
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 47USC201]

 
          TITLE 47--TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS
 
                 CHAPTER 5--WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION
 
                     SUBCHAPTER II--COMMON CARRIERS
 
                    Part I--Common Carrier Regulation
 
Sec. 201. Service and charges

    (a) It shall be the duty of every common carrier engaged in 
interstate or foreign communication by wire or radio to furnish such 
communication service upon reasonable request therefor; and, in 
accordance with the orders of the Commission, in cases where the 
Commission, after opportunity for hearing, finds such action necessary 
or desirable in the public interest, to establish physical connections 
with other carriers, to establish through routes and charges applicable 
thereto and the divisions of such charges, and to establish and provide 
facilities and regulations for operating such through routes.
    (b) All charges, practices, classifications, and regulations for and 
in connection with such communication service, shall be just and 
reasonable, and any such charge, practice, classification, or regulation 
that is unjust or unreasonable is declared to be unlawful: Provided, 
That communications by wire or radio subject to this chapter may be 
classified into day, night, repeated, unrepeated, letter, commercial, 
press, Government, and such other classes as the Commission may decide 
to be just and reasonable, and different charges may be made for the 
different classes of communications: Provided further, That nothing in 
this chapter or in any other provision of law shall be construed to 
prevent a common carrier subject to this chapter from entering into or 
operating under any contract with any common carrier not subject to this 
chapter, for the exchange of their services, if the Commission is of the 
opinion that such contract is not contrary to the public interest: 
Provided further, That nothing in this chapter or in any other provision 
of law shall prevent a common carrier subject to this chapter from 
furnishing reports of positions of ships at sea to newspapers of general 
circulation, either at a nominal charge or without charge, provided the 
name of such common carrier is displayed along with such ship position 
reports. The Commission may prescribe such rules and regulations as may 
be necessary in the public interest to carry out the provisions of this 
chapter.

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title II, Sec. 201, 48 Stat. 1070; May 31, 
1938, ch. 296, 52 Stat. 588.)

                       References in Text

    This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original ``this 
Act'', meaning act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, 48 Stat. 1064, as amended, 
known as the Communications Act of 1934, which is classified principally 
to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, 
see section 609 of this title and Tables.


                               Amendments

    1938--Subsec. (b). Act May 31, 1938, inserted proviso relating to 
reports of positions of ships at sea.


       Telephone Rates for Members of Armed Forces Deployed Abroad

    Pub. L. 102-538, title II, Sec. 213, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3545, 
provided that:
    ``(a) In General.--The Federal Communications Commission shall make 
efforts to reduce telephone rates for Armed Forces personnel in the 
following countries: Germany, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, 
Italy, Philippines, Panama, Spain, Turkey, Iceland, the Netherlands, 
Greece, Cuba, Belgium, Portugal, Bermuda, Diego Garcia, Egypt, and 
Honduras.
    ``(b) Factors To Consider.--In making the efforts described in 
subsection (a), the Federal Communications Commission, in coordination 
with the Department of Defense, Department of State, and the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration shall consider the 
cost to military personnel and their families of placing telephone calls 
by--
        ``(1) evaluating and analyzing the costs to Armed Forces 
    personnel of such telephone calls to and from American military 
    bases abroad;
        ``(2) evaluate methods of reducing the rates imposed on such 
    calls;
        ``(3) determine the extent to which it is feasible for the 
    Federal Communications Commission to encourage the carriers to adopt 
    flexible billing procedures and policies for members of the Armed 
    Forces and their families for telephone calls to and from the 
    countries listed in subsection (a); and
        ``(4) advise executive branch agencies of methods for the United 
    States to persuade foreign governments to reduce the surcharges that 
    are often placed on such telephone calls.''

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 152, 251, 332 of this title.
