DSL Advances

8.3. Unbundling

In the United States, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 required ILECs to lease unbundled network elements (UNEs) to certified CLECs. The UNEs include:

• Lines from the CO to the customer

• Lines from accessible remote network sites to the customer (subloops)

• Spare fiber facilities (sometimes called “dark fiber”)

• Inside wire owed by ILEC

• Interoffice transmission facilities (trunks), including shared transport

• Floor space within the CO where a CLEC may place transmission, switching, and other types of equipment provided it meets the safety, fire, and heat dissipation requirements known as NEBS (Network Equipment Building Standard)

• Telephone numbers, including number portability database

• Network interface device (NID) demarcation point at ...