---
kind: "section"
citation: "4 U.S.C. § 124"
title: "4"
title_heading: "Flag and Seal, Seat of Government, and the States"
number: "124"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/4/124"
units:
  - "Chapter 4 — The States"
---

# §124. Definitions


In sections [116](/usc/4/116.md) through [126](/usc/4/126.md) of this title:

- (1) **Charges for mobile telecommunications services.—** The term “charges for mobile telecommunications services” means any charge for, or associated with, the provision of commercial mobile radio service, as defined in section 20.3 of title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations as in effect on June 1, 1999, or any charge for, or associated with, a service provided as an adjunct to a commercial mobile radio service, that is billed to the [customer](#2-A) by or for the [customer](#2-A)’s [home service provider](#5) regardless of whether individual transmissions originate or terminate within the [licensed service area](#6) of the [home service provider](#5).
- (2) **Customer.—**
  - (A) **In general.—** The term “customer” means—
    - (i) the [person](/usc/4/110.md?p=a) or entity that contracts with the [home service provider](#5) for [mobile telecommunications services](#7); or
    - (ii) if the end user of [mobile telecommunications services](#7) is not the contracting party, the end user of the [mobile telecommunications service](#7), but this clause applies only for the purpose of determining the [place of primary use](#8).
  - (B) The term “[customer](#2-A)” does not include—
    - (i) a [reseller](#10) of [mobile telecommunications service](#7); or
    - (ii) a [serving carrier](#11) under an arrangement to serve the [customer](#2-A) outside the [home service provider](#5)’s [licensed service area](#6).
- (3) **Designated database provider.—** The term “designated database provider” means a corporation, association, or other entity representing all the political subdivisions of a [State](/usc/4/110.md?p=d) that is—
  - (A) responsible for providing an electronic database prescribed in [section 119(a)](/usc/4/119.md?p=a) if the [State](/usc/4/110.md?p=d) has not provided such electronic database; and
  - (B) approved by municipal and county associations or leagues of the [State](/usc/4/110.md?p=d) whose responsibility it would otherwise be to provide such database prescribed by sections [116](/usc/4/116.md) through [126](/usc/4/126.md) of this title.
- (4) **Enhanced zip code.—** The term “enhanced zip code” means a United States postal zip code of 9 or more digits.
- (5) **Home service provider.—** The term “home service provider” means the facilities-based carrier or [reseller](#10) with which the [customer](#2-A) contracts for the provision of [mobile telecommunications services](#7).
- (6) **Licensed service area.—** The term “licensed service area” means the geographic area in which the [home service provider](#5) is authorized by law or contract to provide commercial mobile radio service to the [customer](#2-A).
- (7) **Mobile telecommunications service.—** The term “mobile telecommunications service” means commercial mobile radio service, as defined in section 20.3 of title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations as in effect on June 1, 1999.
- (8) **Place of primary use.—** The term “place of primary use” means the street address representative of where the [customer](#2-A)’s use of the [mobile telecommunications service](#7) primarily occurs, which must be—
  - (A) the residential street address or the primary business street address of the [customer](#2-A); and
  - (B) within the [licensed service area](#6) of the [home service provider](#5).
- (9) **Prepaid telephone calling services.—** The term “prepaid telephone calling service” means the right to purchase exclusively telecommunications services that must be paid for in advance, that enables the origination of calls using an access number, authorization code, or both, whether manually or electronically dialed, if the remaining amount of units of service that have been prepaid is known by the provider of the prepaid service on a continuous basis.
- (10) **Reseller.—** The term “reseller”—
  - (A) means a provider who purchases telecommunications services from another telecommunications service provider and then resells, uses as a component part of, or integrates the purchased services into a [mobile telecommunications service](#7); and
  - (B) does not include a [serving carrier](#11) with which a [home service provider](#5) arranges for the services to its [customers](#2-A) outside the [home service provider](#5)’s [licensed service area](#6).
- (11) **Serving carrier.—** The term “serving carrier” means a facilities-based carrier providing [mobile telecommunications service](#7) to a [customer](#2-A) outside a [home service provider](#5)’s or [reseller](#10)’s [licensed service area](#6).
- (12) **Taxing jurisdiction.—** The term “taxing jurisdiction” means any of the several [States](/usc/4/110.md?p=d), the District of Columbia, or any territory or possession of the United States, any municipality, city, county, township, parish, transportation district, or assessment jurisdiction, or any other political subdivision within the territorial limits of the United States with the authority to impose a tax, charge, or fee.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 106–252, § 2(a), July 28, 2000, 114 Stat. 631.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date; Application of Amendment

Section effective July 28, 2000, and applicable only to customer bills issued after the first day of the first month beginning more than 2 years after July 28, 2000, see section 3 of Pub. L. 106–252, set out as a note under section 116 of this title.