

Myrna J. Walters
Commission Secretary

WS/cm/N:uswt9611.ws

NOTICE OF PETITION FOR ARBITRATION -1-

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
September 24, 1996