Court Opinion

ID: 9463739
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 23:14:54.459392+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:38:15.770353
License: Public Domain

ON PETITION FOR REHEARING AND CLARIFICATION
In its petition for rehearing and for clarification, Comtronics argues first that our assumption that PRTC is a “connecting carrier” is premature inasmuch as discovery is necessary to determine whether PRTC is exempted from all but §§ 201-05 as a
“carrier engaged in interstate . communication solely through physical connection with the facilities of another carrier not directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with such carrier”. 47 U.S.C. § 152(b)(2).
But we do not think that the determinative question is whether the facilities through which interstate commerce is conducted are *710under common control. See Brief of Comtronics at 40; Petition for Rehearing and for Clarification at 3. The correct reading of § 152(b)(2) seems to be that the “not directly” language modifies “carrier”, i.e. a connecting carrier is one which has a fully independent identity. If the language modified “facilities”, then “facilities” would “control” another carrier — an incomprehensible construction. The focus of the section is not on the joint control of facilities but on joint control of carriers. Such a reading is consistent with the legislative history which indicates concern for exempting small, independent telephone companies from most of the Act’s strictures. As Comtronics stated in its complaint that PRTC “is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Telephone Authority of Puerto Rico . which in turn is a corporate public instrumentality of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”, we think it reasonable to assume that PRTC is a “connecting carrier” under § 152(b)(2).
This understanding is reinforced by the fact that the district court’s opinion was expressly based on the assumption that PRTC is a “connecting carrier”, and Comtronics’ argument on appeal accepted this premise with the exception of two passing sentences at the beginning of page 40 of its brief. The issue was never raised and addressed frontally on appeal. See also Puerto Rico Telephone Co. v. FCC, 553 F.2d 694 (1st Cir., 1977).