In Re: ICC Bill and Keep Amendment to the )
Interconnection Agreement By and Between )
Ameritec
Cellular Services and CenturyTel ) File
No. TK-2013-0488
Of Northwest Arkansas, LLC, d/b/a CenturyLink )
Pursuant to Sections 251 and 252 )
Of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 )
Issue Date: May 1, 2013 Effective
Date: May 1, 2013
Syllabus: This order provides notice of this application to interested parties, establishes a deadline for intervention and for requesting a hearing, and joins the other party to the interconnection agreement, Ameritec Cellular Services (“Ameritec”), as a party to this proceeding.
On May 1, 2013, CenturyTel of Northwest Arkansas, LLC, d/b/a CenturyLink (“CenturyLink”) filed an application with the Commission for approval of a negotiated interconnection agreement between Ameritec and GTE Midwest Incorporated and GTE Arkansas Incorporated, under the provisions of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. CenturyLink acquired certain assets of GTE Midwest Incorporated and GTE Arkansas Incorporated, including the Interconnection agreement between Ameritec and GTE. .CenturyLink states that there are no unresolved issues and that the agreement complies with Section 252(e) of the Act in that it is consistent with public interest, convenience and necessity, and not discriminatory to nonparty carriers.
Although Ameritec is a party to the agreement, it did not join in the application. Because Ameritec is a necessary party to a full and fair adjudication of this matter, the Commission will add Ameritec as a party to this case.
The Act provides that an interconnection or resale agreement must be approved unless the state commission finds that the agreement discriminates against a telecommunications carrier not a party to the agreement, or that implementation of the agreement is not consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity.[1] Section 252(e)(4) of the Act provides that if the Commission has not approved an agreement within 90 days after submission, the agreement shall be deemed approved. The Commission finds that proper persons shall be allowed 15 days from the issuance of this order to file a motion for hearing. The Commission also finds that notice of this application shall be sent to all interexchange and local exchange telecommunications companies.
THE COMMISSION ORDERS THAT:
1.
The Commission’s
2. Ameritec Cellular Services is made a party to this case.
3. Any party wishing to intervene or request a hearing shall do so by filing a pleading no later than May 20, 2013, with:
Morris L. Woodruff, Secretary
Missouri Public Service Commission
Post Office Box 360
Or by using the Commission’s electronic filing and information service.
4.
The Staff of the Commission shall file a recommendation
advising either approval or rejection of this agreement and giving the reasons
therefor no later than
June 3, 2013.
5. This order shall become effective upon issuance.
BY THE
COMMISSION
Morris L. Woodruff
Secretary
Morris L. Woodruff, Chief Regulatory
Law Judge, by delegation of authority
pursuant to Section 386.240, RSMo 2000.
Dated
at
on this 3rd day of May, 2013.