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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20050628_1221.pdfDECISION MEMORANDUM TO:COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER COMMISSIONER SMITH COMMISSIONER HANSEN COMMISSION SECRETARY COMMISSION STAFF LEGAL FROM:WELDON STUTZMAN DATE:JUNE 6, 2005 SUBJECT:QWEST PETITION FOR FURTHER CONSOLIDATION OF RATE CENTERS IN SOUTHERN IDAHO, CASE NO. QWE-05- On April 29, 2005 Qwest filed a Petition requesting an Order authorizing the consolidation of its Meridian and Boise rate centers. Because the rate centers do not have identical local calling areas, consolidation of the two centers would require the Commission to expand the local calling area of the Kuna, Meridian, Middleton and Star exchanges to include Lowman. Lowman is served by Cambridge Telephone Company. Qwest in its Petition proposes that the Commission grant one-way EAS between its exchanges and the Lowman exchange. The Commission previously investigated consolidation of rate centers as a way to conserve NXX prefixes. In February 2001 the Commission issued Order No. 28943 , which consolidated rate centers in Qwest's service area. The new Boise rate center includes the Boise and Idaho City exchanges, and the Meridian rate center includes the Kuna, Meridian, Middleton and Star exchanges. Qwest's Petition asserts that consolidation of the Boise and Meridian exchanges is necessary for it to port local numbers between Boise and Meridian for its customers. Consolidating the Boise and Meridian exchanges would require modification of the local calling area for Meridian customers. Customers in the Boise and Idaho City exchanges have toll-free extended area service (EAS) to the Lowman exchange, and customers in the Meridian rate center do not. Qwest proposed to provide one-way EAS from the exchanges in the Meridian rate center to Lowman. Service is provided in Lowman by Cambridge Telephone Company. Qwest does not seek reimbursement for implementing EAS for its Meridian rate DECISION MEMORANDUM center customers. Should Cambridge Telephone decide to expand the Lowman EAS to include the Meridian exchanges, Qwest asserted it would implement two-way EAS without compensation for lost access and toll revenues. Staff filed comments recommending the Commission approve Qwest's Petition for consolidation of Boise and Meridian rate centers and that two-way EAS be implemented between Cambridge Telephone s Lowman exchange and the Qwest exchanges in the Meridian rate center that includes Meridian, Kuna, Middleton, and Star, with each company bearing any cost to implement EAS. Cambridge Telephone filed comments stating it is willing to extend two-way EAS from its Lowman exchange to the Meridian rate center. Cambridge stated it does not seek reimbursement for its immediate costs of implementing EAS, but did request reimbursement from the state Universal Service Fund for lost access revenues in the amount of $1 ,404 per year. COMMISSION DECISION: Should the Commission issue an Order (a) approving consolidation of Qwest's Boise and Meridian rate centers; (b) expanding the local calling area of the Kuna, Meridian Middleton and Star exchanges to include Lowman by (i) implementing one-way EAS between the Qwest exchanges and the Lowman exchange served by Cambridge Telephone, and directing the costs of implementing the expanded EAS to be paid by Qwest, or (ii) implementing two-way EAS between the Qwest exchanges and the Cambridge Telephone Lowman exchange, and directing the costs to be paid by Qwest and Cambridge, unless the Commission approves recovery of lost access revenue and authorizes Cambridge to be reimbursed from the state USF in the amount of $1 ,404 per year? 0) ~-Weldon B. Stutzman bls/M:QWETO510 ws2 DECISION MEMORANDUM