47 C.F.R. § 20.12

Resale and roaming

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(a)(1) Scope of manual roaming and resale. Paragraph (c) of this section is applicable to providers of Broadband Personal Communications Services (part 24, subpart E of this chapter), Cellular Radio Telephone Service (part 22, subpart H of this chapter), Specialized Mobile Radio Services in the 800 MHz and 900 MHz bands (included in part 90, subpart S of this chapter), and 900 MHz Broadband Service (included in part 27, subpart P of this chapter) if such providers offer real-time, two-way switched voice or data service that is interconnected with the public switched network and utilizes an in-network switching facility that enables the provider to re-use frequencies and accomplish seamless hand-offs of subscriber calls. The scope of paragraph (b) of this section, concerning the resale rule, is further limited so as to exclude from the requirements of that paragraph those Broadband Personal Communications Services C, D, E, and F block licensees that do not own and control and are not owned and controlled by firms also holding cellular A or B block licenses.

(2) Scope of automatic roaming. Paragraph (d) of this section is applicable to CMRS carriers if such carriers offer real-time, two-way switched voice or data service that is interconnected with the public switched network and utilizes an in-network switching facility that enables the carrier to re-use frequencies and accomplish seamless hand-offs of subscriber calls. Paragraph (d) of this section is also applicable to the provision of push-to-talk and text-messaging service by CMRS carriers.

(3) Scope of offering roaming arrangements for commercial mobile data services. Paragraph (e) of this section is applicable to all facilities-based providers of commercial mobile data services.

(b) [Reserved]

(c) Manual roaming. Each carrier subject to paragraph (a)(1) of this section must provide mobile radio service upon request to all subscribers in good standing to the services of any carrier subject to paragraph (a)(1) of this section, including roamers, while such subscribers are located within any portion of the licensee's licensed service area where facilities have been constructed and service to subscribers has commenced, if such subscribers are using mobile equipment that is technically compatible with the licensee's base stations.

(d) Automatic roaming. Upon a reasonable request, it shall be the duty of each host carrier subject to paragraph (a)(2) of this section to provide automatic roaming to any technologically compatible, facilities-based CMRS carrier on reasonable and not unreasonably discriminatory terms and conditions, pursuant to Sections 201 and 202 of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 201 and 202. The Commission shall presume that a request by a technologically compatible CMRS carrier for automatic roaming is reasonable pursuant to Sections 201 and 202 of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 201 and 202. This presumption may be rebutted on a case by case basis. The Commission will resolve automatic roaming disputes on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the totality of the circumstances presented in each case.

(e) Offering roaming arrangements for commercial mobile data services. (1) A facilities-based provider of commercial mobile data services is required to offer roaming arrangements to other such providers on commercially reasonable terms and conditions, subject to the following limitations:

(i) Providers may negotiate the terms of their roaming arrangements on an individualized basis;

(ii) It is reasonable for a provider not to offer a data roaming arrangement to a requesting provider that is not technologically compatible;

(iii) It is reasonable for a provider not to offer a data roaming arrangement where it is not technically feasible to provide roaming for the particular data service for which roaming is requested and any changes to the host provider's network necessary to accommodate roaming for such data service are not economically reasonable;

(iv) It is reasonable for a provider to condition the effectiveness of a roaming arrangement on the requesting provider's provision of mobile data service to its own subscribers using a generation of wireless technology comparable to the technology on which the requesting provider seeks to roam.

(2) A party alleging a violation of this section may file a formal or informal complaint pursuant to the procedures in §§ 1.716 through 1.718, 1.720, 1.721, and 1.723 through 1.735 of this chapter, which sections are incorporated herein. For purposes of § 20.12(e), references to a “carrier” or “common carrier” in the formal and informal complaint procedures incorporated herein will mean a provider of commercial mobile data services. The Commission will resolve such disputes on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the totality of the circumstances presented in each case. The remedy of damages shall not be available in connection with any complaint alleging a violation of this section. Whether the appropriate procedural vehicle for a dispute is a complaint under this paragraph or a petition for declaratory ruling under § 1.2 of this chapter may vary depending on the circumstances of each case.

[64 FR 61027, Nov. 9, 1999, as amended at 65 FR 58482, Sept. 29, 2000; 72 FR 50074, Aug. 30, 2007; 75 FR 22276, Apr. 28, 2010; 76 FR 26220, May 6, 2011; 85 FR 43134, July 16, 2020; 90 FR 57704, Dec. 12, 2025]

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 8 cases, 1998–2018 · leading case: Worldcall Interconnect, Inc. v. Fed. Commc'ns Comm'n, 907 F.3d 810 (5th Cir. 2018).

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Worldcall Interconnect, Inc. v. Fed. Commc'ns Comm'n, 907 F.3d 810 (5th Cir. 2018). · cites it 2× “A at 15851 (amending 47 C.F.R. § 20.12 ). The order cabins the application of this obligation, however, to (1) "CMRS [commercial mobile radio service] carriers" who "offer real-time, two-way switched voice or data service that is interconnected with the public switched network"…”

Sprint Nextel Corp. v. At&t, Inc., 821 F. Supp. 2d 308 (D.D.C. 2011). “Defendants cite 47 C.F.R. § 20.12 ; Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Reexamination of Roaming Obligations of Commercial Mobile Radio Service Providers, 22 FCC Red.”

Digit. Commc'ns Network, Inc. v. AT & T Wireless Servs., 63 F. Supp. 2d 1194 (C.D. Cal. 1999). · cites it 2× “5 Even aside from the FCA provisions, the specific administrative rule by the FCC regarding resale services, 47 C.F.R. § 20.12 , further incorporates the reasonableness standard.”

Voicestream Wireless Corp. v. All U.S. Commc'ns, 149 F. Supp. 2d 29 (S.D.N.Y. 2001). “A related regulation, 47 C.F.R. § 20.12 (b), provides that a carrier “shall not restrict the resale of its services, unless the carrier demonstrates that the restriction is reasonable.”

NTCH, Inc. v. Fed. Commc'ns Comm'n, 877 F.3d 408 (D.C. Cir. 2017). “The Commission’s Data Roaming Order set forth procedures for resolving disputes over its data roaming rule, providing that parties could file complaints under 47 C.F.R. § 20.12 (e)(2) and delegating authority to the Bureau to adjudicate data roaming complaints.”

Corr Wireless Commc'ns, L.L.C. v. AT & T, Inc., 893 F. Supp. 2d 789 (N.D. Miss. 2012). “Additionally, the Court notes that when mobile wireless carriers must provide roaming access is already the subject of FCC regulation, see 47 C.F.R. § 20.12 , and Cellular South has not alleged that AT & T has presently failed to comply with its regulatory obligation to provide…”

Cellnet Commc'ns, Inc. v. Fed. Commc'ns Comm'n, 149 F.3d 429 (6th Cir. 1998). · cites it 3× “See 47 C.F.R. § 20.12 (b) 2 ; 47 C.F.R. § 22.”

Worldcall Interconnect, Inc. v. FCC (5th Cir. 2018). · cites it 2× “A at 15851 (amending 47 C.F.R. § 20.12 ). The order cabins the application of this obligation, however, to (1) “CMRS [commercial mobile radio service] carriers” who “offer real-time, two-way switched voice or data service that is interconnected with the public switched network”…”

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