FCC Releases Local Telephone Competition Data

The Federal Communications Commission released new data on local telephone service competition in the United States. Twice a year, all incumbent local exchange carriers (incumbent LECs) and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) are required to report basic information about their local telephone service, and all facilities-based mobile telephony providers are required to provide information about their subscribers, pursuant to the FCC's local telephone competition and broadband data gathering program (FCC Form 477). 1) End-user customers obtained local telephone service by utilizing approximately 124.6 million incumbent LEC switched access lines, 30.0 million CLEC switched access lines, and 255.3 million mobile telephony service subscriptions at the end of June 2008. 2) Mobile telephony service providers reported 255.3 million subscribers at the end of June 2008, which is 17.0 million, or 7%, more than a year earlier. 3) There was at least one CLEC serving customers in 82% of the nation's Zip Codes at the end of June 2008.