Local Exchange Carrier (LEC)

A local phone company. As defined by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, a local exchange carrier means any person that is engaged in the provision of telephone exchange service or exchange access. Such term does not include a person insofar as such person is engaged in the provision of a commercial mobile service under section 332c, except to the extent that the Federal Communications Commission finds that such service should be included in the definition of such term. The local phone companies, which were either Bell Operating Companies (BOCs) or independents (GTE was an independent before being acquired by Bell Atlantic to form Verizon) which traditionally had the exclusive, franchised right and responsibility to provide local transmission and switching services. Prior to divestiture (1984), the LECs were calls telephone companies or telcos. With the advent of deregulation (1996) and competition, LECs now are knows as ILECs (Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers). This terminology delineates them from CLECs (competitive LECs). Rural ILECs are often referred to as RLECs.