DES MOINES, Iowa The Iowa Supreme Court is backing state regulators who want to assure that local telephone exchanges have access to long distance service.

In today’s ruling, the high court says the Iowa Utilities Board has broad authority to regulate the rates and services of public utilities.

The case involves a dispute between A-T-and-T, which provides long distance, and several local telephone companies, which charge A-T-and-T for access. The charges vary, and A-T-and-T resisted paying the higher ones.

State regulators intervened and ruled that charges already assessed to A-T-and-T must be paid, but created a new rate structure to reduce the disparity.

Utilities Board spokesman David Lynch says the board is reviewing the ruling.