By Outrider Editorial Team · Updated August 20, 2026
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.
NAICS 517112 obligated $302 million in FY2025 across 3,173 contract actions. DoD is $244 million, VA $43 million, State $6 million, Treasury $4 million, DOJ $1 million. The federal wireless market is bigger than that suggests, because 517312, the 2017 code for the same industry, still received $213 million in FY2025. Between the two vintages the market is roughly $515 million, and a vendor tracking only one of them sees a distorted picture.
What belongs here
Operating and maintaining switching and transmission facilities to provide communications over the airwaves using licensed spectrum: cellular service, paging, wireless internet access, and wireless video.
- Wireline carriage is 517111.
- Satellite carriage and resale is 517410.
- Manufacturing the radios and network equipment is 334220.
Competing in this code
71 IDVs against 3,173 actions at an average under $100,000 is device-and-plan volume: agencies buying wireless service and handsets for their workforce, ordered against existing agreements. Spectrum licensure is required by the industry definition, which means resellers without their own spectrum are usually classified elsewhere even when they sell wireless service. For carriers, the differentiators federal buyers evaluate are FedRAMP-authorized management portals, device security and mobile device management integration, and priority and preemption service for emergency responders.
Frequently Asked
NAICS 517112 questions, answered.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 517112?
SBA sets it at 1,500 employees, counted as a 24-month average headcount across your company and every affiliate, not revenue. At or under that number you are small on NAICS 517112 solicitations and eligible for the set-asides in this code.
Which agencies buy wireless service under NAICS 517112?
FY2025 obligations: DoD ($244 million), VA ($43 million), State ($6 million), Treasury ($4 million), DOJ ($1 million). These figures cover the 2022 code only; another $213 million ran under the 2017 code 517312 in the same year.
Why is federal wireless spending split across two NAICS codes?
Because NAICS 2022 renumbered wireless telecommunications carriers from 517312 to 517112, and federal systems keep the older code on existing vehicles and options. FY2025 shows $302 million under 517112 and $213 million under 517312. The combined market is roughly $515 million, and vendors need to track both codes.
Can a wireless reseller register under NAICS 517112?
Usually not. The definition requires operating switching and transmission facilities and holding spectrum licenses. Resellers without spectrum generally classify elsewhere, which matters because a solicitation issued under 517112 assumes the offeror is a licensed carrier and writes the requirements accordingly.
Register Under NAICS 517112
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