Title 47, Chapter 5 — Wire or Radio Communication

Purposes of chapter; Federal Communications Commission created

Application of chapter

Definitions

Federal Communications Commission

Commission

Authority of Chief Information Officer

Authorization of appropriations

New technologies and services

Application fees

Regulatory fees

Provisions applicable to application and regulatory fees

Competition in provision of telecommunications service

Regulatory reform

Additional research authorities of the FCC

Communications marketplace report

Service and charges

Discriminations and preferences

Schedules of charges

Hearings on new charges; suspension pending hearing; refunds; duration of hearing; appeal of order concluding hearing

Commission authorized to prescribe just and reasonable charges; penalties for violations

Carriers’ liability for damages

Recovery of damages

Complaints to Commission; investigations; duration of investigation; appeal of order concluding investigation

Orders for payment of money

Franks and passes; free service to governmental agencies in connection with national defense

Contracts of carriers; filing with Commission

Interlocking directorates; officials dealing in securities

Valuation of property of carrier

Extension of lines or discontinuance of service; certificate of public convenience and necessity

Examination of transactions relating to furnishing of services, equipment, etc.; reports to Congress

Receivers and trustees; application of chapter

Agents’ acts and omissions; liability of carrier

Management of business; inquiries by Commission

Reports by carriers; contents and requirements generally

Accounts, records, and memoranda

Consolidations and mergers of telephone companies

Privacy of customer information

Obscene or harassing telephone calls in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communications

Notice and removal of nonconsensual intimate visual depictions

Pole attachments

Telecommunications services for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals

Telephone operator services

Restrictions on use of telephone equipment

Consumer education materials on how to avoid scams that rely upon misleading or inaccurate caller identification information

Call authentication

Access to number resources

Provision of evidence of certain robocall violations to Attorney General

Regulation of carrier offering of pay-per-call services

Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act compliance

Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material

Restriction of access by minors to materials commercially distributed by means of World Wide Web that are harmful to minors

Interconnection

State authority over fees

Procedures for negotiation, arbitration, and approval of agreements

Removal of barriers to entry

Universal service

Access by persons with disabilities

Coordination for interconnectivity

Market entry barriers proceeding

Illegal changes in subscriber carrier selections

Infrastructure sharing

Provision of telemessaging service

Effect on other requirements

Ensuring the integrity of voice communications

Bell operating company entry into interLATA services

Separate affiliate; safeguards

Manufacturing by Bell operating companies

Electronic publishing by Bell operating companies

Alarm monitoring services

Provision of payphone service

License for radio communication or transmission of energy

Repealed. June 5, 1936, ch. 511, § 1, 49 Stat. 1475

Devices which interfere with radio reception

Powers and duties of Commission

Standards for children’s television programming

Consideration of children’s television service in broadcast license renewal

Television program improvement

Waiver by license of claims to particular frequency or of electromagnetic spectrum

Government owned stations

Foreign ships; application of section 301

Licenses

Requirements for license

Application for license

Reports related to spectrum auctions

License ownership restrictions

Requirements as to certain applications in broadcasting service

Administrative sanctions

Revocation of operator’s license used in unlawful distribution of controlled substances

Application of antitrust laws to manufacture, sale, and trade in radio apparatus

Competition in commerce; preservation

Candidates for public office

Modification by Commission of station licenses or construction permits; burden of proof

Announcement of payment for broadcast

Transmitting apparatus; operator’s license

Construction permits

Stations liable to interfere with distress signals; designation and regulation

Distress signals and communications; equipment on vessels; regulations

Exchanging radio communications between land and ship stations and from ship to ship

Interference between Government and commercial stations

Use of minimum power

False, fraudulent, or unauthorized transmissions

Censorship

Naval stations; use for commercial messages; rates

Repealed. Pub. L. 103–414, title III, § 304(a)(10), Oct. 25, 1994, 108 Stat. 4297

Administration of radio laws in Territories and possessions

Prohibition against shipment of certain television receivers

Very high frequency stations and AM radio stations

Mobile services

Willful or malicious interference

Limitation on revision of equal employment opportunity regulations

Direct broadcast satellite service obligations

Broadcast spectrum flexibility

Allocation and assignment of new public safety services licenses and commercial licenses

Carriage of local television signals by satellite carriers

Carriage of distant television stations by satellite carriers

Significantly viewed signals permitted to be carried

Carriage of television signals to certain subscribers

Process for issuing qualified carrier certification

Conditions on commercial terrestrial operations

Repealed. Pub. L. 117–58, div. F, title VI, § 60602(b), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1249

Protection of survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and related crimes

Ship radio stations and operations

Exemptions

Radio equipment and operators

Operators and watches on radiotelephone equipped ships

Technical requirements of equipment on radiotelegraph equipped ships

Technical requirements of equipment on radiotelephone equipped ships

Survival craft

Approval of installations by Commission

Safety information

Master’s control over operations

Certificates of compliance; issuance, modification, and cancellation

Station licenses; inspection of equipment by Commission

Control by Commission; review of decisions

Forfeitures; recovery

Automated ship distress and safety systems

Vessels transporting more than six passengers for hire required to be equipped with radiotelephone

Vessels excepted from radiotelephone requirement

Exemptions by Commission

Authority of Commission; operations, installations, and additional equipment

Inspections

Forfeitures

Declaration of purpose

Authorization of appropriations

Grants for construction

Repealed. Pub. L. 95–567, title II, § 201, Nov. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 2409

Criteria for approval and expenditures by Secretary

Long-range planning for facilities

Establishment of National Endowment

Assistance for demonstration projects

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Definitions

Federal interference or control

Support of political candidates prohibited

Use of business or institutional logograms

Offering of certain services, facilities, or products by public broadcast station

Enforcement provisions

Judicial review of Commission’s orders and decisions

Inquiry by Commission on its own motion

Reports of investigations

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

Compelling furnishing of facilities; mandamus; jurisdiction

Order for payment of money; petition for enforcement; procedure; order of Commission as prima facie evidence; costs; attorneys’ fees

Order not for payment of money; when effective

Hearings

Joint boards and commissions

Joinder of parties

Documents filed with Commission as public records; prima facie evidence; confidential records

Designation of agent for service; method of service

Exclusiveness of chapter

Limitations of actions

Orders of Commission

General penalty

Violation of rules, regulations, etc.

Forfeitures

Forfeitures

Venue of trials

Repealed. Pub. L. 96–507, § 1, Dec. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 2747

Violation of Great Lakes Agreement

Disclosure of payments to individuals connected with broadcasts

Prohibited practices in contests of knowledge, skill, or chance

Forfeiture of communications devices

Enhanced penalties for pirate radio broadcasting; enforcement sweeps; reporting

Purposes

Definitions

Cable channels for public, educational, or governmental use

Cable channels for commercial use

Ownership restrictions

Carriage of local commercial television signals

Carriage of noncommercial educational television

Regulation of carriage agreements

Sales of cable systems

Carriage of certain programming

General franchise requirements

Franchise fees

Regulation of rates

Regulation of services, facilities, and equipment

Consumer electronics equipment compatibility

Modification of franchise obligations

Renewal

Conditions of sale

Development of competition and diversity in video programming distribution

Competitive availability of navigation devices

Protection of subscriber privacy

Consumer protection and customer service

Unauthorized reception of cable service

Equal employment opportunity

Judicial proceedings

Limitation of franchising authority liability

Coordination of Federal, State, and local authority

Existing franchises

Criminal and civil liability

Obscene programming

Scrambling of cable channels for nonsubscribers

Scrambling of sexually explicit adult video service programming

Requirements relating to charges for covered services

Regulatory treatment of video programming services

Prohibition on buy outs

Establishment of open video systems

Interstate Commerce Commission and Postmaster General; duties, powers, and functions transferred to Commission

Repealed. Pub. L. 103–414, title III, § 304(a)(13), Oct. 25, 1994, 108 Stat. 4297

Effect of transfer

Unauthorized publication or use of communications

War powers of President

Effective date of chapter

Separability

Short title

Telephone service for disabled

Closed-captioning of public service announcements

Syndicated exclusivity

Video programming accessibility

Telecommunications Development Fund

Support for universal emergency telephone number

Service provider parity of protection

Duty to provide 9–1–1 and enhanced 9–1–1 service

Definitions

Emergency Access Advisory Committee

Internet protocol-based relay services

Access to advanced communications services and equipment

Enforcement and recordkeeping obligations

Internet browsers built into telephones used with public mobile services

Relay services for deaf-blind individuals

Rulemaking on loud commercials required

Optional electronic labeling of communications equipment

Configuration of multi-line telephone systems for direct dialing of 9–1–1.

Disclosure requirements for United States-based foreign media outlets

Definitions

Broadband maps

Enforcement

Improving data accuracy

Cost

Other provisions