DSL Advances

8.5. Unbundling and DLC-Fed Lines

Nearly one-third of subscriber lines in the United States were served from digital loop carrier remote terminals (DLC-RTs) or fiber-fed next generation DLC (NGDLC) in the year 2000. DLC and NGDLC shorten the copper telephone line by using fiber, T1, or HDSL to link a remote line multiplexer (the DLC-RT) to the CO, and then using individual copper telephone lines to connect each customer to the DLC-RT located within their neighborhood. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 required the unbundling of lines served from DLC-RTs, and it further required the unbundling of spare fibers connecting the CO to the remote sites. Using these facilities, a CLEC could place their own NGDLC-RT or remote DSLAM at the remote site ...