CHAPTER 5—WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION

SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec.
151.
Purposes of chapter; Federal Communications Commission created.
152.
Application of chapter.
153.
Definitions.
154.
Federal Communications Commission.
155.
Commission.
155a.
Authority of Chief Information Officer.
156.
Authorization of appropriations.
157.
New technologies and services.
158.
Application fees.
159.
Regulatory fees.
159a.
Provisions applicable to application and regulatory fees.
160.
Competition in provision of telecommunications service.
161.
Regulatory reform.
162.
Additional research authorities of the FCC.
163.
Communications marketplace report.

        

SUBCHAPTER II—COMMON CARRIERS

Part I—Common Carrier Regulation

201.
Service and charges.
202.
Discriminations and preferences.
203.
Schedules of charges.
204.
Hearings on new charges; suspension pending hearing; refunds; duration of hearing; appeal of order concluding hearing.
205.
Commission authorized to prescribe just and reasonable charges; penalties for violations.
206.
Carriers' liability for damages.
207.
Recovery of damages.
208.
Complaints to Commission; investigations; duration of investigation; appeal of order concluding investigation.
209.
Orders for payment of money.
210.
Franks and passes; free service to governmental agencies in connection with national defense.
211.
Contracts of carriers; filing with Commission.
212.
Interlocking directorates; officials dealing in securities.
213.
Valuation of property of carrier.
214.
Extension of lines or discontinuance of service; certificate of public convenience and necessity.
215.
Examination of transactions relating to furnishing of services, equipment, etc.; reports to Congress.
216.
Receivers and trustees; application of chapter.
217.
Agents' acts and omissions; liability of carrier.
218.
Management of business; inquiries by Commission.
219.
Reports by carriers; contents and requirements generally.
220.
Accounts, records, and memoranda.
221.
Consolidations and mergers of telephone companies.
222.
Privacy of customer information.
223.
Obscene or harassing telephone calls in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communications.
224.
Pole attachments.
225.
Telecommunications services for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals.
226.
Telephone operator services.
227.
Restrictions on use of telephone equipment.
227a.
Consumer education materials on how to avoid scams that rely upon misleading or inaccurate caller identification information.
227b.
Call authentication.
227b–1.
Access to number resources.
227b–2.
Provision of evidence of certain robocall violations to Attorney General.
228.
Regulation of carrier offering of pay-per-call services.
229.
Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act compliance.
230.
Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material.
231.
Restriction 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

251.
Interconnection.
251a.
State authority over fees.
252.
Procedures for negotiation, arbitration, and approval of agreements.
253.
Removal of barriers to entry.
254.
Universal service.
255.
Access by persons with disabilities.
256.
Coordination for interconnectivity.
257.
Market entry barriers proceeding.
258.
Illegal changes in subscriber carrier selections.
259.
Infrastructure sharing.
260.
Provision of telemessaging service.
261.
Effect on other requirements.
262.
Ensuring the integrity of voice communications.

        

Part III—Special Provisions Concerning Bell Operating Companies

271.
Bell operating company entry into interLATA services.
272.
Separate affiliate; safeguards.
273.
Manufacturing by Bell operating companies.
274.
Electronic publishing by Bell operating companies.
275.
Alarm monitoring services.
276.
Provision of payphone service.

        

SUBCHAPTER III—SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO RADIO

Part I—General Provisions

301.
License for radio communication or transmission of energy.
302.
Repealed.
302a.
Devices which interfere with radio reception.
303.
Powers and duties of Commission.
303a.
Standards for children's television programming.
303b.
Consideration of children's television service in broadcast license renewal.
303c.
Television program improvement.
304.
Waiver by license of claims to particular frequency or of electromagnetic spectrum.
305.
Government owned stations.
306.
Foreign ships; application of section 301.
307.
Licenses.
308.
Requirements for license.
309.
Application for license.
309a.
Reports related to spectrum auctions.
310.
License ownership restrictions.
311.
Requirements as to certain applications in broadcasting service.
312.
Administrative sanctions.
312a.
Revocation of operator's license used in unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
313.
Application of antitrust laws to manufacture, sale, and trade in radio apparatus.
314.
Competition in commerce; preservation.
315.
Candidates for public office.
316.
Modification by Commission of station licenses or construction permits; burden of proof.
317.
Announcement of payment for broadcast.
318.
Transmitting apparatus; operator's license.
319.
Construction permits.
320.
Stations liable to interfere with distress signals; designation and regulation.
321.
Distress signals and communications; equipment on vessels; regulations.
322.
Exchanging radio communications between land and ship stations and from ship to ship.
323.
Interference between Government and commercial stations.
324.
Use of minimum power.
325.
False, fraudulent, or unauthorized transmissions.
326.
Censorship.
327.
Naval stations; use for commercial messages; rates.
328.
Repealed.
329.
Administration of radio laws in Territories and possessions.
330.
Prohibition against shipment of certain television receivers.
331.
Very high frequency stations and AM radio stations.
332.
Mobile services.
333.
Willful or malicious interference.
334.
Limitation on revision of equal employment opportunity regulations.
335.
Direct broadcast satellite service obligations.
336.
Broadcast spectrum flexibility.
337.
Allocation and assignment of new public safety services licenses and commercial licenses.
338.
Carriage of local television signals by satellite carriers.
339.
Carriage of distant television stations by satellite carriers.
340.
Significantly viewed signals permitted to be carried.
341.
Carriage of television signals to certain subscribers.
342.
Process for issuing qualified carrier certification.
343.
Conditions on commercial terrestrial operations.
344.
Repealed.
345.
Protection of survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and related crimes.

        

Part II—Radio Equipment and Radio Operators On Board Ship

351.
Ship radio stations and operations.
352.
Exemptions.
353.
Radio equipment and operators.
353a.
Operators and watches on radiotelephone equipped ships.
354.
Technical requirements of equipment on radiotelegraph equipped ships.
354a.
Technical requirements of equipment on radiotelephone equipped ships.
355.
Survival craft.
356.
Approval of installations by Commission.
357.
Safety information.
358.
Master's control over operations.
359.
Certificates of compliance; issuance, modification, and cancellation.
360.
Station licenses; inspection of equipment by Commission.
361.
Control by Commission; review of decisions.
362.
Forfeitures; recovery.
363.
Automated ship distress and safety systems.

        

Part III—Radio Installations on Vessels Carrying Passengers for Hire

381.
Vessels transporting more than six passengers for hire required to be equipped with radiotelephone.
382.
Vessels excepted from radiotelephone requirement.
383.
Exemptions by Commission.
384.
Authority of Commission; operations, installations, and additional equipment.
385.
Inspections.
386.
Forfeitures.

        

Part IV—Assistance for Planning and Construction of Public Telecommunications Facilities; Telecommunications Demonstrations; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; General Provisions

subpart a—assistance for planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities

390.
Declaration of purpose.
391.
Authorization of appropriations.
392.
Grants for construction.
392a.
Repealed.
393.
Criteria for approval and expenditures by Secretary.
393a.
Long-range planning for facilities.

        

subpart b—national endowment for children's educational television

394.
Establishment of National Endowment.

        

subpart c—telecommunications demonstrations

395.
Assistance for demonstration projects.

        

subpart d—corporation for public broadcasting

396.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

        

subpart e—general provisions

397.
Definitions.
398.
Federal interference or control.
399.
Support of political candidates prohibited.
399a.
Use of business or institutional logograms.
399b.
Offering of certain services, facilities, or products by public broadcast station.

        

SUBCHAPTER IV—PROCEDURAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

401.
Enforcement provisions.
402.
Judicial review of Commission's orders and decisions.
403.
Inquiry by Commission on its own motion.
404.
Reports of investigations.
405.
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.
406.
Compelling furnishing of facilities; mandamus; jurisdiction.
407.
Order for payment of money; petition for enforcement; procedure; order of Commission as prima facie evidence; costs; attorneys' fees.
408.
Order not for payment of money; when effective.
409.
Hearings.
410.
Joint boards and commissions.
411.
Joinder of parties.
412.
Documents filed with Commission as public records; prima facie evidence; confidential records.
413.
Designation of agent for service; method of service.
414.
Exclusiveness of chapter.
415.
Limitations of actions.
416.
Orders of Commission.

        

SUBCHAPTER V—PENAL PROVISIONS; FORFEITURES

501.
General penalty.
502.
Violation of rules, regulations, etc.
503.
Forfeitures.
504.
Forfeitures.
505.
Venue of trials.
506.
Repealed.
507.
Violation of Great Lakes Agreement.
508.
Disclosure of payments to individuals connected with broadcasts.
509.
Prohibited practices in contests of knowledge, skill, or chance.
510.
Forfeiture of communications devices.
511.
Enhanced penalties for pirate radio broadcasting; enforcement sweeps; reporting.

        

SUBCHAPTER V–A—CABLE COMMUNICATIONS

Part I—General Provisions

521.
Purposes.
522.
Definitions.

        

Part II—Use of Cable Channels and Cable Ownership Restrictions

531.
Cable channels for public, educational, or governmental use.
532.
Cable channels for commercial use.
533.
Ownership restrictions.
534.
Carriage of local commercial television signals.
535.
Carriage of noncommercial educational television.
536.
Regulation of carriage agreements.
537.
Sales of cable systems.
537a.
Carriage of certain programming.

        

Part III—Franchising and Regulation

541.
General franchise requirements.
542.
Franchise fees.
543.
Regulation of rates.
544.
Regulation of services, facilities, and equipment.
544a.
Consumer electronics equipment compatibility.
545.
Modification of franchise obligations.
546.
Renewal.
547.
Conditions of sale.
548.
Development of competition and diversity in video programming distribution.
549.
Competitive availability of navigation devices.

        

Part IV—Miscellaneous Provisions

551.
Protection of subscriber privacy.
552.
Consumer protection and customer service.
553.
Unauthorized reception of cable service.
554.
Equal employment opportunity.
555.
Judicial proceedings.
555a.
Limitation of franchising authority liability.
556.
Coordination of Federal, State, and local authority.
557.
Existing franchises.
558.
Criminal and civil liability.
559.
Obscene programming.
560.
Scrambling of cable channels for nonsubscribers.
561.
Scrambling of sexually explicit adult video service programming.
562.
Requirements relating to charges for covered services.

        

Part V—Video Programming Services Provided by Telephone Companies

571.
Regulatory treatment of video programming services.
572.
Prohibition on buy outs.
573.
Establishment of open video systems.

        

SUBCHAPTER VI—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

601.
Interstate Commerce Commission and Postmaster General; duties, powers, and functions transferred to Commission.
602, 603.
Repealed.
604.
Effect of transfer.
605.
Unauthorized publication or use of communications.
606.
War powers of President.
607.
Effective date of chapter.
608.
Separability.
609.
Short title.
610.
Telephone service for disabled.
611.
Closed-captioning of public service announcements.
612.
Syndicated exclusivity.
613.
Video programming accessibility.
614.
Telecommunications Development Fund.
615.
Support for universal emergency telephone number.
615a.
Service provider parity of protection.
615a–1.
Duty to provide 9–1–1 and enhanced 9–1–1 service.
615b.
Definitions.
615c.
Emergency Access Advisory Committee.
616.
Internet protocol-based relay services.
617.
Access to advanced communications services and equipment.
618.
Enforcement and recordkeeping obligations.
619.
Internet browsers built into telephones used with public mobile services.
620.
Relay services for deaf-blind individuals.
621.
Rulemaking on loud commercials required.
622.
Optional electronic labeling of communications equipment.
623.
Configuration of multi-line telephone systems for direct dialing of 9–1–1.
624.
Disclosure requirements for United States-based foreign media outlets.

        

SUBCHAPTER VII—BROADBAND DATA

641.
Definitions.
642.
Broadband maps.
643.
Enforcement.
644.
Improving data accuracy.
645.
Cost.
646.
Other provisions.