Data Transparency
The FCC actively promotes the innovative application of agency data in the public and private sectors. FCC.gov/Developers connects citizen developers with the tools they need to unlock government data. Learn more about this interactive community and get involved.
FCC Developer Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
- Area and Census Block
Given a passed Longitude and Latitude, the Area portion of this API returns market data, 2015 US Census Bureau Census Block population data, and US Census Bureau Census Block number (aka the 15 character FIPS Code). The API also returns the US State and County name associated with the Block. The Block portion of this API returns similar data as the Area portion except it does not return the market data or population data associated with the Block. (This API is the new and improved version of the legacy FCC Census Block Conversions API, updated to reduce response time and support additional Area related data elements. The legacy API is being decommissioned.) - Contours
This collection of API's returns data related to broadcast radio and television service area. The Coverage API gives the FM or TV contours (protected or interfering) for an arbitrary location, field strength, and antenna pattern. The Entity API gives the contour for an existing AM, FM, or TV station, identified by Callsign, FacilityID, or ApplicationID. The Elevation API gives the elevation at a specified location (latitude and longitude). The HAAT API gives the HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain) for a specified location, RCAMSL (Radiation Center Above Mean Level), and number of radials. The Profile API gives a set of elevations along a specified azimuth, between a set of points. The Distance API gets the distance to a specified field strength for FM and TV stations. The AM Pattern API gets the antenna pattern for a specified AM station. - Form 499 Filer Database API
The FCC Form 499 Filer Database is an identification system for all interstate telecommunications carriers, all interconnected VoIP providers, and certain other providers of interstate telecommunications. This API returns the FCC Form 499 information that matches any of several parameters including Filer ID, FRN Number, State, and Primary Communications Type. - Public Inspection Files
For decades, the public file for each station has been kept at the station's main studio in paper form (or more recently in electronic form at some stations) and made available during normal business hours. Relying on the advantages of current technology, however, the Commission has now changed its rules to require almost all of this public file information to be posted online at this site. - Section 43.61
Section 43.61 of the Commission's rules require that each common carrier engaged in providing international telecommunications service between the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and off-shore U.S. points and any country or point outside that area file a report with the Commission. - ECFS Public API
ECFS provides a public Application Programming Interface (API) to enable external users and organizations with the necessary technical capabilities to search the application without having to go through the website. Interested parties should first register for a free key at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/help/public_api.
FCC Open Source Projects
- FCC on Github
The FCC seeks to actively contribute code from internal and external projects anytime it can be of use to other government agencies or the public.