public service

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun Employment within a governmental system, especially within the civil service.
• noun A service performed for the benefit of the public, especially by a nonprofit organization.
• noun The business of supplying an essential commodity, such as water or electricity, or a service, such as communications or transportation, to the public.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun US A service asserted to be for the public good provided by a for-profit enterprise or trade association.
• noun UK A service, usually provided by the government, for the general public or its specific section.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun employment within a government system (especially in the civil service)
• noun a service that is performed for the benefit of the public or its institutions