Local Exchange Carrier. This is a public telecommunications company that provides local telephone service and access lines to customers within a specific geographic area. In the United States, the term was formalized after the breakup of the Bell System to distinguish local providers from long-distance carriers. They own the central offices and the physical wiring that runs to homes and businesses.
We need to submit a ticket to the LEC to get this copper pair tested from the central office to the demarc.
Related terms
ILEC
The established regional telephone company that owned the original copper wire monopoly before market deregulation.
CLEC
A competitive local exchange carrier is a telecom provider competing with the established regional telephone company.
Local loop
The physical wiring connecting a customer premises to the nearest telephone exchange.
Telephone exchange
A central system of switches that routes calls between subscribers.