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47 USC - Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs
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US Code > Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs > 47 USC - Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs
Title 47 - Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs
Chapter 1 - Telegraphs
§ 7 Omitted
§ 8 Repealed.]
§ 9 Subsidized companies required to construct and operate lines
§ 10 Equal facilities to connecting lines; discrimination in rates
§ 11 Powers of Federal Communications Commission
§ 12 Interference with liens of United States
§ 13 Violations; punishment; action for damages
§ 14 Contracts filed with Federal Communications Commission; reports; failure to make
§ 15 Reservation of power to alter, amend, or repeal act; power to fix rates and purchase lines
§ 16 Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System; money transfers; portion of receipts withheld
§ 17 Repealed.]
Chapter 2 - Submarine Cables
§ 21 Submarine cables; willful injury to; punishment
§ 22 Negligent injury to submarine cables; punishment
§ 23 Injury to submarine cables in efforts to save life excepted
§ 24 Vessels laying cables; signals; avoidance of buoys
§ 25 Fishing vessels; duty to keep nets from cables
§ 26 Duties of commanders of warships
§ 27 Offending vessels to show nationality
§ 28 Penalties not to bar suits for damages
§ 29 Master of offending vessel punishable
§ 30 Definitions
§ 31 Summary trials
§ 32 Application
§ 33 Jurisdiction and venue of actions and offenses
§ 34 Licenses for landing or operating cables connecting United States with foreign country; necessity for
§ 35 Withholding or revoking of licenses by President; terms and conditions of licenses
§ 36 Preventing landing or operating of cables; injunction
§ 37 Violations; punishment
§ 38 "United States" defined
§ 39 Amendment, modification, etc., of rights granted
Chapter 4 - Radio Act of 1927
§ 84 Repealed.]
Chapter 5 - Wire or Radio Communication
Subchapter I - General Provisions
§ 151 Purposes of chapter; Federal Communications Commission created
§ 152 Application of chapter
§ 153 Definitions
§ 154 Federal Communications Commission
§ 155 Commission
§ 156 Authorization of appropriations
§ 157 New technologies and services
§ 158 Application fees
§ 159 Regulatory fees
§ 160 Competition in provision of telecommunications service
§ 161 Regulatory reform
Subchapter II - Common Carriers
Part I - Common Carrier Regulation
§ 201 Service and charges
§ 202 Discriminations and preferences
§ 203 Schedules of charges
§ 204 Hearings on new charges; suspension pending hearing; refunds; duration of hearing; appeal of order concluding hearing
§ 205 Commission authorized to prescribe just and reasonable charges; penalties for violations
§ 206 Carriers’ liability for damages
§ 207 Recovery of damages
§ 208 Complaints to Commission; investigations; duration of investigation; appeal of order concluding investigation
§ 209 Orders for payment of money
§ 210 Franks and passes; free service to governmental agencies in connection with national defense
§ 211 Contracts of carriers; filing with Commission
§ 212 Interlocking directorates; officials dealing in securities
§ 213 Valuation of property of carrier
§ 214 Extension of lines or discontinuance of service; certificate of public convenience and necessity
§ 215 Examination of transactions relating to furnishing of services, equipment, etc.; reports to Congress
§ 216 Receivers and trustees; application of chapter
§ 217 Agents’ acts and omissions; liability of carrier
§ 218 Management of business; inquiries by Commission
§ 219 Reports by carriers; contents and requirements generally
§ 220 Accounts, records, and memoranda
§ 221 Consolidations and mergers of telephone companies
§ 222 Privacy of customer information
§ 223 Obscene or harassing telephone calls in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communications
§ 224 Pole attachments
§ 225 Telecommunications services for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals
§ 226 Telephone operator services
§ 227 Restrictions on use of telephone equipment
§ 228 Regulation of carrier offering of pay-per-call services
§ 229 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act compliance
§ 230 Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material
§ 231 Restriction of access by minors to materials commercially distributed by means of World Wide Web that are harmful to minors
Part II - Development of Competitive Markets
§ 251 Interconnection
§ 252 Procedures for negotiation, arbitration, and approval of agreements
§ 253 Removal of barriers to entry
§ 254 Universal service
§ 255 Access by persons with disabilities
§ 256 Coordination for interconnectivity
§ 257 Market entry barriers proceeding
§ 258 Illegal changes in subscriber carrier selections
§ 259 Infrastructure sharing
§ 260 Provision of telemessaging service
§ 261 Effect on other requirements
Part III - Special Provisions Concerning Bell Operating Companies
§ 271 Bell operating company entry into interLATA services
§ 272 Separate affiliate; safeguards
§ 273 Manufacturing by Bell operating companies
§ 274 Electronic publishing by Bell operating companies
§ 275 Alarm monitoring services
§ 276 Provision of payphone service
Subchapter III - Special Provisions Relating to Radio
Part I - General Provisions
§ 301 License for radio communication or transmission of energy
§ 302 Repealed.]
§ 302a Devices which interfere with radio reception
§ 303 Powers and duties of Commission
§ 303a Standards for children’s television programming
§ 303b Consideration of children’s television service in broadcast license renewal
§ 303c Television program improvement
§ 304 Waiver by license of claims to particular frequency or of electromagnetic spectrum
§ 305 Government owned stations
§ 306 Foreign ships; application of section 301
§ 307 Licenses
§ 308 Requirements for license
§ 309 Application for license
§ 310 License ownership restrictions
§ 311 Requirements as to certain applications in broadcasting service
§ 312 Administrative sanctions
§ 312a Revocation of operator’s license used in unlawful distribution of controlled substances
§ 313 Application of antitrust laws to manufacture, sale, and trade in radio apparatus
§ 314 Competition in commerce; preservation
§ 315 Candidates for public office
§ 316 Modification by Commission of station licenses or construction permits; burden of proof
§ 317 Announcement of payment for broadcast
§ 318 Transmitting apparatus; operator’s license
§ 319 Construction permits
§ 320 Stations liable to interfere with distress signals; designation and regulation
§ 321 Distress signals and communications; equipment on vessels; regulations
§ 322 Exchanging radio communications between land and ship stations and from ship to ship
§ 323 Interference between Government and commercial stations
§ 324 Use of minimum power
§ 325 False, fraudulent, or unauthorized transmissions
§ 326 Censorship
§ 327 Naval stations; use for commercial messages; rates
§ 328 Repealed.]
§ 329 Administration of radio laws in Territories and possessions
§ 330 Prohibition against shipment of certain television receivers
§ 331 Very high frequency stations and AM radio stations
§ 332 Mobile services
§ 333 Willful or malicious interference
§ 334 Limitation on revision of equal employment opportunity regulations
§ 335 Direct broadcast satellite service obligations
§ 336 Broadcast spectrum flexibility
§ 337 Allocation and assignment of new public safety services licenses and commercial licenses
§ 338 Carriage of local television signals by satellite carriers
§ 339 Carriage of distant television stations by satellite carriers
§ 340 Significantly viewed signals permitted to be carried
§ 341 Carriage of television signals to certain subscribers
Part II - Radio Equipment and Radio Operators on Board Ship
§ 351 Ship radio stations and operations
§ 352 Exemptions
§ 353 Radio equipment and operators
§ 353a Operators and watches on radiotelephone equipped ships
§ 354 Technical requirements of equipment on radiotelegraph equipped ships
§ 354a Technical requirements of equipment on radiotelephone equipped ships
§ 355 Survival craft
§ 356 Approval of installations by Commission
§ 357 Safety information
§ 358 Master’s control over operations
§ 359 Certificates of compliance; issuance, modification, and cancellation
§ 360 Station licenses; inspection of equipment by Commission
§ 361 Control by Commission; review of decisions
§ 362 Forfeitures; recovery
§ 363 Automated ship distress and safety systems
Part III - Radio Installations on Vessels Carrying Passengers for Hire
§ 381 Vessels transporting more than six passengers for hire required to be equipped with radiotelephone
§ 382 Vessels excepted from radiotelephone requirement
§ 383 Exemptions by Commission
§ 384 Authority of Commission; operations, installations, and additional equipment
§ 385 Inspections
§ 386 Forfeitures
Part IV - Assistance for Planning and Construction of Public Telecommunications Facilities; Telecommunications Demonstrations; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; General Provisions
Subchapter IV - Procedural and Administrative Provisions
§ 401 Enforcement provisions
§ 402 Judicial review of Commission’s orders and decisions
§ 403 Inquiry by Commission on its own motion
§ 404 Reports of investigations
§ 405 Petition for reconsideration; procedure; disposition; time of filing; additional evidence; time for disposition of petition for reconsideration of order concluding hearing or investigation; appeal of order
§ 406 Compelling furnishing of facilities; mandamus; jurisdiction
§ 407 Order for payment of money; petition for enforcement; procedure; order of Commission as prima facie evidence; costs; attorneys’ fees
§ 408 Order not for payment of money; when effective
§ 409 Hearings
§ 410 Joint boards and commissions
§ 411 Joinder of parties
§ 412 Documents filed with Commission as public records; prima facie evidence; confidential records
§ 413 Designation of agent for service; method of service
§ 414 Exclusiveness of chapter
§ 415 Limitations of actions
§ 416 Orders of Commission
Subchapter V - Penal Provisions; Forfeitures
§ 501 General penalty
§ 502 Violation of rules, regulations, etc.
§ 503 Forfeitures
§ 504 Forfeitures
§ 505 Venue of trials
§ 506 Repealed.]
§ 507 Violation of Great Lakes Agreement
§ 508 Disclosure of payments to individuals connected with broadcasts
§ 509 Prohibited practices in contests of knowledge, skill, or chance
§ 510 Forfeiture of communications devices
Subchapter V-A - Cable Communications
Part I - General Provisions
§ 521 Purposes
§ 522 Definitions
Part II - Use of Cable Channels and Cable Ownership Restrictions
§ 531 Cable channels for public, educational, or governmental use
§ 532 Cable channels for commercial use
§ 533 Ownership restrictions
§ 534 Carriage of local commercial television signals
§ 535 Carriage of noncommercial educational television
§ 536 Regulation of carriage agreements
§ 537 Sales of cable systems
Part III - Franchising and Regulation
§ 541 General franchise requirements
§ 542 Franchise fees
§ 543 Regulation of rates
§ 544 Regulation of services, facilities, and equipment
§ 544a Consumer electronics equipment compatibility
§ 545 Modification of franchise obligations
§ 546 Renewal
§ 547 Conditions of sale
§ 548 Development of competition and diversity in video programming distribution
§ 549 Competitive availability of navigation devices
Part IV - Miscellaneous Provisions
§ 551 Protection of subscriber privacy
§ 552 Consumer protection and customer service
§ 553 Unauthorized reception of cable service
§ 554 Equal employment opportunity
§ 555 Judicial proceedings
§ 555a Limitation of franchising authority liability
§ 556 Coordination of Federal, State, and local authority
§ 557 Existing franchises
§ 558 Criminal and civil liability
§ 559 Obscene programming
§ 560 Scrambling of cable channels for nonsubscribers
§ 561 Scrambling of sexually explicit adult video service programming
Part V - Video Programming Services Provided by Telephone Companies
§ 571 Regulatory treatment of video programming services
§ 572 Prohibition on buy outs
§ 573 Establishment of open video systems
Subchapter VI - Miscellaneous Provisions
§ 601 Interstate Commerce Commission and Postmaster General; duties, powers, and functions transferred to Commission
§ 604 Effect of transfer
§ 605 Unauthorized publication or use of communications
§ 606 War powers of President
§ 607 Effective date of chapter
§ 608 Separability
§ 609 Short title
§ 610 Telephone service for disabled
§ 611 Closed-captioning of public service announcements
§ 612 Syndicated exclusivity
§ 613 Video programming accessibility
§ 614 Telecommunications Development Fund
§ 615 Support for universal emergency telephone number
§ 615a Service provider parity of protection
§ 615a-1 Duty to provide 911 and enhanced 911 service
§ 615b Definitions
Chapter 6 - Communications Satellite System
Subchapter I - General Provisions
§ 701 Omitted
§ 702 Definitions
§ 703 Satellite service report
Subchapter II - Federal Coordination, Planning, and Regulation
§ 721 Implementation of policy
Subchapter III - Communications Satellite Corporation
Subchapter IV - Miscellaneous Provisions
Subchapter V - International Maritime Satellite Telecommunications
§ 753 Implementation of policy
§ 757 Definitions
Subchapter VI - Communications Competition and Privatization
Part A - Actions to Ensure Pro-competitive Privatization
§ 761 Federal Communications Commission licensing
§ 761a Incentives; limitation on expansion pending privatization
Part B - Federal Communications Commission Licensing Criteria: Privatization Criteria
§ 763 General criteria to ensure a pro-competitive privatization of INTELSAT and Inmarsat
§ 763a Specific criteria for INTELSAT
§ 763b Repealed.]
§ 763c Space segment capacity of the GMDSS
§ 763d Encouraging market access and privatization
Part C - Deregulation and Other Statutory Changes
§ 765 Access to INTELSAT
§ 765a Signatory role
§ 765b Elimination of procurement preferences
§ 765c ITU functions
§ 765d Termination of provisions of this chapter
§ 765e Reports to Congress
§ 765f Satellite auctions
§ 765g Exclusivity arrangements
Part D - Negotiations to Pursue Privatization
§ 767 Methods to pursue privatization
Part E - Definitions
§ 769 Definitions
Chapter 8 - National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Subchapter I - Organization and Functions
§ 901 Definitions; findings; policy
§ 902 Establishment; assigned functions
§ 903 Spectrum management activities
§ 904 General administrative provisions
§ 905 Omitted
Subchapter II - Transfer of Auctionable Frequencies
§ 921 Definitions
§ 922 National spectrum allocation planning
§ 923 Identification of reallocable frequencies
§ 924 Withdrawal or limitation of assignment to Federal Government stations
§ 925 Distribution of frequencies by Commission
§ 926 Authority to recover reassigned frequencies
§ 927 Existing allocation and transfer authority retained
§ 928 Spectrum Relocation Fund
Subchapter III - Miscellaneous
§ 941 Child-friendly second-level Internet domain
§ 942 Coordination of E911 implementation
Chapter 9 - Interception of Digital and Other Communications
Subchapter I - Interception of Digital and Other Communications
§ 1001 Definitions
§ 1002 Assistance capability requirements
§ 1003 Notices of capacity requirements
§ 1004 Systems security and integrity
§ 1005 Cooperation of equipment manufacturers and providers of telecommunications support services
§ 1006 Technical requirements and standards; extension of compliance date
§ 1007 Enforcement orders
§ 1008 Payment of costs of telecommunications carriers to comply with capability requirements
§ 1009 Authorization of appropriations
§ 1010 Reports
Subchapter II - Telecommunications Carrier Compliance Payments
§ 1021 Department of Justice Telecommunications Carrier Compliance Fund
Chapter 10 - Local Tv
§ 1101 Purpose
§ 1102 LOCAL Television Loan Guarantee Board
§ 1103 Approval of loan guarantees
§ 1104 Administration of loan guarantees
§ 1105 Annual audit
§ 1106 Improved cellular service in rural areas
§ 1107 Sunset
§ 1108 Definitions
§ 1109 Authorizations of appropriations
§ 1110 Prevention of interference to direct broadcast satellite services
Chapter 11 - Commercial Mobile Service Alerts
§ 1201 Federal Communications Commission duties
§ 1202 Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee
§ 1203 Research and development
§ 1204 Grant program for remote community alert systems
§ 1205 Funding
Chapter 12 - Broadband
§ 1301 Findings
§ 1302 Advanced telecommunications incentives
§ 1303 Improving Federal data on broadband
§ 1304 Encouraging State initiatives to improve broadband
§ 1305 Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
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