Approve Renewal of Interconnection Agreement between FPB and BellSouth Telephone Company:

Staff recommends that the Board approve the proposed BellSouth Interconnection Agreement with FPB. (This Agreement was emailed to the Board Members and is not provided with these materials because it is approximately 500 pages long).

The renewal of this agreement replaces the current agreement that expires in May 2006. The proposed Interconnection Agreement has a three-year contract term that contains rates and regulations applicable to BellSouth’s provision of required services. Such services include transporting calls from distant locations through intermediary tandem switching centers, and access to database services to determine routing of calls for number portability and 800 toll-free line assignment queries. These functions are necessary to the provision of local telephone service for FPB customers. Based on Staff’s review of the proposed inter- connection agreement, the rates contained therein will result in an approximate 5% increase (approximately $700 monthly) over the current level of expense paid to BellSouth.

The language of the Interconnection Agreement has been reviewed by the Staff Attorney who concurs in this recommendation.