Title 47 — Telegraphs, Telephones, and RadiotelegraphsRelease 119-73not60

§256 Coordination for Interconnectivity

Title 47 › Chapter 5— WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION › Subchapter II— COMMON CARRIERS › Part II— Development of Competitive Markets › § 256

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to help make public phone and data networks and the devices that use them accessible to as many people and companies as possible. It pushes for carriers to plan and build networks together and for better connections between networks and devices so users and information providers can send and receive information smoothly across systems. The FCC must set up procedures to oversee this coordinated planning. It may also work with industry groups to help make interconnection standards, using the FCC’s powers as they existed before February 8, 1996. It does not change the FCC’s legal authority from before that date. Public telecommunications network interconnectivity — the ability of two or more public networks to exchange information and work together without loss.

Full Legal Text

Title 47, §256

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

(a)It is the purpose of this section—

(1)to promote nondiscriminatory accessibility by the broadest number of users and vendors of communications products and services to public telecommunications networks used to provide telecommunications service through—

(A)coordinated public telecommunications network planning and design by telecommunications carriers and other providers of telecommunications service; and

(B)public telecommunications network interconnectivity, and interconnectivity of devices with such networks used to provide telecommunications service; and

(2)to ensure the ability of users and information providers to seamlessly and transparently transmit and receive information between and across telecommunications networks.

(b)In carrying out the purposes of this section, the Commission—

(1)shall establish procedures for Commission oversight of coordinated network planning by telecommunications carriers and other providers of telecommunications service for the effective and efficient interconnection of public telecommunications networks used to provide telecommunications service; and

(2)may participate, in a manner consistent with its authority and practice prior to February 8, 1996, in the development by appropriate industry standards-setting organizations of public telecommunications network interconnectivity standards that promote access to—

(A)public telecommunications networks used to provide telecommunications service;

(B)network capabilities and services by individuals with disabilities; and

(C)information services by subscribers of rural telephone companies.

(c)Nothing in this section shall be construed as expanding or limiting any authority that the Commission may have under law in effect before February 8, 1996.

(d)As used in this section, the term “public telecommunications network interconnectivity” means the ability of two or more public telecommunications networks used to provide telecommunications service to communicate and exchange information without degeneration, and to interact in concert with one another.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

47 U.S.C. § 256

Title 47 — Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60