Meaning – he communication common carrier is a common phrase that you will hear in the USA and Canada, and it refers to a public data transmission service that provides the general public with transmission service facilities. A common carrier is different from the contract carriers, in the sense that the latter only serves a limited number off customers, while the former deals with everyone.
It is to be noted that since the common carriers serve the general public as a whole, they are governed by a regulatory body. In the United States, the common carrier designation made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under authorisation of the Telecommunications Act of 1934.
While there is some debate over the necessity of licensing of common carriers, the reason they are is to ensure indiscriminate public access and protect the privacy of the general public.
Example of usage – “She worked with the regulatory board that governed the communication common carriers in the country.”
