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Call Now: 904-383-7448No person shall construct or operate any telephone line, plant, or system or any extension thereof or acquire ownership or control thereof, either directly or indirectly, without first obtaining from the Public Service Commission a certificate that the present or future public convenience and necessity require or will require such construction, operation, or acquisition.
(Ga. L. 1950, p. 311, § 1; Ga. L. 2012, p. 847, § 9/HB 1115.)
The 2012 amendment, effective July 1, 2012, substituted "No" for "Except as provided in Code Section 46-5-46, no" in the beginning of this Code section.
- The requirements that no competing certificate shall be granted when the existing certificate holder is adequately serving the public, and no competing certificate shall be granted unless and until it is proved that the existing certificate holder is rendering inadequate service, are presently inherent in the public convenience and necessity provisions of Ga. L. 1950, p. 311, § 1 (see O.C.G.A. § 46-5-41). Statesboro Tel. Co. v. Georgia Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 235 Ga. 179, 219 S.E.2d 127 (1975).
- Competing telephone certificate can only be issued upon showing that public convenience and necessity so require. Statesboro Tel. Co. v. Georgia Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 235 Ga. 179, 219 S.E.2d 127 (1975).
Public convenience and necessity does not authorize issuance of competing certificate so long as existing certificate holder renders adequate service. Statesboro Tel. Co. v. Georgia Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 235 Ga. 179, 219 S.E.2d 127 (1975).
- There is no requirement that an existing telephone certificate holder rendering inadequate service to the public be afforded an opportunity to improve service before a competing telephone certificate can be granted by the Public Service Commission. Statesboro Tel. Co. v. Georgia Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 235 Ga. 179, 219 S.E.2d 127 (1975).
- A public service telephone company enjoys profits by reason of certificates granted by the state, and it will not be heard to complain because of the possibility of an unspecified "loss" incurred in providing adequate telephone service to the public. Statesboro Tel. Co. v. Georgia Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 235 Ga. 179, 219 S.E.2d 127 (1975).
- Federal district court could take judicial notice pursuant to Fed. R. Evid. 201 that a cable company possessed a valid certificate of authorization from the Georgia Public Service Commission that allowed it to exercise eminent domain under O.C.G.A. § 46-5-1(a) where that certificate accompanied a motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). Davis v. Williams Communs., Inc., 258 F. Supp. 2d 1348 (N.D. Ga. 2003).
Cited in City of Calhoun v. North Ga. Elec. Membership Corp., 233 Ga. 759, 213 S.E.2d 596 (1975); Coin Call, Inc. v. Southern Bell Tel. & Tel. Co., 636 F. Supp. 608 (N.D. Ga. 1986).
- After a hearing on all of the facts of a particular case, the Public Service Commission can revoke for nonuse a certificate of public convenience and necessity which it has granted to a telephone company. 1971 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 71-144.
- Commission may alter established boundaries of telephone service areas by granting competing certificates within the same service areas if the public convenience and necessity would be served thereby. 1979 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 79-20.
- The Public Service Commission has the authority to authorize a telephone company to provide service to a consumer located in the service area certificated to a competing telephone company by granting the telephone company, which the consumer wishes to be served by, a certificate of public convenience and necessity to serve the area within which the consumer is located. Nonetheless, the commission cannot award such a competing certificate unless the commission determines that the existing certificate holder is unwilling or incapable of providing adequate service within the area. 1979 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 79-20.
- 74 Am. Jur. 2d, Telecommunications, §§ 5, 11, 12, 19, 21.
- 86 C.J.S., Telecommunications, §§ 5, 6, 8 et seq., 17, 30, 34 et seq.
No results found for Georgia Code 46-5-41.