The primary regulator of communications in the United States is the Federal Communications Commission. It closely regulates all of the industries mentioned below with the exception of newspapers and the Internet service provider industry.
History
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent government agency responsible for regulating the radio, television and phone industries. The FCC regulates all interstate communications, such as wire, satellite and cable, and international communications originating or terminating in the United States.
Press
Newspapers declined in their influence and penetration into American households in the late 20th century. Most newspapers are local, having little circulation outside their particular metropolitan area. The closest thing to a national paper the U.S. has is USA Today. Other influential dailies include The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal which are sold in most U.S. cities. The largest newspapers in the United States are USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.
Mail
The legal monopoly of the government-owned United States Postal Service has narrowed during the 20th and 21st centuries due to competition from companies such as UPS & FedEx, although still delivers the vast majority of US mail.
Telephone
Telephone system:
General assessment: A large, technologically advanced, multipurpose communications system.
Domestic: A large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout the country.
Most of the American telephone system was formerly operated by a single monopoly, AT&T, which was split up in 1984 into a long distance telephone company and seven regional "Baby Bells".
Most local loop service to homes is provided through old-fashioned copper wire, although many of the providers have upgraded the so-called "last mile" to fiber optic.
Early in the 21st century the number of wire lines in use stopped growing and in some markets began to decline.
Cellular/Wireless communication
Telephones - mobile cellular: 286 million
Most states have several competing cellular phone networks.
Radio broadcast stations: AM: 4,669; FM commercial stations: 6,746; FM educational stations: 4,101; FM translators & boosters: 7,253; low-power FM stations: 1,678
Most broadcast stations are controlled by large media conglomerates like iHeartMedia. There are also many small independent local stations. National Public Radio is the public radio network.
Radios: 575 million
Television
Television broadcast stations: 7,533 ; in addition, there are about 12,000 cable TV systems.
Because of aggressive lobbying and the United States' strong libertarian traditions, the Internet service provider industry remains relatively unregulated in comparison to other communications industries.
Country code : US
For various historical reasons, the.us domain was never widely used outside of a small number of government agencies and school districts. Most companies signed up for top level domains like.com instead.
NeuStar Inc. now has control over the.us registry and is trying to promote the domain as an option for American-oriented Web sites.
