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GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR COMPETITIVE LOCAL EXCHANGE COMPANIES
ACCESS LINE OR SUBSCRIBER LINE: The circuit or channel between the demarcation
point at the customer's premises and the serving end or class 5 central office.
CALL AGGREGATOR: Any person or entity that provides telecommunications service
to the transient public, including but not limited to hotels, motels, resort condominiums,
schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and rooming houses.
CENTRAL OFFICE: A location where there is an assembly of equipment that establishes
the connections between subscriber lines, trunks, switched access circuits, private
line facilities, and special access facilities with the rest of the telephone network.
CENTRAL OFFICE CODE: The first three digits (NXX) of the seven-digit telephone
number assigned to a customer's telephone exchange service.
CLEC: Competitive Local Exchange Company. Any company certificated by the
Commission to provide local exchange telecommunications service in Florida on or
after July 1, 1995.
COMMISSION: The Florida Public Service Commission.
COMPANY, TELEPHONE COMPANY, TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, UTILITY: These terms
may be used interchangeably herein and refer to any person, firm, partnership or
corporation engaged in the business of furnishing two-way telecommunications service
to the public for hire under the jurisdiction of the Commission.
COMPLETED CALL: A call which has been switched through an established path
so that two-way conversation or data transmission is possible.
DEDICATED FACILITY: A transmission circuit which is permanently for the exclusive
use of a customer or a pair of customers.
END USER: The occupant of the premises who uses and pays for the telephone
service received and does not resale it to others.
EXCHANGE: The entire telephone plant and facilities used in providing telephone
service to subscribers located in an exchange area. An exchange may include more
than one central office unit.
EXCHANGE (SERVICE) AREA: The territory of a local exchange company (LEC)
within which local telephone service is furnished at the exchange rates applicable
within that area.
EXTENDED AREA SERVICE: A type of telephone service whereby subscribers of
a given exchange or area may complete calls to, and receive messages from, one or
more other exchanges or areas without toll charges, or complete calls to one or
more other exchanges or areas without toll message charges.
FACILITIES BASED: An CLEC that has its own transmission and/or switching
equipment or other elements of equipment and does not rely on others to provide
this service or purchases unbundled network elements from the LEC.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE SERVICES: A classification of LEC exchange service furnished
under tariff provisions whereby a subscriber may be provided telephone service from
an exchange other than the one from which he would normally be served.
FEATURE GROUPS: Separate switching arrangements available from local exchange
carrier (LEC) end central offices to interexchange (long distance) carriers. These
switching arrangements allow the end users to make toll calls via their chosen long
distance carrier.
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Feature Group A: Line side connections presently serving specialized Common
carriers.
- Feature Group B: Trunk side connections without equal digit or code dialing.
- Feature Group C: Trunk side connections presently serving AT&T.
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Feature Group D: The class of service associated with equal access arrangements,
which is a trunk-side connection provided by the LECs. FGD allows phone users in
the United States to pick up the telephone and dial 1+ to place a long distance
call.
INFORMATION SERVICE: Telephone calls made to 900 or 976 type services, but
does not include Internet services.
INTEREXCHANGE (LONG DISTANCE) COMPANY (IXC): Any telephone company, as defined
in Section 364.02(12), F.S. (excluding Payphone Providers), which provides telecommunications
service between local calling areas as described in the approved tariffs of individual
local exchange companies (LECs).
INTER-OFFICE CALL: A telephone call originating in one central office but
terminating in another central office, both of which are in the same designated
exchange area.
INTRA-OFFICE CALL: A telephone call originating and terminating within the
same central office.
INTRA-STATE TOLL MESSAGE: Toll messages which originate and terminate within
Florida.
LOCAL ACCESS AND TRANSPORT AREA (LATA) OR MARKET AREA: A geographical area,
which is loosely based on Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs), within
which a LEC may transport telecommunication signals.
LOCAL EXCHANGE TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY (LEC): Any company certificated
by the Commission to provide local exchange telecommunications service in Florida
on or before June 30, 1995.
LOCAL PROVIDER (LP): Any telecommunications company providing local telecommunications
service, excluding pay telephone providers and call aggregators.
LOCAL SERVICE AREA OR LOCAL CALLING AREA: The area within which telephone
service is furnished to subscribers under a specific schedule of rates and without
toll charges. A LECs local service area may include one or more exchange areas or
portions of exchange areas.
LOCAL TOLL PROVIDER (LTP): Any telecommunications company providing intraLATA
or intramarket area long distance telecommunications service.
PAY TELEPHONE SERVICE COMPANY: Any telephone company which provides pay telephone
service as defined in Section 364.3375, F.S.
PRICE LIST: Document filed with the Commission by an CLEC detailing services,
rates, and charges offered by the company to all potential customers.
RESELLER: An CLEC that does not have certain facilities but purchases telecommunications
service from a LEC and then resells that service to others.
STATION: A telephone instrument consisting of a transmitter, receiver, and
associated apparatus so connected as to permit sending and/or receiving telephone
messages.
SUBSCRIBER, CUSTOMER: Terms used interchangeably to mean any person, firm,
partnership, corporation, municipality, cooperative organization, or governmental
agency supplied with communication service by a telecommunications company.
SWITCHING CENTER: Location at which telephone traffic, either local or toll,
is switched or connected from one circuit or line to another. A local switching
center may be comprised of several central office units.
TRUNK: A communication channel between central office units or entities,
or private branch exchanges.
UNBUNDLED NETWORK ELEMENTS (UNE): Physical and functional elements of the
network, e.g., NIDs (Network Interface Devices), local loops, switch ports, and
dedicated common transport facilities. UNE is a term used in negotiations between
an CLEC and the LEC to describe the various network components that will be used
or leased by the CLEC from the LEC.