IXC (IntereXchange Carrier)

Also less commonly known as IEC (InterExchange Carrier) and IC. Long-haul long distance carriers, IXCs include all facilities-based inter-LATA carriers. The largest IXCs are AT&T (acquiredby SBC in 2005), MCI (merged with Verizon in 2006) and Sprint; a huge number of smaller, regional companies also fit this definition. The term generally applies to voice and data carriers, but not to Internet carriers. IXC is in contrast to LEC (Local Exchange Carrier), a term applied to traditional telephone companies which provide local service and intraLATA toll service. IXCs also provide intraLATA toll service and operate as CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers) in many states. Once upon a time the non-AT&T IXCs were called OCCs (Other Common Carriers), a status which they resented for understandable reasons.

Below is a link to an annual FCC publication (pdf format), "Statistics of Common Carriers." This document provides a wealth of data on common carriers. The FCC publishes a wide range of useful documents which are available at http://www.fcc.gov. The most up-to-date version is the 2005-2006 annual report released 6/08.

Document: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-282813A1.pdf