City of Little Rock v. AT&T COMMUNICATIONS OF SOUTHWEST, INC.

Tom Glaze, Justice.

This case was originally decided by the Arkansas Public Service Commission which upheld the validity of a Little Rock ordinance that required AT&T Communications of the Southwest, Inc. to pay certain fees for the privilege of using the City’s public streets. The City of Little Rock had adopted the ordinance which granted each provider of interstate and intrastate toll (long distance) telephone services in the City a franchise to use the City’s public ways. The ordinance also levied a $.004 per minute charge on all long distance telephone calls that are billed to a city…