Title 47Telegraphs, Telephones, and RadiotelegraphsRelease 119-73

§314 Competition in commerce; preservation

Title 47 › Chapter CHAPTER 5— - WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO RADIO › Part Part I— - General Provisions › § 314

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

After the law takes effect, any person or company that runs radio services for pay must not, directly or through related companies or agents, buy, lease, build, own, control, or run any cable or wired telegraph or telephone line or system that connects any place in the United States (including territories and DC) with any foreign country. They also must not own stock or assets in those systems if doing so would likely cut competition, limit trade between the United States and foreign countries, or illegally create a monopoly. Also, any person or company that runs cable, wire, telegraph, or telephone message services for pay — whether inside the United States or between the United States and foreign countries — must not, directly or through related companies or agents, buy, own, control, or operate radio stations, radio equipment, or radio systems used to send or receive signals between the United States and foreign countries, nor own stock or assets in them, if doing so would likely cut competition, limit trade with foreign countries, or illegally create a monopoly.

Full Legal Text

Title 47, §314

Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

After the effective date of this chapter no person engaged directly, or indirectly through any person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with, such person, or through an agent, or otherwise, in the business of transmitting and/or receiving for hire energy, communications, or signals by radio in accordance with the terms of the license issued under this chapter, shall by purchase, lease, construction, or otherwise, directly or indirectly, acquire, own, control, or operate any cable or wire telegraph or telephone line or system between any place in any State, Territory, or possession of the United States or in the District of Columbia, and any place in any foreign country, or shall acquire, own, or control any part of the stock or other capital share or any interest in the physical property and/or other assets of any such cable, wire, telegraph, or telephone line or system, if in either case the purpose is and/or the effect thereof may be to substantially lessen competition or to restrain commerce between any place in any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, and any place in any foreign country, or unlawfully to create monopoly in any line of commerce; nor shall any person engaged directly, or indirectly through any person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with, such person, or through an agent, or otherwise, in the business of transmitting and/or receiving for hire messages by any cable, wire, telegraph, or telephone line or system (a) between any place in any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, and any place in any other State, Territory, or possession of the United States; or (b) between any place in any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and any place in any foreign country, by purchase, lease, construction, or otherwise, directly or indirectly acquire, own, control, or operate any station or the apparatus therein, or any system for transmitting and/or receiving radio communications or signals between any place in any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, and any place in any foreign country, or shall acquire, own, or control any part of the stock or other capital share or any interest in the physical property and/or other assets of any such radio station, apparatus, or system, if in either case the purpose is and/or the effect thereof may be to substantially lessen competition or to restrain commerce between any place in any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, and any place in any foreign country, or unlawfully to create monopoly in any line of commerce.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

For

Effective Date

of this chapter, see section 607 of this title. This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, 48 Stat. 1064, 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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

47 U.S.C. § 314

Title 47Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73