MCI's dispute with AT&T and Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. [PT&T] over links to serve a General Motors Corporation [GM] common control switch arrangements [CCSA] system started in April 1975. MCI had been paying PT&T at the Telpak-C rate, and PT&T threatened to terminate provided circuits unless MCI paid the difference between Telpak and intrastate rates [$2, 172,000 per year instead of $384,000]. MCI petitioned the FCC to order PT&T not to terminate circuits in order to protect the customer from loss of service pending resolution of the matter by the Commission. During the FCC's consideration of the case, PT&T filed a complaint against MCI in the District Court of the Central District of California claiming the sum of $876,007.59 indebted by MCI for the period of July 7, 1975-July 7, 1976, and MCI filed a third-party complaint against AT&T for indemnification against any liability which MCI might have incurred to PT&T. When MCI's third party complaint was dismissed and summary judgment was granted in favor of PT&T, MCI filed its appeal with the Ninth circuit of U.S. Appellate court which vacated the order granting summary judgment. In December 1981, the FCC Administrative Judge Joseph Chachkin ordered AT&T to pay MCI $931,88015 in damages for unlawful refusal to provide service.