Sec. 5. (a) Every public utility, every communications service provider, every municipality, and every person, association, limited liability company, or corporation having tracks, conduits, subways, poles, or other equipment on, over, or under any street or highway shall for a reasonable compensation, permit the use of the same by any other public utility or communications service provider or by a municipality owning or operating a utility, whenever public convenience and necessity require such use, and such use will not result in irreparable injury to the owner or other users of such equipment, nor in any substantial detriment to the service to be rendered by such owners or other users. If any prospective consumers or patrons of any public utility for the production, transmission, delivery, or furnishing of light or power, living in territory outside of cities and towns, and within not to exceed one-half (1/2) mile of the transmission line of such utility, shall agree to and shall construct and install the necessary equipment, in compliance with plans and specifications prescribed by such utility, such public utility shall permit the necessary physical connection or connections to be made and service to be furnished to the person or persons who have constructed and installed such equipment.

(b) In case of failure to agree upon such use or the terms and conditions or compensations for such use, any public utility, any communications service provider, or any person, association, limited liability company, or corporation interested may apply to the commission and if after investigation the commission shall ascertain that public convenience and necessity require such use, and that such use would not result in irreparable injury to the owner or other users of such equipment or the facilities of such public utilities, nor in any substantial detriment to the service to be rendered by such owner or other public utilities or other users of such equipment or facilities, it shall by order direct that such use be permitted and prescribe reasonable conditions and compensations for such joint use.

(c) Such use so ordered shall be permitted, and such conditions and compensation so prescribed for such use shall be lawful conditions and compensations for such use, to be observed, followed, and paid, subject to recourse to the courts upon the complaint of any interested party as provided in sections 73 and 74 of this chapter and IC 8-1-3, and such statute so far as applicable shall apply to any action arising on such complaint so made. Any such order of the commission may be from time to time revised by the commission upon application of any interested party or upon its own motion.

(d) This section does not affect the commission's authority under IC 8-1-2.6.

Formerly: Acts 1913, c.76, s.8; Acts 1933, c.190, s.3; Acts 1935, c.293, s.2. As amended by P.L.59-1984, SEC.11; P.L.8-1993, SEC.106; P.L.145-2015, SEC.2.