View all text of Subchapter I [§ 151 - § 163]
§ 153. DefinitionsFor the purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires—
(1) Advanced communications servicesThe term “advanced communications services” means—
(A) interconnected VoIP service;
(B) non-interconnected VoIP service;
(C) electronic messaging service;
(D) interoperable video conferencing service; and
(E) any audio or video communications service used by inmates for the purpose of communicating with individuals outside the correctional institution where the inmate is held, regardless of technology used.
(2) Affiliate
(3) Amateur station
(4) AT&T Consent Decree
(5) Bell operating companyThe term “Bell operating company”—
(A) means any of the following companies: Bell Telephone Company of Nevada, Illinois Bell Telephone Company, Indiana Bell Telephone Company, Incorporated, Michigan Bell Telephone Company, New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, New York Telephone Company, U S West Communications Company, South Central Bell Telephone Company, Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, The Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland, The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Virginia, The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of West Virginia, The Diamond State Telephone Company, The Ohio Bell Telephone Company, The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, or Wisconsin Telephone Company; and
(B) includes any successor or assign of any such company that provides wireline telephone exchange service; but
(C) does not include an affiliate of any such company, other than an affiliate described in subparagraph (A) or (B).
(6) Broadcast station
(7) Broadcasting
(8) Cable service
(9) Cable system
(10) Chain broadcasting
(11) Common carrier
(12) Connecting carrier
(13) Construction permit
(14) Consumer generated media
(15) Corporation
(16) Customer premises equipment
(17) Dialing parity
(18) Disability
(19) Electronic messaging service
(20) Exchange access
(21) Foreign communication
(22) Great Lakes Agreement
(23) Harbor
(24) Information service
(25) Interconnected VoIP service
(26) InterLATA service
(27) Interoperable video conferencing service
(28) Interstate communication
(29) Land station
(30) Licensee
(31) Local access and transport areaThe term “local access and transport area” or “LATA” means a contiguous geographic area—
(A) established before February 8, 1996, by a Bell operating company such that no exchange area includes points within more than 1 metropolitan statistical area, consolidated metropolitan statistical area, or State, except as expressly permitted under the AT&T Consent Decree; or
(B) established or modified by a Bell operating company after February 8, 1996, and approved by the Commission.
(32) Local exchange carrier
(33) Mobile service
(34) Mobile station
(35) Network element
(36) Non-interconnected VoIP serviceThe term “non-interconnected VoIP service”—
(A) means a service that—
(i) enables real-time voice communications that originate from or terminate to the user’s location using Internet protocol or any successor protocol; and
(ii) requires Internet protocol compatible customer premises equipment; and
(B) does not include any service that is an interconnected VoIP service.
(37) Number portability
(38) Operator
(A) The term “operator” on a ship of the United States means, for the purpose of parts II and III of subchapter III of this chapter, a person holding a radio operator’s license of the proper class as prescribed and issued by the Commission.
(B) “Operator” on a foreign ship means, for the purpose of part II of subchapter III of this chapter, a person holding a certificate as such of the proper class complying with the provisions of the radio regulations annexed to the International Telecommunication Convention in force, or complying with an agreement or treaty between the United States and the country in which the ship is registered.
(39) Person
(40) Radio communication
(41) Radio officer
(A) The term “radio officer” on a ship of the United States means, for the purpose of part II of subchapter III of this chapter, a person holding at least a first or second class radiotelegraph operator’s license as prescribed and issued by the Commission. When such person is employed to operate a radiotelegraph station aboard a ship of the United States, he is also required to be licensed as a “radio officer” in accordance with chapter 71 of title 46.
(B) “Radio officer” on a foreign ship means, for the purpose of part II of subchapter III of this chapter, a person holding at least a first or second class radiotelegraph operator’s certificate complying with the provisions of the radio regulations annexed to the International Telecommunication Convention in force.
(42) Radio station
(43) Radiotelegraph auto alarm
(44)The term “rural telephone company” means a local exchange carrier operating entity to the extent that such entity—
(A) provides common carrier service to any local exchange carrier study area that does not include either—
(i) any incorporated place of 10,000 inhabitants or more, or any part thereof, based on the most recently available population statistics of the Bureau of the Census; or
(ii) any territory, incorporated or unincorporated, included in an urbanized area, as defined by the Bureau of the Census as of August 10, 1993;
(B) provides telephone exchange service, including exchange access, to fewer than 50,000 access lines;
(C) provides telephone exchange service to any local exchange carrier study area with fewer than 100,000 access lines; or
(D) has less than 15 percent of its access lines in communities of more than 50,000 on February 8, 1996.
(45) Safety convention
(46) Ship
(A) The term “ship” or “vessel” includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance, except aircraft, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water, whether or not it is actually afloat.
(B) A ship shall be considered a passenger ship if it carries or is licensed or certificated to carry more than twelve passengers.
(C) A cargo ship means any ship not a passenger ship.
(D) A passenger is any person carried on board a ship or vessel except (1) the officers and crew actually employed to man and operate the ship, (2) persons employed to carry on the business of the ship, and (3) persons on board a ship when they are carried, either because of the obligation laid upon the master to carry shipwrecked, distressed, or other persons in like or similar situations or by reason of any circumstance over which neither the master, the owner, nor the charterer (if any) has control.
(E) “Nuclear ship” means a ship provided with a nuclear powerplant.
(47) State
(48) State commission
(49) Station license
(50) Telecommunications
(51) Telecommunications carrier
(52) Telecommunications equipment
(53) Telecommunications service
(54) Telephone exchange service
(55) Telephone toll service
(56) Television service
(A) Analog television service
(B) Digital television service
(57) Transmission of energy by radio
(58) United States
(59) Wire communication
(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title I, § 3, 48 Stat. 1065; May 20, 1937, ch. 229, § 2, 50 Stat. 189; Proc. No. 2695, eff. July 4, 1946, 11 F.R. 7517, 60 Stat. 1352; July 16, 1952, ch. 879, § 2, 66 Stat. 711; Apr. 27, 1954, ch. 175, §§ 2, 3, 68 Stat. 64; Aug. 13, 1954, ch. 729, § 3, 68 Stat. 707; Aug. 13, 1954, ch. 735, § 1, 68 Stat. 729; Aug. 6, 1956, ch. 973, § 3, 70 Stat. 1049; Pub. L. 89–121, § 1, Aug. 13, 1965, 79 Stat. 511; Pub. L. 90–299, § 2, May 3, 1968, 82 Stat. 112; Pub. L. 97–259, title I, § 120(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1097; Pub. L. 103–66, title VI, § 6002(b)(2)(B)(ii), Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 396; Pub. L. 104–104, § 3(a), (c), Feb. 8, 1996, 110 Stat. 58, 61; Pub. L. 105–33, title III, § 3001(b), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 258; Pub. L. 111–260, title I, § 101, Oct. 8, 2010, 124 Stat. 2752; Pub. L. 117–338, § 2(b), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6156.)