Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier

Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier ( ILEC; German: Established operators of local networks ) is the common also in the German technical term in the regulation of telecommunications for established at the opening of the market on a market telecommunications companies, the switches for local area networks (Local Exchange) operate. New competitors in the local network are referred to as Competitive Local Exchange Carrier ( CLEC ).

In the U.S. there is a lovely historical separation in Local Exchange Carriers (LECs, and in Germany telecommunications operators, TNB ) and IXCs ( interexchange carriers, operator of a wide area network for communication between local networks, in Germany network operator, DNO ). There are the incumbents mentioned established network operators and newly established competitors both areas. All incumbent network operators are a generalization of the situation in the local networks in the U.S. occasionally, but not in accordance with the wording, " ILEC " called, even if they operate as usual in Europe, in addition to local networks and interconnection networks. The " incumbent " of telephony in Germany, for example, the German Telekom.

The ILECs have the monopoly on subscriber lines in their supply areas - the reason for both a former legal monopoly of state enterprises (see Europe) as well as a natural monopoly by private network operators (see USA) can be.

• Telecommunications
• Telephone network