7 USC § 924 - Definition of telephone service and rural area

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t7/s924"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "7 USC § 924 - Definition of telephone service and rural area"
title_number: 7
title_name: "AGRICULTURE"
section_number: "924"
section_name: "Definition of telephone service and rural area"
chapter_number: 31
chapter_name: "RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND TELEPHONE SERVICE"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "RURAL TELEPHONE SERVICE"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title II, § 203, as added Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 776, § 5, 63 Stat. 948; amended Pub. L. 87–862, Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1140; Pub. L. 101–624, title XXIII, § 2354, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4039; Pub. L. 103–129, § 2(c)(5), Nov. 1, 1993, 107 Stat. 1364.)"
---


# § 924. Definition of telephone service and rural area

**1** 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.

See References in Text note below.

**(b)** 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.

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**Source Credit**: (May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title II, § 203, as added Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 776, § 5, 63 Stat. 948; amended Pub. L. 87–862, Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1140; Pub. L. 101–624, title XXIII, § 2354, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4039; Pub. L. 103–129, § 2(c)(5), Nov. 1, 1993, 107 Stat. 1364.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

, referred to in subsec. (a), was subsequently amended and no longer contains a subsec. (). However, the term “broadcasting” is defined elsewhere in that section.

### Amendments

1993—Subsec. (b).  substituted “5,000” for “one thousand five hundred”.

1990—Subsec. (a).  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).  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”.