§393 — Title 47 Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs | U.S. Code

§393 Criteria for Approval and Expenditures by Secretary

Title 47 › Chapter 5— WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION › Subchapter III— SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO RADIO › Part IV— Assistance for Planning and Construction of Public Telecommunications Facilities; Telecommunications Demonstrations; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; General Provisions › Subpart a— assistance for planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities › § 393

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must create rules, working with the Corporation and public telecommunications groups, for giving construction and planning grants and must share those rules with anyone who asks. Grant approvals and amounts must follow those rules and aim to do four things: reach areas without public telecommunications service, expand service areas that already exist, support facilities owned or run by and available to minorities and women, and improve public broadcast stations so they can better serve underserved audiences (for example, people who are deaf or blind). Of the funds made available under section 391 for any fiscal year, a substantial amount must be available to expand noncommercial radio stations.

Title 47, §393

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

(a)The Secretary, in consultation with the Corporation, public telecommunications entities, and as appropriate with others, shall establish criteria for making construction and planning grants. Such criteria shall be consistent with the objectives and provisions set forth in this subpart, and shall be made available to interested parties upon request.

(b)The Secretary shall base determinations of whether to approve applications for grants under this subpart, and the amount of such grants, on criteria developed pursuant to subsection (a) and designed to achieve—

(1)the provision of new telecommunications facilities to extend service to areas currently not receiving public telecommunications services;

(2)the expansion of the service areas of existing public telecommunications entities;

(3)the development of public telecommunications facilities owned by, operated by, and available to minorities and women; and

(4)the improvement of the capabilities of existing public broadcast stations to provide public telecommunications services, including services to underserved audiences such as deaf and hearing impaired individuals and blind and visually impaired individuals.

(c)Of the sums appropriated pursuant to section 391 of this title for any fiscal year, a substantial amount shall be available for the expansion and development of noncommercial radio broadcast station facilities.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1992—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 102–356 inserted before period at end “, including services to underserved audiences such as deaf and hearing impaired individuals and blind and visually impaired individuals”. 1986—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 99–272 redesignated subsec. (d) as (c) and struck out former subsec. (c) relating to extension of services to new areas. 1978—Pub. L. 95–567 amended section generally, striking out provisions dealing with keeping records and access to records by Secretary and Comptroller General and inserting provisions dealing with criteria for approval and expenditures by Secretary. See section 392(h) and 395(h) of this title. 1967—Pub. L. 90–129 substituted “subpart” for “part” wherever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–567 effective Nov. 2, 1978, see section 403 of Pub. L. 95–567, set out as a note under section 390 of this title.