Title 7 — Agriculture
Chapter 31 — Rural Electrification and Telephone Service
§ 924. Definition of telephone service and rural area
Statutory text
As used in this subchapter, the term “telephone service” shall be deemed to mean any communication service for the transmission or reception of voice, data, sounds, signals, pictures, writing, or signs of all kinds by wire, fiber, radio, light, or other visual or electromagnetic means, and shall include all telephone lines, facilities, or systems used in the rendition of such service; but shall not be deemed to mean message telegram service or community antenna television system services or facilities other than those intended exclusively for educational purposes, or radio broadcasting services or facilities within the meaning of section 153(o) 1 of title 47.
As used in this subchapter, the term “rural area” shall be deemed to mean any area of the United States not included within the boundaries of any incorporated or unincorporated city, village, or borough having a population in excess of 5,000 inhabitants.
Footnotes
- 1 See References in Text note below.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title II, § 203, as added Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 776, § 5, 63 Stat. 948 · 63 Stat. 948
Enacted · 7 U.S.C. § 924
May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title II, § 203, as added Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 776, § 5, 63 Stat. 948
Source evidence
Code source credit
May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title II, § 203, as added Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 776, § 5, 63 Stat. 948Pub. L. 87–862 · 76 Stat. 1139
Substituted · 7 U.S.C. § 924(a)
Pub. L. 87–862 included the transmission of sounds, signals, pictures, writing, or signs of all kinds within “telephone service”, and substituted “message telegram service or community antenna television system services or facilities other than those intended exclusively for educational purposes” for “telegraph services or facilities”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 87–862 included the transmission of sounds, signals, pictures, writing, or signs of all kinds within “telephone service”, and substituted “message telegram service or community antenna television system services or facilities other than those intended exclusively for educational purposes” for “telegraph services or facilities”.Rural Telecommunications Improvements Act of 1990
Pub. L. 101–624 title XXIII § 2354 · 104 Stat. 3359
Inserted · 7 U.S.C. § 924(a)
Pub. L. 101–624 inserted “or reception” after “transmission” and “data,” after “voice,”
Substituted · 7 U.S.C. § 924(a)
Pub. L. 101–624 substituted “by wire, fiber, radio, light, or other visual or electromagnetic means” for “through the use of electricity between the transmitting and receiving apparatus”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–624 inserted “or reception” after “transmission” and “data,” after “voice,”, and substituted “by wire, fiber, radio, light, or other visual or electromagnetic means” for “through the use of electricity between the transmitting and receiving apparatus”.Enacted provision · exact public law section
SEC. 2354. UPDATED DEFINITION OF TELEPHONE SERVICE. Section 203(a) (7 U.S.C. 924(a)) is amended— (1) by inserting “or reception” after “transmission”; (2) by inserting “data,” after “voice,”; and (3) by striking “through the use of electricity between the transmitting and receiving apparatus” and inserting “by wire, fiber, radio, light, or other visual or electromagnetic means”.Pub. L. 103–129 § 2(c)(5) · 107 Stat. 1356
Substituted · 7 U.S.C. § 924(b)
Pub. L. 103–129 substituted “5,000” for “one thousand five hundred”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–129 substituted “5,000” for “one thousand five hundred”.Enacted provision · exact public law section
(C) by inserting after subsection (b) (as so redesignated) the following new subsections:
3 of 5 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 2 partial
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Section 153 of title 47, referred to in subsec. (a), was subsequently amended and no longer contains a subsec. (o). However, the term “broadcasting” is defined elsewhere in that section.
Amendments1962–1993 · 3 rounds
1993
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–129 substituted “5,000” for “one thousand five hundred”.
1990
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–624 inserted “or reception” after “transmission” and “data,” after “voice,”, and substituted “by wire, fiber, radio, light, or other visual or electromagnetic means” for “through the use of electricity between the transmitting and receiving apparatus”.
1962
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 87–862 included the transmission of sounds, signals, pictures, writing, or signs of all kinds within “telephone service”, and substituted “message telegram service or community antenna television system services or facilities other than those intended exclusively for educational purposes” for “telegraph services or facilities”.
Credits
1936–1993 · 4 acts
- 1936May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title II, § 203, as added Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 776, § 5, 63 Stat. 948
- 1962amended Pub. L. 87–862, , 76 Stat. 1140
- 1990Pub. L. 101–624, title XXIII, § 2354, , 104 Stat. 4039
- 1993Pub. L. 103–129, § 2(c)(5), , 107 Stat. 1364.
Show as published
(May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title II, § 203, as added Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 776, § 5, 63 Stat. 948; amended Pub. L. 87–862, , 76 Stat. 1140; Pub. L. 101–624, title XXIII, § 2354, , 104 Stat. 4039; Pub. L. 103–129, § 2(c)(5), , 107 Stat. 1364.)