Supplemental Notice of Utility Application to Temporarily Suspend Service & Terminate Carrier of Last Resort Obligations
The REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA (“Commission”) provides additional notice of an application filed June 10, 2015 by Alascom, Inc. d/b/a AT&T Alaska (“AT&T Alaska”) to temporarily suspend long distance telephone service in Healy Lake, Alaska (“Application”). Docket U-15-088 was opened to address the Application.
According to the AT&T Alaska, the local exchange telecommunications service provider and commercial power provider in Healy Lake, Alaska Power & Telephone Company, has filed an application to temporarily suspend wireline telephone and electric service to the community from April 14, 2015 through December 31, 2015. AT&T Alaska states that it is unable to operate its facilities and provide long distance service without access to electric power, a local switch to route long distance traffic and local loops to carry long distance calls to and from a customer’s premises. In addition, AT&T Alaska asserts that its only customer in Healy Lake is Alaska Power & Telephone Company.
As the Carrier of Last Resort (“COLR”) for long distance telephone service in Healy Lake, AT&T Alaska is required to provide and maintain adequate, efficient and safe essential long distance service of reasonable quality throughout its COLR area. 3 AAC 52.383 states that the Commission may, upon petition or its own motion and after notice and opportunity for hearing, terminate COLR obligations based on a finding that termination of COLR obligations is consistent with the public interest.
Alaska Statute 42.05.261(a) provides that a public utility may not discontinue or abandon service unless, after notice and an opportunity for hearing, the Commission finds that continued service is not required by the public convenience and necessity. A hearing will be scheduled by the Commission in a future order to allow interested persons to voice their support for or opposition to AT&T Alaska’s proposed temporary suspension of long distance telephone service and termination of COLR obligations in Healy Lake. All interested persons will be invited to attend and make comments at the hearing.
No motion for waiver or petition for confidentiality was filed with the Application.
You may obtain information about the Application by contacting Cindy Manheim, General Counsel for AT&T Alaska, at P.O. Box 97061, Redmond, WA 98073; phone: (425) 580-8112. The complete Application is also available for inspection at the Commission’s office at 701 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99501; phone: (907) 276-6222 or may be viewed at the Commission’s website at http://rca.alaska.gov by typing Docket “U-15-088” in the Find a Matter search box.
To comment on the Application, please file your comments by 5:00 p.m., September 18, 2015, at the Commission’s address given above or via our website at:
https://rca.alaska.gov/RCAWeb/WhatsNew/PublicNoticesComments.aspx
Please reference the docket number and include a statement that you’ve filed a copy of the comments with the attorney for AT&T Alaska at its address given above.
Individuals or groups of people with disabilities, who require special accommodations, auxiliary aids or service, or alternative communication formats, please contact Joyce McGowan at (907) 276-6222, toll-free at 1-800-390-2782, TTY (907) 276-4533 or send a request via electronic mail to rca.mail@alaska.gov by September 11, 2015.
DATED at Anchorage, Alaska, this 19th day of August, 2015.
REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA
T.W. Patch
Chairman