Kids Pages
Terms and Definitions
| Basic Local Telecommunications Service - This term means voice-grade, flat-rate residential and flat-rate single-line business local exchange services which provide dial tone, local usage necessary to place unlimited calls within a local exchange area, dual tone multi-frequency dialing, and access to the following: emergency services such as "911," all locally available interexchange companies, directory assistance, operator services, relay services, and an alphabetical directory listing. For a local exchange telecommunications company, such term shall include any extended area service routes, and extended calling services in existence or ordered by the commission on or before July 1, 1995. |
| Competitive Local Exchange Telecommunications Company (CLEC) - Any company certificated by the Commission to provide local exchange telecommunications service in this state on or after July 1, 1995. |
| Local Access And Transport Areas (LATAs) - A geographic area in which the AT&T and Verizon local exchange companies carry telephone calls. Local access and transport areas are loosely based on standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSAs). |
| Local Exchange Telecommunications Company or Incumbent Local Exchange Telecommunications Company (ILEC) - Any company certificated by the Commission to provide local exchange telecommunications service in this state on or before June 30, 1995. |
| Local Interconnection - This term means the physical linking of two networks for the mutual exchange of local traffic. Each competitive local exchange telecommunications company shall provide access to, and interconnection with, its telecommunications services to any other provider of local exchange telecommunications services requesting such access and interconnection at nondiscriminatory prices, terms, and conditions. If the parties are unable to negotiate mutually acceptable prices, terms, and conditions, either party may petition the commission to make a determination. |
| No local exchange telecommunications company or competitive local exchange telecommunications company shall knowingly deliver traffic, for which terminating access service charges would otherwise apply, through a local interconnection arrangement without paying the appropriate charges for such terminating access service. |
| Network Access - Any service or facility provided by the incumbent local exchange company or the competitive local exchange company to another telecommunications service provider for the purpose of originating or terminating long distance traffic. |
| Nonbasic Service - Any telecommunications service provided by a local exchange telecommunications company other than a basic local telecommunications service, a local interconnection arrangement described in Section 364.16, Florida Statutes, or a network access service described in Section 364.163, Florida Statutes. |
| Number Portability - The ability of users of telecommunications services to retain, typically at the same location, existing telecommunications numbers without impairment of quality, reliability, or convenience when switching from one telecommunications carrier to another. |
| Pay Telephone Service Company (PATS) - Any certificated telecommunications entity which provides pay telephone service. |
| Unbundling and resale - Upon request, each local exchange telecommunications company shall unbundle all of its network features, functions, and capabilities, including access to signaling databases, systems and routing processes, and offer them to any other telecommunications provider requesting such features, functions or capabilities for resale to the extent technically and economically feasible and required by federal law. The parties shall negotiate the terms, conditions, and prices of any feasible unbundling request. If the parties cannot reach a satisfactory resolution, either party may petition the commission to arbitrate the dispute. In no event, however, shall the local exchange telecommunications company be required to offer such unbundled services, network features, functions or capabilities, or unbundled local loops at prices that are below cost. |