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What is a CLEC?
An CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) is a company which provides local telephone service -- other than the incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (LEC).
Much like a LEC, a CLEC will provide telephone service within a LATA.
To handle InterLATA long-distance calls, the CLEC will connect to an IXC (IntereXchange Carrier).
Most CLEC's will use the local loop (UNE-L) belonging to the incumbent Local Exchange Carrier.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 forced the incumbent LEC's to lease access to their local loop (UNE-L) to CLEC's at wholesale prices. Between 1996 and 2004, the FCC also required LEC's to lease other network elements (UNE-P) to the CLEC's.
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