Transfer of Pacific and GTEC Collocation Issues

After review of the existing OANAD record, the Advanced Services First Report and Order, and the comments filed in the Local Competition proceeding, I find it beneficial to transfer consideration of whether the Commission needs to adopt or modify its collocation rules for Pacific and GTEC to comply with the FCC's minimum requirements from the Local Competition proceeding to the Collocation Phase of the OANAD proceeding and, further, to reopen the OANAD Collocation Phase hearing record to take additional evidence. This will provide the Commission a single forum to examine and adopt final terms, conditions, and cost-based prices for collocation services of Pacific and GTEC that are consistent with the minimum standards set by the FCC in its Advanced Services First Report and Order. Consistent with the FCC's mandate, our policy objective is to promote competition in California's telecommunications marketplace by ensuring that competitors can collocate in Pacific and GTEC central offices in a timely and affordable manner.

In reopening the hearing record, I recognize that the benefits cited above could be lost or significantly diminished if this reopened proceeding follows the protracted schedule of prior OANAD proceedings. Therefore, the scope of issues and procedural schedule I set will allow the Commission to reach a final decision by September 2000.