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writing to the Governor of each of the States in which the physical property affected, or any part thereof, is situated, and to the State commission having jurisdiction over telephone companies, and to such other persons as it may deem advisable, and shall afford such parties a reasonable opportunity to submit comments on the proposal. A public hearing shall be held in all cases where a request therefor is made by a telephone company, an association of telephone companies, a State commission, or local governmental authority. If the Commission finds that the proposed consolidation, acquisition, or control will be of advantage to the persons to whom service is to be rendered and in the public interest, it shall certify to that effect; and thereupon any Act or Acts of Congress making the proposed transaction unlawful shall not apply. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as in anywise limiting or restricting the powers of the several States to control and regulate telephone companies. 58

(b) 59 Subject to the provisions of section 301, nothing in this Act shall be construced to apply, or to give the Commission jurisdiction, with respect to charges, classifications, practices, services, facilities, or regulations for or in connection with wire, mobile, or point-topoint radio telephone exchange service, or any combination thereof even though a portion of such exchange service constitutes interstate or foreign communication, in any case where such matters are subject to regulation by a State commission or by local governmental authority.

(c) For the purpose of administering this Act as to carriers engaged in wire telephone communication, the Commission may classify the property of any such carrier used for wire telephone communication, and determine what property of said carrier shall be considered as used in interstate or foreign telephone toll service. Such classification shall be made after hearing, upon notice to the carrier, the State commission (or the Governor, if the State has no State commission) of any State in which the property of said carrier is located, and such other persons as the commission may prescribe.

58 Subsection (a) was amended to read as above by Public No. 914, 84th Congress, 2d Sess., approved Aug. 2, 1956, 70 Stat. 931. This subsection formerly read as follows:

SEC. 221. (a) Upon application of one or more telephone companies for authority to consolidate their properties or a part thereof into a single company, or for authority for one or more such companies to acquire the whole or any part of the property of another telephone company or other telephone companies or the control thereof by the purchase of securities or by lease or in any other like manner, when such consolidated company would be subject to this Act, the Commission shall fix a time and place for a public hearing upon such application and shall thereupon give reasonable notice in writing to the Governor of each of the States in which the physical property affected, or any part therof, is situated, and to the State commission having jurisdiction over telephone companies, and to such other persons as it may deem advisable. After such public hearing, if the Commission finds that the proposed consolidation, acquisition, or control will be of advantage to the persons to whom service is to be rendered and in the public interest, it shall certify to that effect; and thereupon any Act or Acts of Congress making the proposed transaction unlawful shall not apply. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as in anywise limiting or restricting the powers of the several States to control and regulate telephone companies.

Section 221(b) was amended to read as above by Public No. 345, 83d Congress, 2d Session, approved April 27, 1954, 68 Stat. 64. This subsection formerly read as follows:

(b) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to apply, or to give the Commission jurisdiction, with respect to charges, classifications, practices, services, facilities, or regualtions for or in connection with wire telephone exchange service, even though a portion of such exchange service constitutes interstate or foreign communication, in any case where such matters are subject to regulation by a State commission or by local government authority.

(d) In making a valuation of the property of any wire telephone carrier the Commission, after making the classification authorized in this section, may in its discretion value only that part of the property of such carrier determined to be used in interstate or foreign telephone toll service.

COMPETITION AMONG RECORD CARRIERS

SEC. 222. [47 U.S.C. 222] 6o (a) For purposes of this section:

(1) The term "primary existing international record carrier” means any record carrier which (A) derives a majority of its revenues during any calendar year from the provision of international record communications services between points of entry into or exit from the United States and points outside the United States; (B) is eligible, on the date of the enactment of the Record Carrier Competition Act of 1981, to obtain record traffic from a record carrier in the United States for delivery outside the United States; and (C) is engaged in the direct provision of record communications services between the United States and four or more continents.

(2) The term "record carrier" means a common carrier engaged in the offering for hire of any record communications service, including service on interstate network facilities between two points located in the same State. Such term does not include any common carrier which derives a majority of its revenues during any calendar year from the provision of services other than record communications service.

(3) The term "record communications service" means those services traditionally offered by telegraph companies, such as telegraph, telegram, telegram exchange, and similar services involving an interconnected network of teletypewriters.

(b)(1) The Commission shall, to the maximum extent feasible, promote the development of fully competitive domestic and international markets in the provision of record communications service, so that the public may obtain record communications service and facilities (including terminal equipment) the variety and price

60 Section 222 was amended to read as above by Public Law 97-130, 95 Stat. 1687-90, Dec. 29, 1981. Public Law 97-130 also included the following provisions:

COMMISSION OVERSIGHT OF DISTRIBUTION FORMULAS

SEC. 3. (a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b), the Federal Communications Commission shall exercise its authority under the Communications Act of 1934 to continue its oversight of the establishment of just and reasonable distribution formulas for unrouted outbound telegraph traffic and the allocation of revenues with respect to such traffic, consistent with the purposes of section 222 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended in section 2 [which amended section 222].

(b) The provisions of subsection (a) shall cease to have any force or effect at the end of the 1year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.

EFFECT OF AMENDMENT UPON CERTAIN CONTRACTS

SEC. 4. The amendment made in section 2 [which amended section 222] shall not affect the validity of the terms of any otherwise lawful contract relating to the distribution of outbound international record traffic between any domestic record carrier and any international record carrier if such contract was entered into before June 23, 1981.

The former section 222 was added by Public No. 4, 78th Congress, 1st Sess., approved March 6, 1943, 57 Stat. 5. The former subsection 222(a) (10), which defined "Continental United States," was amended by Public Law 86-624, 74 Stat. 411, approved July 12, 1960, and by Public Law 96590, 94 Stat. 3414, Dec. 24, 1980. Also, the former subsection 222(g) was added by Public Law 96590, 94 Stat. 3414, Dec. 24, 1980.

of which are governed by competition. In order to meet the purposes of this section, the Commission shall forbear from exercising its authority under this Act as the development of competition among record carriers reduces the degree of regulation necessary to protect the public.

(2) In furtherance of the purposes of this section, record carriers shall not impose upon users of any regulated record communications services the costs of any other services or facilities (including terminal equipment), whether regulated or unregulated.

(cX1XAX(i) In implementing its responsibilities under section 201(a), the Commission shall require each record carrier to make available to any other record carrier, upon reasonable request, full interconnection with any facility operated by such record carrier, and used primarily to provide record communications service. Such facility shall be made available, through written agreement, upon terms and conditions which are just, fair, and reasonable, and which are otherwise consistent with the purposes of this section.

(ii)(I) Subject to the provisions of subclause (II), if a request for interconnection under clause (i) is for the purpose of providing international record communications service, then the agreement entered into under clause (i) shall require that the allocation of record communications service between points outside the United States and points of entry in the United States shall be based upon a pro rata share of record communications service between points of exit out of the United States and points outside the United States provided by the carrier making such request for interconnection.

(II) The requirement established in subclause (I) shall not apply in any case in which the customer requesting any record communications service between a point outside the United States and a point of entry in the United States has the option to specify the international record carrier which will provide such record communications service.

(B) The Commission shall require that—

(i) if any record carrier engages both in the offering for hire of domestic record communications services and in the offering for hire of international record communications services, then such record carrier shall be treated as a separate domestic record carrier and a separate international record carrier for purposes of administering interconnection requirements;

(ii) in any case in which such separate domestic record carrier furnishes interconnection to such separate international record carrier, any interconnection which such separate domestic record carrier furnishes to other international record carriers shall be (1) equal in type and quality; and (II) made available at the same rates and upon the same terms and conditions; and

(iii) in any case in which such separate international record carrier furnishes interconnection to such separate domestic record carrier, any interconnection which such separate international record carrier furnishes to other domestic record carriers shall be (I) equal in type and quality; and (II) made avail

able at the same rates and upon the same terms and conditions:

The requirements of clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) shall not apply to a record carrier if such record carrier does not have a significant share of the market for record communications services.

(2) If any request made by a record carrier under paragraph (1)(A)(i) will require an agreement under which any record communications service or facility operated by one of the parties to such agreement will be used by any other party to such agreement, then such agreement shall establish a nondiscriminatory formula for the equitable allocation of revenues derived from such use between the parties to such agreement, except that each party to such agreement shall have the right to establish the total price charged by such party to the public for any such service which is originated by such party, consistent with the provisions of section 203. To the extent possible, and consistent with the provisions of paragraph (3)(B)(ii), the Commission shall require that such equitable allocation of revenues be based upon the costs of the record communications service or facility employed as a result of such agreement.

(3)(A) The Commission, as soon as practicable (but not later than fifteen days) after the date of the enactment of the Record Carrier Competition Act of 1981, shall convene a meeting among all record carriers which the Commission determines would be parties to any agreement required by paragraph (1)(A)(i). Such meeting shall be held for the purpose of negotiating any such agreement. Representatives of the Commission shall attend such meeting for purposes of monitoring and presiding over such negotiations.

(B)(i) In the case of any such required agreement, if—

(I) the record carrier subject to the interconnection requirement; and

(II) a majority of the primary existing international record carriers involved in the meeting convened by the Commission under subparagraph (A);

fail to enter into an agreement before the end of the forty-five-day period following the beginning of such meeting, then the Commission shall issue an interim or final order which establishes a just, fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory agreement which is consistent with the purposes of this section. Any such agreement established by the Commission shall be binding upon such parties.

(ii) Such interim or final order shall be issued not later than ninety days after the date on which the Commission convenes the meeting under subparagraph (A). In the case of any such required agreement, if

(I) the record carrier subject to the interconnection requirement; and

(II) a majority of the primary existing international record carriers involved in the meeting convened by the Commission under subparagraph (A);

reach an agreement which complies with the requirements of this section, and such agreement is entered into before the issuance of such order by the Commission under this subparagraph, then such agreement of the parties shall take effect and the Commission shall not be required to issue any such order.

(C) Any record carrier which is not subject to the agreement entered into, or established by the Commission, under this paragraph may elect to be subject to the terms of such agreement upon furnishing written notice to the Commission and to all existing parties to such agreement. After a carrier makes such an election, the terms and arrangements established by the agreement shall apply to such carrier to the extent practicable, as determined by the Commission.

(4) The Commission shall have authority to vacate or modify any agreement entered into by any record carriers under this section if the Commission determines that (A) such agreement is not consistent with the purposes of this section; or (B) such agreement unjustly or unreasonably discriminates against any record carrier.

(5) If the Western Union Telegraph Company submits an application to the Commission for authority to provide international record communication service, the Commission shall not have any authority to take any final action with respect to such application until the end of the one hundred and twenty-day period following the date a written agreement is entered into between such Company and other record carriers under paragraph (3), or following the effective date of any interim or final order issued by the Commission under paragraph (3)(B) with respect to such carriers. The limitation upon Commission authority established in this paragraph shall expire at the end of the two hundred and ten-day period following the date of the enactment of the Record Carrier Competition Act of 1981.

(d) Subject to the provisions of subsection (c)(5), each record carrier may provide record communications service in the United States domestic market and in the international market. Any record carrier seeking to provide domestic record communications service may provide such service without submitting an application to the Commission under section 214 unless the Commission requires such a submission. The Commission shall act expeditiously upon any application submitted pursuant to section 214.

(eX1) At the end of the 36-month period following the date of the enactment of the Record Carrier Competition Act of 1981, the provisions of subsection (c), other than paragraph (1)(B) of such subsection, shall cease to have any force or effect.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (1) shall not be construed to affect the obligation of any carrier to interconnect with any other carrier pursuant to this Act.

OBSCENE OR HARASSING TELEPHONE CALLS IN THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA OR IN INTERSTATE OR FOREIGN COMMUNICATIONS

SEC. 223. [47 U.S.C. 223] 61 (a) Whoever

(1) in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communications by means of telephone

(A) makes any comment, request, suggestion or proposal which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent;

1 Section 223 was added by Public Law 90-299, approved May 3, 1968, 82 Stat. 112; amended by Public Law 98-214, 97 Stat. 1469, Dec. 8, 1983.

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