### Question
How is the "rural telephone company" defined?


### Answer
The term **rural telephone company** is defined in *47 U.S.C. § 153* as follows -

> a local exchange carrier operating entity to the extent that such entity—


(A) provides common carrier service to any local exchange carrier study area that does not include either—


(i) any incorporated place of 10,000 inhabitants or more, or any part thereof, based on the most recently available population statistics of the Bureau of the Census

#### Citation:
  - *47 U.S.C. § 153*
  - Heading: **CHAPTER 5-WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION > SUBCHAPTER I-GENERAL PROVISIONS**

