Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission is the independent federal agency that regulates communication by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. It licenses broadcasters, manages the airwaves, oversees telephone and internet services, and sets rules meant to promote competition, public safety, and access.

People usually ask what the commission may and may not do about broadcast content, when it can act on a license, and how it handles phone and internet service. They also ask about broadband access, free or low-cost phone programs, robocalls, and how free speech rules limit its powers.