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Telecom Dictionary
The telecommunications industry is full of acronyms and abbreviations. The following are ten useful definitions of common industry terms:
LEC: Local Exchange Carrier. Another name for a local telephone company.
ILEC: Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier. These companies were the only providers of local service prior to the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996.
CLEC: Competitive Local Exchange Carrier. These companies were formed since the passage of the 1996 Act as alternative providers of local telecommunications service.
IXC: Interexchange Carrier. Another name for a long distance provider.
Access Charge: A fee paid by an interexchange carrier to a local exchange carrier to access the local exchange carrier's network. This fee subsidizes the cost of providing local service.
Subscriber Line Charge: Monthly, fixed fee on customer's bill to help cover the cost of the local network. The SLC is imposed under FCC regulations.
Broadband: The ability to transmit large volumes of data at high speeds over the telecommunications network. Another name for high speed Internet access.
Interconnection: Connection of various telecom providers throughout the network to create a national system that gives all telephone customers the ability to communicate with every other telephone customer.
Universal Service Fund: A federal financial mechanism that helps compensate companies for providing telecommunications services at affordable rates. Companies contribute to the plan and may pass fees onto their customers.
Local Loop: A pair of wires that connects the central office switch with the customer's home or business. Often called "the last mile".
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