Opinion ID: 1977691
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The initial substantive issue to be resolved is whether Commission had authority to prescribe terms and procedures under which toll communications shall be exchanged between Cascade and Bell.

Text: By Conclusion of Law No. 14, supra, district court found the order appealed from was in excess of the power of the Commission. If the court thus meant Commission lacked statutory power to determine the location or point of physical interconnection, it thereby erred. Commission's prerogative stems from at least three statutes: In relevant part they provide: 490A.1. Applicability of authority. The Iowa state commerce commission shall regulate the rates and services of public utilities to the extent and in the manner hereinafter provided. As used in this chapter, `public utility' shall include any person, partnership, business association, or corporation, domestic or foreign, owning or operating any facilities for: 1.    2. Furnishing communications services to the public for compensation. 490A.2. Powersrules. The commission shall have broad general powers to effect the purposes of this chapter   . 490A.11. Telephone tolls determined. Whenever toll connections between the lines or facilities of two or more telephone companies has been made, or is demanded under the statutes of this state and the companies concerned cannot agree as to the terms and procedures under which toll communications shall be interchanged, the commission    shall determine such terms and procedures. We are satisfied our decision in Northwestern Bell Tel. Co. v. Hawkeye State Tel. Co., 165 N.W.2d 771 (Iowa 1969), is instantly dispositive. There, as here, Bell sought to connect its long distance lines at a self-selected point with facilities of the local telephone exchange. Also, there, as here, the local utility refused to connect at the designated place, proposing its own plan for joinder with the toll facilities. Although resolution of the controversy turned on the doctrine of primary jurisdiction, Hawkeye did establish these important precepts: First, [c]onnection of local exchanges with the lines of a long distance company is a `service' within the purview of chapter 490A as that term is used in the statute. 165 N.W.2d at 776. Second, location of the proper point of connection is a `service' such as to bring the controversy within the jurisdiction of the commerce commission under chapter 490A   . Id., at 775. Third, terms and procedures contemplated by § 490A.11 are not limited to financial matters involved once a connection is made. Id. In the same vein it has been said, The power to prescribe the terms under which telephone lines are to be connected is a necessary incident of the power to require connections. 74 Am.Jur.2d, Telecommunications, § 31 at 331-332.