517112 Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)

Official definition

This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in operating and maintaining switching and transmission facilities to provide communications via the airwaves. Establishments in this industry have spectrum licenses and provide services using that spectrum, such as cellular phone services, paging services, wireless Internet access, and wireless video services.

Examples Census gives

• Cellular telephone service carriers
• Wireless Internet service providers, except satellite
• Paging services, except satellite
• Wireless telephone communications carriers, except satellite

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS descriptions.

When to use a different code

Census classifies these close-sounding activities somewhere else. Businesses mainly engaged in:

• Operating and maintaining wired telecommunications networks are classified in U.S. Industry 517111, Wired Telecommunications Carriers.
• Operating and maintaining satellite network infrastructure that they own and/or lease are classified in Industry 517410, Satellite Telecommunications.
• Providing satellite television distribution services are classified in U.S. Industry 517111, Wired Telecommunications Carriers.
• Acting as agents for wireless telecommunications services, including operating as agents for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) are classified in U.S. Industry 517122, Agents for Wireless Telecommunications Services.
• Providing expert advice in the field of information technology or in integrating communication and computer systems are classified in Industry 54151, Computer Systems Design and Related Services.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS cross-references.

Activities listed under 517112

The Census index assigns these 13 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Beeper (i.e., radio pager) communication carriers
• Cellular telephone communication carriers
• Cellular telephone service carriers
• Mobile telephone communication carriers (except satellite)
• Paging services (except satellite)
• Radio paging services communications carriers
• Ship-to-shore broadcasting communication carriers (except satellite)
• Telecommunications carriers, cellular telephone
• Telephone communications carriers, wireless (except satellite)
• Two-way paging communication carriers (except satellite)
• Wireless data communication carriers (except satellite)
• Wireless Internet service providers (except satellite)
• Wireless telephone communications carriers (except satellite)

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 517112

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 517112, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed 1,500 employees. Check your business.

Source: SBA table of size standards, effective March 17, 2023.

Closest UK SIC 2007 codes

There is no official one-to-one link between NAICS and UK SIC. These codes share the same international class (ISIC Rev. 4: 6120), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 61200Wireless telecommunications activitiesUK SIC

Built from Census concordances 2022→2017 NAICS and 2017 NAICS→ISIC Rev. 4.

Similar codes to compare

• 517111Wired Telecommunications Carriers