§ 24-2-6 — Power as to connecting telephone and telegraph services

Whenever, after hearing, upon notice, the Public Service Commission shall determine that public convenience or necessity requires that conduits, subways, poles or other equipment on, over or under any street or highway belonging to or used by any public utility should be used in part by another public utility for the operation of its property in any locality not reached by the lines or connections of one of such utilities, or a municipality, the Public Service Commission may, by order, fix the just and reasonable terms and conditions of such use, and prescribe the compensation to be paid therefor. And, whenever, after hearing, upon notice, the Public Service Commission shall determine that public convenience and necessity require a physical connection for the establishment of a continuous line of communication between any two or more public utilities regularly engaged in the conveyance of telephone or telegraph messages, for the conveyance of such messages between different localities, which are not reached by the lines or connections of one of such utilities, the Public Service Commission, may, by order, ascertain, determine and fix the just and reasonable terms and conditions of such physical connection, including just and reasonable rules and regulations and the just and reasonable charge that shall be made to the public for the use of such continuous line between such localities and the division of the charge between such two or more public utilities, and the apportionment of the cost of making such physical connection between such public utilities, and it shall be the duty of such public utility thereafter to conform to such order of the Public Service Commission. But no order shall be made by the Public Service Commission under this section to apply where such use or physical connection will prevent those owning, operating, managing or controlling any part of such conduits, subways, poles or other equipment, or such proposed continuous lines of communication, from performing their public duties, nor result in serious injury to those owning, operating, managing or controlling any part of such conduits, subways, poles or other equipment, or of the proposed continuous lines of communication.

Such use so ordered shall be permitted and such physical connection or connections so ordered shall be made; and the terms, conditions and compensation so prescribed for such use and such physical connections shall be the lawful conditions and compensation for such use and physical connection, and the lawful terms and conditions upon which such use and physical connections shall be had and made. Any such order may be from time to time revised by the commission upon application of any interested party or upon its own motion.