Analysis
NAICS 517112 is the 2022 national industry for wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite), part of 51711 (Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)). Census lists 13 example activities under it in the official index.
Census lists 5 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 517111, 517410, 517111 and 517122. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.
Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include beeper (i.e., radio pager) communication carriers, cellular telephone communication carriers, cellular telephone service carriers and mobile telephone communication carriers (except satellite), among 13 in all.
For example, operating and maintaining wired telecommunications networks are classified in 517111 (Wired Telecommunications Carriers) instead.
County Business Patterns publishes no national count for it, either because the code is out of the survey's scope or because the figures are suppressed to protect individual businesses.
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.
Illustrative Examples:
Cellular telephone service carriers Wireless Internet service providers, except satellite Paging services, except satellite Wireless telephone communications carriers, except satellite
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Operating and maintaining wired telecommunications networks | 517111 Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
| Operating and maintaining satellite network infrastructure that they own and/or lease | 517410 Satellite Telecommunications |
| Providing satellite television distribution services | 517111 Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
| Acting as agents for wireless telecommunications services, including operating as agents for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) | 517122 Agents for Wireless Telecommunications Services |
| Providing expert advice in the field of information technology or in integrating communication and computer systems | 54151 Computer Systems Design and Related Services |
Index entries (13)
- 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)