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PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING

January 27, 1997; 2:00 P.M.
State Capitol Building, Room LCR-1
Pierre, South Dakota

NOTE: If you wish to join this meeting by conference call, please contact the Commission at 605-773-3201 by 12 noon, January 27, 1997.

NOTE: Notice is further given to persons with disabilities that this Commission meeting is being held in a physically accessible place. If you have special needs, please notify the Commission and we will make all necessary arrangements.

AGENDA OF THE AD HOC COMMISSION MEETING

Telecommunications

1. TC96-107 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SWITCHED ACCESS RATES FOR U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (Staff Analyst: Harlan Best. Staff Attorney: Karen Cremer.)

On June 24, 1996, U S WEST Communications, Inc. (U S WEST) filed for approval by the Public Utilities Commission (Commission) its 1995 switched access cost study. According to the application, the study develops an overall average calculated rate of $0.066 per minute required to recover the costs of providing switched access. The following companies were granted intervention on July 30, 1996: Sprint Communications Company L.P. (Sprint); MCI Telecommunications Corporation (MCI); Express Communications, Inc. (Express); AT&T Communications of the Midwest, Inc. (AT&T); Telecommunications Action Group (TAG); and Dakota Cooperative Telecommunications, Inc. (DCT).

The Commission also found that pursuant to SDCL 49-31-12.4, the rate increase should be suspended for 120 days. A hearing was held on October 9 and 10, 1996, before the Commission. At a regularly scheduled meeting of the Commission on December 9, 1996, Commissioner Schoenfelder moved to reopen the record for the taking of more evidence. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Burg with Chairman Stofferahn dissenting. A continuation of the hearing is scheduled for March 19 through 21, 1997, and a Procedural Order dated January 10, 1997, has been served on the parties. On January 16, 1997, the Commission received a motion from AT&T to disapprove the rate increase and close this docket. The Commission held a hearing on AT&T's motion on January 23, 1997.

Today, shall the Commission grant AT&T's motion to disapprove the rate increase and to close this docket?

______________________________

William Bullard, Jr.

Executive Director

January 24, 1997