{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-279.360","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 279.360","heading":"General powers of rural telephone cooperative corporations.","body":"Each corporation organized under the provisions of KRS 279.310 to 279.600 shall have\npower:\n(1) To furnish, improve and expand telephone service in rural areas to its members, to\ngovernmental agencies and political subdivisions, and to other persons not in excess\nof ten percent (10%) of the number of its members, provided, however, that,\nwithout regard to said ten percent (10%) limitation, telephone service may be made\navailable by a cooperative through interconnection of facilities to any number of\nsubscribers of other telephone systems, and through pay stations to any number of\nusers; and provided, further, that a cooperative which acquires existing telephone\nfacilities in rural areas may continue service to persons, not in excess of forty\npercent (40%) of  the number of its members, who are already receiving service\nfrom such facilities, without requiring such persons to become members, but such\npersons may become members upon such terms as may be prescribed in the bylaws;\nand provided, further, that no coo perative shall (a) construct or operate any line,\nfacility or system in any rural area being furnished telephone service by any\ntelephone company or other cooperative unless the Public Service Commission\nshall determine, after hearing on reasonable notice to all interested parties, that any\nsuch telephone company or other cooperative is unwilling or unable to furnish\nreasonably adequate telephone service in such area, or (b) furnish any telephone\nservice in any area proposed to be served by any telephone co mpany, which may be\nfound to be ready, willing and able to serve, within such period of time as may, after\nhearing, be determined to be reasonable by the Public Service Commission;\n(2) To construct, purchase, lease as lessee, or otherwise acquire, and to i mprove,\nexpand, install, equip, maintain, and operate, and to sell, assign, convey, lease as\nlessor, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of or encumber, telephone lines,\nfacilities or systems, lands, buildings, structures, plants and equipment, exchange s,\nand any other real or personal property, tangible or intangible, which shall be\ndeemed necessary, convenient or appropriate to accomplish the purpose for which\nthe cooperative is organized; provided, that no cooperative shall construct,\npurchase, lease as lessee, take, receive, or otherwise acquire, improve, expand,\ninstall, equip, maintain, or operate any telephone lines, facilities or system, lands,\nbuildings, structures, plants and equipment, exchanges, or any other real or personal\nproperty, tangible  or intangible, within the boundaries of any incorporated or\nunincorporated city, town, village, or borough within this state having a population\nin excess of one thousand five hundred (1,500) inhabitants, unless said procedures\nor any of them are determin ed by the administrator of the rural electrification\nadministration to be necessary in order to furnish or improve telephone service in\nrural areas, and unless said determination by the administrator of the rural\nelectrification administration, after prope r hearing on reasonable notice to all\ninterested parties, be approved by the Public Service Commission of the\nCommonwealth of Kentucky. In case of such a determination by the administrator\nof the rural electrification administration as aforesaid with appro val by the\nKentucky Public Service Commission, nothing contained in this section or\nelsewhere provided in KRS 279.310 to 279.600 shall deprive any corporation\norganized under KRS 279.310 to 279.600 or foreign corporation doing business in\nthis state pursua nt to KRS 279.310 to 279.600, of the power to improve, expand,\nconstruct, acquire and operate telephone lines, facilities, or systems without regard\nto their geographical location;\n(3) To connect and interconnect its telephone lines, facilities or systems with other\ntelephone lines, facilities or systems;\n(4) To make its facilities available to persons furnishing telephone service within or\nwithout this state;\n(5) To purchase, lease as lessee, or otherwise acquire, and to use, and exercise and to\nsell, assi gn, convey, mortgage, pledge or otherwise dispose of or encumber,\nfranchises, rights, privileges, licenses and easements;\n(6) To issue membership certificates and nonvoting shares of stock as hereinafter\nprovided;\n(7) To borrow money and otherwise contract  indebtedness, and to issue or guarantee\nnotes, bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness, and to secure the payment\nthereof by mortgage, pledge, or deed of trust of, or any other encumbrance upon,\nany or all of its then owned or after -acquired real or pe rsonal property, assets,\nfranchises, or revenues;\n(8) To construct, maintain and operate telephone lines along, upon, under and across\npublicly owned lands and public thoroughfares, including, without limitation, all\nroads, highways, streets, alleys, bridges and causeways;\n(9) To exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided by the laws of\nthis state for the exercise of such power by other corporations constructing or\noperating telephone lines, facilities or systems;\n(10) To become a member of other cooperatives or corporations or to own stock therein;\n(11) To conduct its business and exercise its powers within or without this state;\n(12) To adopt, amend and repeal bylaws;\n(13) To make any and all contracts necessary, convenient or appropriate for the full\nexercise of the powers herein granted;\n(14) To exercise all other powers authorized by KRS Chapter 271B; and\n(15) To do and perform any other lawful acts and things, and to have and exercise any\nother powers which may be necessary, convenient or appropriate to accomplish the\npurpose for which the cooperative is organized.","path":["KRS Chapter 279"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=14212","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:53:31Z","sha256":"ad4b81b5c812024d5e8a2e07daec8a633572a5d01835ed59c63bb3a474b6b092","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-279.350","next":"us-ky/krs-279.370"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}