BEFORE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI

 

 

In the Matter of Amendment Two – ICC VoIP                     )

and VNXX Amendment to the Interconnection                    )

Agreement By and Between Level 3 Communications,        ) File No. TK-2015-0276

LLC and Embarq Missouri, Inc., d/b/a CenturyLink             )

Pursuant to Sections 251 andn252 of the                           )

Telecommunications Act of 1996                                       )

 

 

ORDER DIRECTING NOTICE, SETTING

INTERVENTION DEADLINE, AND MAKING

LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC A PARTY

 

Issue Date:  May 1, 2015                                             Effective Date:  May 1, 2015

 

 

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, Level 3 Communications, LLC (“Level 3”), as a party to this proceeding.

On April 29, 2015, Embarq Missouri, Inc., d/b/a CenturyLink (“CenturyLink”) filed an application with the Commission for approval of an amendment to the negotiated interconnection agreement with Level 3 under the provisions of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996.  CenturyLink states that there are no unresolved issues and that the amendment to the agreement complies with Section 252(e) of the Act in that it is consistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity, and is not discriminatory to nonparty carriers. 

Although Level 3 is a party to the agreement, it did not join in the application.  Because Level 3 is a necessary party to a full and fair adjudication of this matter, the Commission will add Level 3 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 Data Center shall send notice to all interexchange and local exchange telecommunications companies.

2.               Level 3 Communications, LLC 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 15, 2015, with:

Morris L. Woodruff, Secretary

Missouri Public Service Commission

Post Office Box 360

Jefferson City, Missouri 65102

 

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 1, 2015.

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 Jefferson City, Missouri,

on this 1st day of May, 2015.



[1] 47 U.S.C. § 252(e).