Title 47 — Telecommunications
Chapter 5. Wire or Radio Communication
252 sections
Subchapter I — General Provisions
- 151Purposes of chapter; Federal Communications Commission created
- 152Application of chapter
- 153Definitions
- 154Federal Communications Commission
- 155Commission
- 155aAuthority of Chief Information Officer
- 156Authorization of appropriations
- 157New technologies and services
- 158Application fees
- 159Regulatory fees
- 159aProvisions applicable to application and regulatory fees
- 160Competition in provision of telecommunications service
- 161Regulatory reform
- 162Additional research authorities of the FCC
- 163Communications marketplace report
Part I — Common Carrier Regulation
- 201Service and charges
- 202Discriminations and preferences
- 203Schedules of charges
- 204Hearings on new charges; suspension pending hearing; refunds; duration of hearing; appeal of order concluding hearing
- 205Commission authorized to prescribe just and reasonable charges; penalties for violations
- 206Carriers’ liability for damages
- 207Recovery of damages
- 208Complaints to Commission; investigations; duration of investigation; appeal of order concluding investigation
- 209Orders for payment of money
- 210Franks and passes; free service to governmental agencies in connection with national defense
- 211Contracts of carriers; filing with Commission
- 212Interlocking directorates; officials dealing in securities
- 213Valuation of property of carrier
- 214Extension of lines or discontinuance of service; certificate of public convenience and necessity
- 215Examination of transactions relating to furnishing of services, equipment, etc.; reports to Congress
- 216Receivers and trustees; application of chapter
- 217Agents’ acts and omissions; liability of carrier
- 218Management of business; inquiries by Commission
- 219Reports by carriers; contents and requirements generally
- 220Accounts, records, and memoranda
- 221Consolidations and mergers of telephone companies
- 222Privacy of customer information
- 223Obscene or harassing telephone calls in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communications
- 223aNotice and removal of nonconsensual intimate visual depictions
- 224Pole attachments
- 225Telecommunications services for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals
- 226Telephone operator services
- 227Restrictions on use of telephone equipment
- 227aConsumer education materials on how to avoid scams that rely upon misleading or inaccurate caller identification information
- 227bCall authentication
- 227b–1Access to number resources
- 227b–2Provision of evidence of certain robocall violations to Attorney General
- 228Regulation of carrier offering of pay-per-call services
- 229Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act compliance
- 230Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material
- 231Restriction 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
- 251Interconnection
- 251aState authority over fees
- 252Procedures for negotiation, arbitration, and approval of agreements
- 253Removal of barriers to entry
- 254Universal service
- 255Access by persons with disabilities
- 256Coordination for interconnectivity
- 257Market entry barriers proceeding
- 258Illegal changes in subscriber carrier selections
- 259Infrastructure sharing
- 260Provision of telemessaging service
- 261Effect on other requirements
- 262Ensuring the integrity of voice communications
Part III — Special Provisions Concerning Bell Operating Companies
Part I — General Provisions
- 301License for radio communication or transmission of energy
- 302Repealed. June 5, 1936, ch. 511, § 1
- 302aDevices which interfere with radio reception
- 303Powers and duties of Commission
- 303aStandards for children’s television programming
- 303bConsideration of children’s television service in broadcast license renewal
- 303cTelevision program improvement
- 304Waiver by license of claims to particular frequency or of electromagnetic spectrum
- 305Government owned stations
- 306Foreign ships; application of section 301
- 307Licenses
- 308Requirements for license
- 309Application for license
- 309aReports related to spectrum auctions
- 310License ownership restrictions
- 311Requirements as to certain applications in broadcasting service
- 312Administrative sanctions
- 312aRevocation of operator’s license used in unlawful distribution of controlled substances
- 313Application of antitrust laws to manufacture, sale, and trade in radio apparatus
- 314Competition in commerce; preservation
- 315Candidates for public office
- 316Modification by Commission of station licenses or construction permits; burden of proof
- 317Announcement of payment for broadcast
- 318Transmitting apparatus; operator’s license
- 319Construction permits
- 320Stations liable to interfere with distress signals; designation and regulation
- 321Distress signals and communications; equipment on vessels; regulations
- 322Exchanging radio communications between land and ship stations and from ship to ship
- 323Interference between Government and commercial stations
- 324Use of minimum power
- 325False, fraudulent, or unauthorized transmissions
- 326Censorship
- 327Naval stations; use for commercial messages; rates
- 328Repealed. Pub. L. 103–414, title III, § 304(a)(10)
- 329Administration of radio laws in Territories and possessions
- 330Prohibition against shipment of certain television receivers
- 331Very high frequency stations and AM radio stations
- 332Mobile services
- 333Willful or malicious interference
- 334Limitation on revision of equal employment opportunity regulations
- 335Direct broadcast satellite service obligations
- 336Broadcast spectrum flexibility
- 337Allocation and assignment of new public safety services licenses and commercial licenses
- 338Carriage of local television signals by satellite carriers
- 339Carriage of distant television stations by satellite carriers
- 340Significantly viewed signals permitted to be carried
- 341Carriage of television signals to certain subscribers
- 342Process for issuing qualified carrier certification
- 343Conditions on commercial terrestrial operations
- 344Repealed. Pub. L. 117–58, div. F, title VI, § 60602(b)
- 345Protection of survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and related crimes
Part II — Radio Equipment and Radio Operators On Board Ship
- 351Ship radio stations and operations
- 352Exemptions
- 353Radio equipment and operators
- 353aOperators and watches on radiotelephone equipped ships
- 354Technical requirements of equipment on radiotelegraph equipped ships
- 354aTechnical requirements of equipment on radiotelephone equipped ships
- 355Survival craft
- 356Approval of installations by Commission
- 357Safety information
- 358Master’s control over operations
- 359Certificates of compliance; issuance, modification, and cancellation
- 360Station licenses; inspection of equipment by Commission
- 361Control by Commission; review of decisions
- 362Forfeitures; recovery
- 363Automated ship distress and safety systems
Part III — Radio Installations on Vessels Carrying Passengers for Hire
Subpart a — assistance for planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities
Subpart b — national endowment for children’s educational television
Subpart c — telecommunications demonstrations
Subpart d — corporation for public broadcasting
Subpart e — general provisions
Subchapter IV — Procedural and Administrative Provisions
- 401Enforcement provisions
- 402Judicial review of Commission’s orders and decisions
- 403Inquiry by Commission on its own motion
- 404Reports of investigations
- 405Petition 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
- 406Compelling furnishing of facilities; mandamus; jurisdiction
- 407Order for payment of money; petition for enforcement; procedure; order of Commission as prima facie evidence; costs; attorneys’ fees
- 408Order not for payment of money; when effective
- 409Hearings
- 410Joint boards and commissions
- 411Joinder of parties
- 412Documents filed with Commission as public records; prima facie evidence; confidential records
- 413Designation of agent for service; method of service
- 414Exclusiveness of chapter
- 415Limitations of actions
- 416Orders of Commission
Subchapter V — Penal Provisions; Forfeitures
- 501General penalty
- 502Violation of rules, regulations, etc.
- 503Forfeitures
- 504Forfeitures
- 505Venue of trials
- 506Repealed. Pub. L. 96–507, § 1
- 507Violation of Great Lakes Agreement
- 508Disclosure of payments to individuals connected with broadcasts
- 509Prohibited practices in contests of knowledge, skill, or chance
- 510Forfeiture of communications devices
- 511Enhanced penalties for pirate radio broadcasting; enforcement sweeps; reporting
Part I — General Provisions
Part II — Use of Cable Channels and Cable Ownership Restrictions
- 531Cable channels for public, educational, or governmental use
- 532Cable channels for commercial use
- 533Ownership restrictions
- 534Carriage of local commercial television signals
- 535Carriage of noncommercial educational television
- 536Regulation of carriage agreements
- 537Sales of cable systems
- 537aCarriage of certain programming
Part III — Franchising and Regulation
- 541General franchise requirements
- 542Franchise fees
- 543Regulation of rates
- 544Regulation of services, facilities, and equipment
- 544aConsumer electronics equipment compatibility
- 545Modification of franchise obligations
- 546Renewal
- 547Conditions of sale
- 548Development of competition and diversity in video programming distribution
- 549Competitive availability of navigation devices
Part IV — Miscellaneous Provisions
- 551Protection of subscriber privacy
- 552Consumer protection and customer service
- 553Unauthorized reception of cable service
- 554Equal employment opportunity
- 555Judicial proceedings
- 555aLimitation of franchising authority liability
- 556Coordination of Federal, State, and local authority
- 557Existing franchises
- 558Criminal and civil liability
- 559Obscene programming
- 560Scrambling of cable channels for nonsubscribers
- 561Scrambling of sexually explicit adult video service programming
- 562Requirements relating to charges for covered services
Part V — Video Programming Services Provided by Telephone Companies
Subchapter VI — Miscellaneous Provisions
- 601Interstate Commerce Commission and Postmaster General; duties, powers, and functions transferred to Commission
- 602, 603Repealed. Pub. L. 103–414, title III, § 304(a)(13)
- 604Effect of transfer
- 605Unauthorized publication or use of communications
- 606War powers of President
- 607Effective date of chapter
- 608Separability
- 609Short title
- 610Telephone service for disabled
- 611Closed-captioning of public service announcements
- 612Syndicated exclusivity
- 613Video programming accessibility
- 614Telecommunications Development Fund
- 615Support for universal emergency telephone number
- 615aService provider parity of protection
- 615a–1Duty to provide 9–1–1 and enhanced 9–1–1 service
- 615bDefinitions
- 615cEmergency Access Advisory Committee
- 616Internet protocol-based relay services
- 617Access to advanced communications services and equipment
- 618Enforcement and recordkeeping obligations
- 619Internet browsers built into telephones used with public mobile services
- 620Relay services for deaf-blind individuals
- 621Rulemaking on loud commercials required
- 622Optional electronic labeling of communications equipment
- 623Configuration of multi-line telephone systems for direct dialing of 9–1–1.
- 624Disclosure requirements for United States-based foreign media outlets