Public Utility status depends on regular provision of essential services to an indefinite public and readiness to serve. A public utility is characterised by regular provision of services of public consequence and readiness to serve an indefinite public, evidenced by a dedication or holding out of services to the public as a class and the public's legal right to demand and receive those services. Privately owned utilities providing essential services may receive special franchises or eminent domain powers and are expected to serve all applicants without discrimination; the concept often aligns with virtual monopoly attributes and excludes services that are purely private in nature.