§ 924. — Definition of telephone service and rural area.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC924]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 31--RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND TELEPHONE SERVICE
SUBCHAPTER II--RURAL TELEPHONE SERVICE
Sec. 924. Definition of telephone service and rural area
(a) 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.
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\1\ See References in Text note below.
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(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.
(May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title II, Sec. 203, as added Oct. 28, 1949, ch.
776, Sec. 5, 63 Stat. 948; amended Pub. L. 87-862, Oct. 23, 1962, 76
Stat. 1140; Pub. L. 101-624, title XXIII, Sec. 2354, Nov. 28, 1990, 104
Stat. 4039; Pub. L. 103-129, Sec. 2(c)(5), Nov. 1, 1993, 107 Stat.
1364.)
References in Text
Section 153 of title 47, referred to in subsec. (a), was
subsequently amended and no longer contains a subsec. (o). However, the
term ``broadcasting'' is defined elsewhere in that section.
Amendments
1993--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103-129 substituted ``5,000'' for ``one
thousand five hundred''.
1990--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101-624 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). Pub. L. 87-862 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''.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 913, 948 of this title.
