Section 10. Definitions

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Competitive local exchange carrier" ("CLEC") means an entity other than a locality certificated to provide local exchange telecommunications services in Virginia after January 1, 1996, pursuant to § 56-265.4:4 of the Code of Virginia. An incumbent local exchange carrier shall be considered a CLEC in any territory that is outside the territory it was certificated to serve as of December 31, 1995, for which it obtains a certificate to provide local exchange telecommunications services on or after January 1, 1996.

"Incumbent local exchange carrier" or "incumbent" ("ILEC") means a public service company providing local exchange telecommunications services in Virginia on December 31, 1995, pursuant to a certificate of public convenience and necessity, or the successors to any such company.

"Interconnection" means the point of interface between local exchange carriers' networks. Interconnection can be achieved at different points of the network.

"Interim number portability" means the service provided in lieu of true number portability. Interim solutions available from the ILEC, which include remote call forwarding and direct inward dialing, enable customers to change providers without the appearance of changing telephone numbers but rely on the incumbent's network to process some or all calls.

"Local exchange carrier" ("LEC") means a certificated provider of local exchange telecommunications services, whether an incumbent or new entrant.

"Local exchange telecommunications services" means local exchange telephone service as defined by § 56-1 of the Code of Virginia.

"Locality" means a city, town, or county that operates an electric distribution system in Virginia.

"Municipal local exchange carrier" ("MLEC") means a locality certificated to provide local exchange telecommunications services pursuant to § 56-265.4:4 of the Code of Virginia.

"Mutual exchange of traffic" means the reciprocal arrangement by which local exchange carriers terminate the local calls of other local exchange carriers' customers on their networks.

"New entrant" means a CLEC or an MLEC.

"Porting" means the act of moving an individual customer's telephone number from one local exchange carrier to another carrier.

"Terminating compensation" means the payment or other exchange mechanism used by a local exchange carrier for terminating the local exchange traffic of another local exchange carrier.

"True number portability" means the technical capability of a CLEC to allow customers to retain their telephone number when they change providers (without a change in location) without reliance on calls being routed through the end office where the original NXX is assigned.

"Unbundling" means the process by which a local exchange telephone carrier's network is disaggregated into functional components.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 19, Issue 17, eff. April 10, 2003.

Statutory Authority

§§ 12.1-13 and 56-265.4:4 of the Code of Virginia.