BEFORE THE WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
      

         

In the Matter of the Petition of

ADVANCED TELCOM GROUP, INC.

For Waiver of WAC 480-120-540.
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DOCKET UT-991580


ORDER GRANTING WAIVER OF WAC 480-120-540
BACKGROUND

  By petition filed October 20, 1999, in Docket UT-991580, Advanced TelCom 
Group, Inc., (ATG) requests a waiver of WAC 480-120-540, terminating access 
charges.  The waiver request was brought before the Commission at its regularly 
scheduled open public meeting of November 15, 1999.


DISCUSSION
               ATG is a facilities-based telecommunications company.  In Docket 
UT-981279, ATG was registered, classified as a competitive telecommunications 
company, and authorized to provide intraexchange and interexchange 
telecommunications services throughout the state of Washington.  

  On October 15, 1999, ATG filed a price list with the Commission that 
established a rate for terminating switched access service equal to the 
combination of the rates charged by U S WEST Communications, Inc., for 
terminating switched access itself and for a universal service element applied 
to terminating access.  
WAC 480-120-540 only permits a local exchange company to include in its 
terminating switched access rates a charge for recovery of any costs for 
support of universal access to basic telecommunications service when authorized 
by the Commission.  ATG is not currently authorized to do so, nor has it ever 
demonstrated any universal access costs of the type of those solicited and 
examined in Docket UT-980311(a).  

  In Docket UT-990307 the Commission granted a waiver of 
WAC 480-120-540 to five competitively classified local exchange carriers 
subject to conditions.  Therefore, ATG is also requesting a waiver of WAC 
480-120-540, at this time.
 
  The Commission has the authority to impose conditions on our waiver of WAC 
480-120-540 for ATG, and we find it is reasonable and appropriate to do so in 
this instance.  We will require ATG to file price lists for terminating access 
service at rates not to exceed those charged by U S WEST Communications, Inc., 
and GTE Northwest Incorporated in their respective service territories.  The 
Commission notes that 

RCW 80.36.320(4) authorizes the Commission to “revoke any waivers it grants” 
and to 
“reclassify any competitive telecommunications company if the revocation or 
reclassification would protect the public interest.”  Our action granting 
waiver of 
WAC 480-120-540 is an interim step, and we may revisit waiver of the rule upon 
consideration of any new universal service funding measures or programs.
 

ORDER

  THE COMMISSION ORDERS That the request for waiver by Advanced Docket 
UT-991580         Page 1
TelCom Group, Inc., of WAC 480-120-540, terminating Access Charges, is granted 
as conditioned in the text of this Order.

  DATED at Olympia, Washington, and effective this 15th day of November, 1999.

  WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION



       CAROLE J. WASHBURN, Secretary