47 CFR § 213.4 - Definitions.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t47/s213.4"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "47 CFR § 213.4 - Definitions."
title_number: 47
title_name: "Telecommunication"
section_number: "213.4"
section_name: "Definitions."
chapter_name: "OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL"
part_number: "213"
part_name: "GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC CORRESPONDENCE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PRECEDENCE SYSTEM"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "Sec. 606, 48 Stat. 1104; 47 U.S.C. 606, E.O. 10705, 3 CFR, 1954-1958 Comp. E.O. 10995, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., President's Memorandum of August 21, 1963; 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 858; E.O. 12046, 43 FR 13349, Mar. 29, 1978."
regulatory_source: "43 FR 50434, Oct. 30, 1978, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "213"
---


# 213.4 Definitions.

As used herein:

(a) Public correspondence services means those services offered to the general public for communications between all points served by a carrier or by interconnected carriers on a nonexclusive message by message or call by call basis, as differentiated from leased private line services.

(b) The term *precedence* means the order in which messages and calls are processed. Transmission of information and call completion is therefore to be accomplished in the order required by the precedence designator. Any such properly categorized communications precede noncategorized communications.

(c) The term *Government* where used alone means Federal, foreign, State, county, or municipal government agencies. Specific reference will be made whenever it is intended to apply to less than the whole, e.g., *State Government, Federal Government,* etc.

(d) The term *Foreign Government* includes those foreign diplomatic and consular establishments and those coalitions or associations of governments such as NATO, SEATO, OAS, UN, and associations of governments or governmental agencies such as Pan American Union, International Postal Union, International Monetary Fund, and similar organizations.

(e) The term *message* means a written or other form of record communication prepared for transmission and delivery at the destination.

(f) The term *call* means a request from a user for a connection to another station whether for telephone or record communication.