BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF INLAND TELEPHONE COMPANY FOR APPROVAL OF ITS PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF INTRASTATE, INTRALATA DIALING PARITY. / )
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ORDER NO. 28323

On March18, 1999, Inland Telephone Company filed an Application for approval of an intraLATA toll dialing parity plan. Inland serves approximately 2,300 customers in the state of Washington and approximately 325 customers in the Lenore and Leon exchanges in north Idaho. The Commission on April7, 1999 issued a Notice of Application and Notice of Modified Procedure to process the Application. Written comments were filed by the Commission Staff and USWEST Communications, Inc. USWEST objected to the plan because it provided for USWEST to be the default carrier for intraLATA calls originating in Inland’s Idaho exchanges.

On June29, 1999, Inland filed a Motion to Suspend its dialing parity implementation deadline. Inland’s Motion stated that until USWEST installed additional trunking facilities, intraLATA equal access for Inland’s Lenore exchange was technically infeasible. Inland asked the Commission to issue an Order suspending its obligation to provide intraLATA equal access until March31, 2000. On August2, 1999, the Commission issued Order No.28107 granting Inland’s Motion and suspending its obligation to implement intraLATA dialing parity in its Lenore and Leon exchanges until March31, 2000.

On January27, 2000, Inland filed a new motion for approval of its dialing parity plan. Inland represented that the trunk capacity problem is resolved and Inland is now prepared to meet the March31, 2000 deadline for implementing its toll dialing parity plan. Inland did not indicate in its motion whether the issue of a default carrier had been resolved. Staff continued to work with Inland to resolve this issue and others that are identified in the comments filed by Staff. Accordingly, on March8, 2000, Inland sent by certified mail a letter to the Commission indicating its resolution of the default carrier and the other issues identified by Staff. In its letter, Inland stated it agreed to offer all customers a 90-day grace period in which to make one carrier change for interLATA service and one change for intraLATA service at no charge. Inland also indicated its agreement to charge a PIC-change fee of $5.00 for each change after the 90-day grace period. Regarding the default interLATA carrier, Inland stated that interLATA service will continue to be carried by AT&T and that intraLATA service will be carried by Inland Long-Distance Company, a subsidiary provider of Inland to be established and properly registered with the Commission prior to its implementation as the default carrier.

As a result of the changes agreed to by Inland, Staff stated that Inland’s toll dialing parity plan meets the requirements of the federal Telecommunications Act as well as the Federal Communications Commission. Staff accordingly recommends the Commission approve Inland’s toll dialing parity plan as amended by its certified letter dated March8, 2000.

Inland’s dialing parity plan was filed pursuant to an Order issued by the Federal Communications Commission, Order No.FCC 99-54, which required all local exchange carriers to submit dialing parity plans for approval by their state commission. Based on the record in this case and our review of Inland’s plan, we find that Inland’s toll dialing parity implementation plan, which should be fully implemented by April1, 2000, satisfies the requirements of the FCC for intraLATA dialing parity plans and should be approved.

O R D E R

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the intraLATA dialing parity plan filed by Inland as modified by its certified letter to the Commission dated March8, 2000, is approved.

THIS IS A FINAL ORDER. Any 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. See Idaho Code §61-626.


DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this

day of March 2000.

DENNIS S. HANSEN, PRESIDENT

MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

PAUL KJELLANDER, COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

Myrna J. Walters

Commission Secretary

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ORDER NO.28323 1