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| Call Routing |
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Local Access and Transport Area - LATAs Through the creation of the concept of LATAs (Local Access and Transport Areas) geographical areas were determined in which a Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) could provide local services. LATAs, however, were not determined by natural borders between states, but by population density and telephony volume, trying to give each company an equal opportunity of competing in the telecom market. Thus, calls made within a LATA are IntraLATA calls, considers local calls, and calls made from one LATA to another are InterLATA calls, considered long distance. Additionally, telephone companies that provided local services could not provide long distance services and vice-versa.LECs (Local Exchange Carriers) cannot provide long distance services. So, local telephone companies connect to IXCs (long distance carriers) whenever their users make long distance calls in order to transport the call to its destination. Additional LATA Information Calls that are made within LATAs (local calls) are regulated by The State Public Utility Commission (SPC), whilst long distance traffic is regulated by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). This interdependence between local and long distance companies establishes that a Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) bills calls made within the same LATA based on local rates, while the inter-exchange carrier (IXC) bills InterLATA traffic. The United States is currently divided into 200 LATAs. Some states may be divided into several LATAs due to population density, while some states may have only one LATA. As ids predictable, the largest LATA in the country is the New York City Metropolitan LATA. Calling Areas Each LATA is divided into a calling area that can be comprised of one or more communities serviced by one or more local telephone companies (LECs). In each LATA, the long distance carriers (IXCs) have a Point of Presence (POP), which is a building that interconnects with the different local telephone companies within that LATA. When a caller makes a long distance call, the local company that services that caller sends the call to the IXCs Point of Presence and the carrier will then use its own network to route the call to the destination LATA and drop the signal off at the local telephone company servicing that area.Call Routing IntraLATA Call: 1- The local exchange company (LEC) servicing a user receives the call signal in its central office (CO). 2- If the call is IntraLATA, that is, a local call, the LEC can use its own facilities and network to send the call signal to its destination. InterLATA Call: 1- The local exchange company (LEC) servicing a user receives the call signal in its central office (CO). 2- If the call is InterLATA, that is, a long distance call, the LEC must connect to the IXCs (Long Distance Carrier) Point of Presence (POP) within that LATA. 3- The IXC then routes the call through its network to the destination LATA where it is delivered to the destination LEC serving the user who is being called. |
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The World of Communications
Copyright (C) 2006. All right reserved.