The investigative arm of the US Congress whose purpose is to support the Congress in meeting its Constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and accountability of the federal government. GAO examines the use of public funds, evaluates federal programs and activities, and provides analyses, options, recommendations, and other assistance to help the Congress make effective oversight, policy, and funding decisions.
US: A practice permitted by FCC rules in which the holder of a spectrum license for the provision of wireless services in a given geographic area may subdivide (partition) that area along geopolitical or other boundaries and assign, or transfer, the spectrum in those subdivisions to another party. The FCC's objective in permitting this practice is to encourage more efficient use of spectrum by allowing licensees to transfer part of their spectrum to a party that values it more highly and to promote competition by increasing the diversity of service offerings and the number of providers offering competing services. [See also Spectrum Disaggregation]
US: An FCC requirement, codified in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, that calling rates charged to subscribers for inter-state interexchange telecommunications service in rural and high cost areas be no higher than the rates charged to subscribers in urban areas so that there are identical mileage-banded interexchange calling rates available throughout the country; .[See CI '96 Act Reference I(101)(254)(g)]
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
Global mobile personal communications by satellites.
An international accounting rate that decreases as traffic volume increases. An accounting rate is the price a facilities-based telecommunications carrier negotiates with a foreign carrier for handling one minute of international telephone service. Each carrier's portion of the accounting rate (typically half of the accounting rate), is referred to as the settlement rate, which is the price paid to the terminating carrier by the originating carrier to terminate one minute of international telephone traffic. Most settlement arrangements have a single accounting rate, regardless of traffic volume. However, a 'growth-based accounting rate' has an accounting rate that decreases as traffic volume (number of minutes) increases. Typically, a 'base accounting rate' is used for minutes less than a negotiated threshold. When that threshold is passed, a lower 'incremental accounting rate' is used. (see also Accounting Rate; Settlement Rate)
The GTE Consent Decree is the order entered December 21, 1984, as restated January 11, 1985, in the antitrust action United States v. GTE Corp., Civil Action No. 83-1298, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and any judgment or order with respect to this action entered on or after December 21, 1984. [See also CI '96 Act Reference VI(601)(e)(2)]