517121 Telecommunications Resellers

Official definition

This U.S. industry comprises establishments engaged in purchasing access and network capacity from owners and operators of telecommunications networks and reselling wired and wireless telecommunications services to businesses and households (except satellite telecommunications and agents for wireless telecommunications services). Establishments in this industry resell telecommunications; they do not operate transmission facilities and infrastructure.

Examples Census gives

• Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) (except agents)
• Pre-paid calling cards, telecommunications resellers
• Wired telecommunications resellers
• Wireless telecommunications resellers (except satellite telecommunications and agents)

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:

• Acting as agents for wireless telecommunications carriers and resellers are classified in U.S. Industry 517122, Agents for Wireless Telecommunications Services.
• Operating and maintaining wired telecommunications networks are classified in U.S. Industry 517111, Wired Telecommunications Carriers.
• Operating and maintaining wireless telecommunications networks are classified in U.S. Industry 517112, Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite).
• Reselling satellite telecommunications services are classified in Industry 517410, Satellite Telecommunications.

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

Activities listed under 517121

The Census index assigns these 9 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Long-distance telecommunication resellers (except satellite telecommunications)
• Microwave telecommunication resellers
• Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) (except agents)
• Pre-paid calling cards, telecommunications resellers
• Resellers, telecommunication (except satellite telecommunications and agents for wireless telecommunications services)
• Telecommunications resellers (except satellite telecommunications and agents for wireless telecommunications services)
• Telephone communications resellers (except satellite telecommunications and agents for wireless telecommunications services)
• Wired telecommunication resellers
• Wireless telecommunications resellers (except satellite telecommunications and agents)

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 517121

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 517121, 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: 6190), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 61900Other telecommunications activitiesUK SIC

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

Similar codes to compare

• 517122Agents for Wireless Telecommunications Services