Agenda Date: January 27, 1999
Item Number:    

Docket:   UT-980340 
   IntraLATA Presubscription Toll Dialing Parity Plan and Tariff Filing

Staff:   Sondra Walsh, Policy Research Specialist

Recommendation:

Approve U S WEST’s Toll Dialing Parity Plan and tariff filing in Docket 
UT-980340.    

Discussion:

On October 26, 1998, U S WEST (company) filed a petition seeking approval of 
its IntraLATA Presubscription Implementation Plan (Plan).  On November 2, 1998, 
the company filed its companion tariff.  The plan and tariff are filed pursuant 
to The Telecommunications Act of 1996, and “Commission Order Granting Summary 
Determination; Ordering Implementation of 1+ Toll Dialing Parity.”
 
The Plan

At the Commission’s November 16, 1998, open meeting, the Commission approved,   
U S WEST’s dialing parity plan in part.  The portions of the plan not approved 
by the Commission were the company’s proposed Business Practices and the 
Primary Interexchange Carrier (PIC) Freeze sections.   Staff has worked with 
the company to write language that will define the company’s Business Practices 
and specifics for handling PIC freezes.  The revised language is as follows:  
“If end user is uncertain 
U S WEST will read from a random list.  Customer will be advised that U S WEST 
is a choice.  U S WEST will market only to those customers who specifically 
request information about U S WEST intraLATA rates or services.  End user will 
be asked for selection.”  The revised language for the PIC Freeze section is as 
follows: “An end user with a PIC freeze may change their selection of an 
intraLATA carrier by contacting 
US  WEST.  If that contact is by e-mail or by letter a follow-up call by U S 
WEST will confirm that change.”  The company has filed new pages to the plan 
with the revised language. 

AT&T has raised concerns with another part of the implementation plan the 
section called “Charge Application.”  U S WEST  proposed that the waived PIC 
charges be recovered via the issuance of a one time bulk bill to each 
participating carrier.  This bill will represent the total number of lines 
changed.  This bulk billing provision was approved in the November 16, 1998, 
order and staff continues to believe that this recovery is appropriate.





Docket UT-980340
January 27, 1999
Page 2
The Tariff

Staff has completed reviewing the tariff implementing 1+ Toll Dialing Parity.  
The total costs for implementing 1+ equal access in Washington are estimated to 
be $2,795,446. Costs include network reconfiguration, system and switch 
upgrades, right to use fees, and customer notification.  The conversion costs 
will be recovered through a new rate element, the intraLATA Equal Access and 
Network Reconfiguration Charge of $.000812 per originating access minute.  This 
rate element will be reviewed at the end of the first 12 month period and will 
be adjusted as necessary to ensure recovery of the costs.  The rate is expected 
to be in place for three years. 

U S WEST will charge the end user a nonrecurring PIC change charge of $5.00 per 
line or trunk.  This charge will be waived for the first 120 days of the 
initial subscription period.  For an unauthorized PIC change the rate is 
$21.00.  

Recommendation

Staff recommends the Commission approve U S WEST’s Toll Dialing Parity Plan and 
tariff filing in Docket UT-980340.