ch is responsible for standards which are not covered and microwave radio. by the other subcommittees, above. The Common Carrier Bureau, which regulates and issues licences for communications via wire, radio or satellite, for interstate or international common carriers. 22.5.5.2 The Private Radio Bureau, which regulates and issues licences for use of radio spectrum by private users, covering land ve- The Electronic Industries Association is a trade organisation repre- hicles, ships and aircraft. Some three million licences have senting a large number of US electronic manufacturers, varying in been granted to local and state governments, businesses, and size from small component suppliers to multinational organisations individuals within the US. serving the defence industry. It was founded in 1924 as the Radio Manufacturers Association. Over four thousand government and 22.5.5 North American trade, user and industrial representatives participate in its two hundred or so com- professional organisations mittees. The EIA is primarily involved in producing hardware oriented 22.5.5.1 data communication standards. It has produced over six hundred standards, its best known being RS-232-C, now renamed EIA 232- The Exchange Carriers Standards Association is a trade association C, which is used world-wide for computer interfaces. of wireline exchange carriers in the US and was formed to provide In 1988 the telecommunications sector of the EIA merged with the a central public forum for the US telecommunications industry. Its US Telecommunications Suppliers Association (USTSA) to form Standards Advisory Committee (SAC) is responsible to ANSI for the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). the T1 Committee. Following the recommendation from ECSA for a public standards committee which used ANSI procedures and which provided a 22.5.5.3 CBEMA public forum in telecommunications standards, ANSI set up the T1 Committee in 1983. The committee received its name from ANSI: The Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers' Assoc