local exchange carrier

local telephone company, company which provides local telephone service in a particular geographical area, LEC (Telecommunications)

Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) is a regulatory term in telecommunications for the local telephone company. In the United States, wireline telephone companies are divided into two large categories: long distance (interexchange carrier, or IXCs) and local (local exchange carrier, or LECs). This structure is a result of 1984 divestiture of then regulated monopoly carrier AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph). Local telephone companies at the time of the divestiture are also known as Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILEC).
See more at Wikipedia.org...

A local telephone company, i.e. , a communications common carrier that provides ordinary local voice-grade telecommunications service under regulation within a specified service area.

<communications> (LEC) A company allowed to handle local calls following the break-up of the Bell system in the US by anti-trust regulators. These vary from Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOC) through to small independents such as Farmers Cooperative.
Local exchange carriers are not allowed to handle long-distance traffic. This is handled by inter-exchange carriers (IXC) who are not allowed to handle local calls.
(2002-08-28)