Local telephone service
Encyclopedia
Local telephone service is the provision of telecommunications network
s and services within a limited geographic region.
Traditionally, local telephone service was provided by small companies based in given cities and towns as opposed to larger, national or international
companies. Telephone call
s outside of the local area provided for by these companies were patched through long distance networks that were, until de-regulation, operation mainly by AT&T
. Some providers of local services were regional Bell operating companies, but not all local telephone companies were a regional Bell operating company
or tied to one at the local level, especially after de-regulation of 1996. After de-regulation, these regional Bell operating companies continued providing the same technical services despite being under a different type of corporate structure.
Many communities in the United States
had local telephone companies
and in rural areas, up until around the early 1980s (perhaps later in some cases) party lines
were commonplace. The local telephone company was responsible for providing equipment and services to their customers in most cases although over time, as technology changed, so did the nature of the technical services thus provided.
At one time telephones were leased from the local phone company rather than sold outright to customers. Many customers had rotary telephones that were leased prior to the 1980s. Customers in some instances ended up paying tenfold the value of their phones as they leased them for decades—though the lease system was not set up to encourage this situation. Local telephone companies also provided PBX (Private Branch Exchange) services for local businesses that needed these switchboard and internal telecommunications services. Local telephone companies more recently become involved in providing Internet
by DSL and dial-up services.
Local telephone wires
terminate at the central office (telephone exchange
), a structure containing the hardware needed to switch calls among local lines
and long distance networks. Thus, when a call was placed by a customer outside the local calling area, the central office would switch the call to the respective long distance network. As technlogy advanced, central offices offered more services and their technical abilities improved. Services such as Caller ID
, call return call-waiting
, three-way calling, and voice-mail
were first offered via central office-based technology although later PBXs also provided them. The role of the local phone company includes serving a given community and interfacing with the large long distance carriers. Prior to the advent of cell phones, most phone calls were made via landline
s and local companies were thereby involved in some capacity in this communication. Deregulation
and especially cell phones have reduced the need for local telephone services while Digital subscriber line
Internet service and other serivices give local companies new roles in the telecommunications industry.
Telecommunications network
A telecommunications network is a collection of terminals, links and nodes which connect together to enable telecommunication between users of the terminals. Networks may use circuit switching or message switching. Each terminal in the network must have a unique address so messages or connections...
s and services within a limited geographic region.
Traditionally, local telephone service was provided by small companies based in given cities and towns as opposed to larger, national or international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
companies. Telephone call
Telephone call
A telephone call is a connection over a telephone network between the calling party and the called party.-Information transmission:A telephone call may carry ordinary voice transmission using a telephone, data transmission when the calling party and called party are using modems, or facsimile...
s outside of the local area provided for by these companies were patched through long distance networks that were, until de-regulation, operation mainly by AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
. Some providers of local services were regional Bell operating companies, but not all local telephone companies were a regional Bell operating company
Regional Bell Operating Company
The Regional Bell Operating Companies are the result of United States v. AT&T, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against the former American Telephone & Telegraph Company . On January 8, 1982, AT&T Corp. settled the suit and agreed to divest its local exchange service operating...
or tied to one at the local level, especially after de-regulation of 1996. After de-regulation, these regional Bell operating companies continued providing the same technical services despite being under a different type of corporate structure.
Many communities in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had local telephone companies
Independent telephone company
An Independent telephone company in the United States was a telephone company providing local service that was not part of the Bell System group of companies, "Ma Bell", before the 1984 Bell System divestiture or breakup of the Bell system...
and in rural areas, up until around the early 1980s (perhaps later in some cases) party lines
Party line (telephony)
In twentieth-century telephone systems, a party line is an arrangement in which two or more customers are connected directly to the same local loop. Prior to World War II in the United States, party lines were the primary way residential subscribers acquired local telephone service...
were commonplace. The local telephone company was responsible for providing equipment and services to their customers in most cases although over time, as technology changed, so did the nature of the technical services thus provided.
At one time telephones were leased from the local phone company rather than sold outright to customers. Many customers had rotary telephones that were leased prior to the 1980s. Customers in some instances ended up paying tenfold the value of their phones as they leased them for decades—though the lease system was not set up to encourage this situation. Local telephone companies also provided PBX (Private Branch Exchange) services for local businesses that needed these switchboard and internal telecommunications services. Local telephone companies more recently become involved in providing Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
by DSL and dial-up services.
Local telephone wires
Local loop
In telephony, the local loop is the physical link or circuit that connects from the demarcation point of the customer premises to the edge of the carrier or telecommunications service provider's network...
terminate at the central office (telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
), a structure containing the hardware needed to switch calls among local lines
Telephone line
A telephone line or telephone circuit is a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system...
and long distance networks. Thus, when a call was placed by a customer outside the local calling area, the central office would switch the call to the respective long distance network. As technlogy advanced, central offices offered more services and their technical abilities improved. Services such as Caller ID
Caller ID
Caller ID , also called calling line identification or calling number identification or Calling Line Identification Presentation , is a telephone service, available in analog and digital phone systems and most Voice over Internet Protocol applications, that transmits a caller's number to...
, call return call-waiting
Call waiting
Call waiting , in telephony, is a feature on some telephone networks. If a calling party places a call to a called party which is otherwise engaged, and the called party has the call waiting feature enabled, the called party is able to suspend the current telephone call and switch to the new...
, three-way calling, and voice-mail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
were first offered via central office-based technology although later PBXs also provided them. The role of the local phone company includes serving a given community and interfacing with the large long distance carriers. Prior to the advent of cell phones, most phone calls were made via landline
Landline
A landline was originally an overland telegraph wire, as opposed to an undersea cable. Currently, landline refers to a telephone line which travels through a solid medium, either metal wire or optical fibre, as distinguished from a mobile cellular line, where transmission is via radio waves...
s and local companies were thereby involved in some capacity in this communication. Deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
and especially cell phones have reduced the need for local telephone services while Digital subscriber line
Digital Subscriber Line
Digital subscriber line is a family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network. DSL originally stood for digital subscriber loop. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line ,...
Internet service and other serivices give local companies new roles in the telecommunications industry.
See also
- Access networkAccess networkAn access network is that part of a telecommunications network which connects subscribers to their immediate service provider. It is contrasted with the core network, which connects local providers to each other...
- TelephoneTelephoneThe telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
- Telephone exchangeTelephone exchangeIn the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
- Regional Bell operating companyRegional Bell Operating CompanyThe Regional Bell Operating Companies are the result of United States v. AT&T, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against the former American Telephone & Telegraph Company . On January 8, 1982, AT&T Corp. settled the suit and agreed to divest its local exchange service operating...
- Local access and transport areaLocal access and transport areaLocal access and transport area is a term used in U.S. telecommunications regulation. It represents a geographical area of the United States under the terms of the that precipitated the breakup of the original AT&T into the "Baby Bells" or created since that time for wireline...