Wikipedia
Carrier current
Carrier current is a method of low power AM radio transmission that uses AC electrical wiring to propagate a medium frequency AM signal to a relatively small area, such as a building or a group of buildings. In the United States, carrier current stations do not require a broadcasting license from the FCC, as long as the emissions adhere to the Part 15 Rules for unlicensed transmissions.
Usage examples of "carrier current".
But what interested Doc was the presence of certain indications of a carrier current of some sort, a note of rather high frequency.