Opinion ID: 186018
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Weight of Commercial Performance Data

Text: 44 Z-Tel also claims the Commission did not follow its own stated practice, reiterated in this very case, Order ¶ 24, of giving greater weight to commercial performance data than to other types of information. Because, Z-Tel claims, the commercial performance data before the Commission demonstrated that Verizon's billing practices were inadequate, the Commission erred when it relied upon third-party testing — the PWC and KPMG studies — to grant Verizon's application. 45 As the Commission explained in the Order, however, it determined only that it could not rely exclusively upon past commercial performance data because ... Verizon has made significant changes to its wholesale billing systems in the most recent months leading up to [its] application. Id. The Commission nevertheless did rely upon past commercial performance data to some extent. Id. ¶ ¶ 25-30. The Commission has considerable discretion in weighing the evidence before it. AT&T Corp., 220 F.3d at 616. Insofar as the Commission is bound by previous statements of how it weighs evidence, the Commission adequately explained any departure from past practice in this case.