Ruby Ranch Internet Cooperative Association
c/o Oppedahl & Larson LLP
P O Box 5088
Dillon, CO 80435-5088
email: carl@rric.net
telephone 970-468-6600

By Federal Express 791687180300
Secretary
Colorado Public Utilities Commission
1580 Logan Street, Office Level 2
Denver, CO 80203

October 25, 2001

Re: Ruby Ranch Internet Cooperative Association v. Qwest

Dear Colorado Public Utilities Commission:

Enclosed for filing please find our request for arbitration regarding interconnection with Qwest under the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Please note that we have particularly asked, at section V, for relief from the requirement of serving papers upon on “any telecommunications carrier certified by the Commission to provide telecommunications service in the State of Colorado” and upon “any telecommunications carrier known to be negotiating an agreement for services, network elements, or interconnection in the State of Colorado.” Our Coop has no employees and no bank account and is served only by volunteers. We understand this service would require physical mailings to some 506 companies. We estimate this service would cost our Coop $1500 in photocopying expense, $2000 in postage, $50 for labels, and $100 for envelopes, and would require ten hours of volunteer time to generate labels and stuff envelopes. We ask that our Coop be excused from this service requirement and be permitted instead simply to post relevant papers on our web site.

Sincerely,

Carl Oppedahl
Board member, Ruby Ranch Internet Cooperative Association

cc:
Nancy J. Donahue, Qwest
by Federal Express 790196707180