40-281. Certificate required before construction by public service corporation; exceptions; complaint by corporation injuriously affected by construction hearing; exclusive franchise or monopoly

A. A public service corporation, other than a railroad, shall not begin construction of a street railroad, a line, plant, service or system, or any extension thereof, without first having obtained from the commission a certificate of public convenience and necessity.

B. This section shall not require such corporation to secure a certificate for an extension within a city, county or town within which it has lawfully commenced operations, or for an extension into territory either within or without a city, county or town, contiguous to its street railroad or line, plant or system, and not served by a public service corporation of like character, or for an extension within or to territory already served by it, necessary in the ordinary course of its business. If a public service corporation, in constructing or extending its line, plant or system, interferes or is about to interfere with the operation of the line, plant or system of any other public service corporation already constructed, the commission, on complaint of the corporation claiming to be injuriously affected, may, after hearing, make an order and prescribe terms and conditions for the location of lines, plants or systems affected as it deems just and reasonable.

C. No such corporation shall exercise any right or privilege under any franchise or permit without first having obtained from the commission a certificate of public convenience and necessity.

D. This article shall not be construed as granting or as having granted to any telecommunications corporation an exclusive franchise or monopoly within the territory described by its certificate unless the commission determines after notice and hearing that such an exclusive franchise or monopoly is in the public interest.

E. When the commission determines after notice and hearing that any product or service of a telecommunications corporation is neither essential nor integral to the public service rendered by such corporation, it shall declare that such product or service is not subject to regulation by the commission.