Glossary

Access charges - The fees paid by long distance providers to ILECs or CLECs for originating and terminating long distance calls on their local networks.

ATM - Asynchronous transfer mode. A switching and transmission technology based on encapsulation of information into short (53 byte) fixed length ''packets'' or ''cells'' that relays traffic by way of an address contained within the first five bytes of the packet. ATM was specifically developed to permit the switching and transmission of mixed voice, data and video at varying rates. ATM can be used by many different information systems, including LANs.

Bill and keep - The traffic termination mechanism adopted by the CRTC in the LC Decisions, whereby CLECs and ILECs are required to terminate each others' local traffic but do not specifically compensate each other for the termination function performed unless there is a traffic imbalance for a significant period of time.

Broadband - Broadband communications systems can transmit large quantities of voice, data and video by way of digital or analog signals.

CAP - A competitive access provider provides its customers with an alternative to the ILEC for local dedicated access, private line and data transmission services.

Carrier - A facilities-based provider of telecommunications services.

CCS7 - Common Channel Signaling System 7. A North American standardized protocol for passing routing information between switch sites.

Central offices - The switching centers or central switching facilities of LECs.

Centrex - Centrex is a service that offers features similar to those of a PBX, except the equipment is located at the carrier's premises and not at the premises of the customer. These features include direct dialing within a given phone system, direct dialing of incoming calls and automatic identification of outbound calls. This is a value-added service that carriers can provide to a wide range of customers who do not have the size or the funds to support, or do not wish to maintain, their own on-site PBX.

CISC - The CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee, a committee of telecommunications services industry participants chaired by the CRTC that is charged with determining POIs and interconnection arrangements among LECs and recommending roll-out criteria for the implementation of LNP, among other issues.

CLEC - A LEC which provides local switched services, such as local dial tone and Centrex, in competition with the ILECs.

CMA - A census metropolitan area.

Co-carrier status - A relationship between a CLEC and an ILEC that affords each entity the same access to and right on the other's network providing access and services on an equal basis.

Co-location - The ability of a CLEC to connect its network to the ILEC's central offices. Physical co-location occurs when a CLEC places its network connection equipment inside the ILEC's central offices. Virtual co-location is an alternative to physical co-location pursuant to which the ILEC permits a CLEC to connect its network to the ILEC's central offices on comparable terms, even though the CLEC's network connection equipment is not physically located inside the ILEC's central offices.

CRTC - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, an agency of the Government of Canada responsible for the regulation of rates and interconnection agreements under the Telecommunications Act (Canada).

Dedicated access services - A service which bypasses the ILEC local network to connect end-user customers to long distance voice and data networks.

Digital - A method of storing, processing and transmitting information through the use of distinct electronic or optical pulses that represent the binary code digits 0 and 1. Digital transmission and switching technologies employ a sequence of these pulses to represent information as opposed to the continuously variable analog signal. Digital transmission and switching technologies offer a significant improvement in speed and capacity over analog techniques, allowing much more efficient and cost-effective transmission of voice, video and data.

Dominant carrier - A carrier found by the CRTC to have the power to control prices for its services.

DS-0, DS-1, DS-3, OC-3 OC-12 - Standard telecommunications industry signal formats, which are distinguishable by bit rate (the number of binary digits (0 and 1) transmitted per second). DS-0, DS-1, DS-3, OC-3 and OC-12 service have bit rates of 64 Kbps, 1.5 Mbps, 45 Mbps, 155 Mbps and 622 Mbps, respectively.

Equal access - The ability for customers to have 1+ and 0+ service no matter which long distance provider they choose.

Extended area service - A geographic area encompassing more than one local exchange area in which local calls generally are transmitted without toll charges to the calling or called party.

FCC - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

Fiber miles - The number of route miles installed (excluding pending installations) along a telecommunications path multiplied by the number of fibers along the path. See the definition of ''route miles'' below.

Fiber optics - Fiber optic technology involves sending laser light pulses across glass strands in order to transmit digital information. Fiber optic cable is the medium of choice for the telecommunications and cable industries.

Fiber optic ring - A fiber optic network built in a ring configuration in order to ensure that, if one segment of a network is damaged or cut, the traffic is simply re-routed and sent to its destination in the opposite direction. MetroNet uses a ''self-healing'' optical fiber ring architecture known as SONET.

Frame relay - Frame relay is a high speed data packet switching service used to transmit data between computers. Frame relay supports data units of variable lengths at access speeds ranging from 56 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps. This service is ideal for connecting LANS, but is not appropriate for voice and video applications due to the variable delays which can occur. Frame relay was designed to operate at higher speeds on modern fiber optic networks.

Hubs - Collection centers located centrally in an area where telecommunications traffic can be aggregated at a central point for transport and distribution.

ILEC - Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier. A Stentor company providing local switched services.

Incumbent Independent LECs - Non-Stentor local exchange carriers providing local switched services primarily in smaller population centers and rural and remote areas of Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

Industry Canada - The federal government ministry responsible for administering the Radiocommunication Act…

ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network. A complex networking concept designed to provide a variety of voice, data and digital interface standards. ISDN incorporates many new enhanced services, such as high speed data file transfer, desk top video conferencing, telepublishing, telecommunications, telepresence learning (distance learning), remote collaboration (screen sharing), data network linking and home information services.

ISP - Internet service provider.

Kbps - Kilobits per second.

Kilobit - One thousand bits of information. The information-carrying capacity (i.e., bandwidth) of a circuit may be measured in ''kilobits per second''.

LANs - Local area networks. The interconnection of computers for the purpose of sharing files, programs and various devices such as work stations, printers and high-speed modems. LANs may include dedicated computers or file servers that provide a centralized source of shared files and programs.

LC Decisions - The following decisions and order of the CRTC issued on May 1, 1997 opening Canada's local switched services market to competition: (i) Local Competition, Telecom Decision CRTC 97-8; (ii) Price Cap Regulation and Related Issues, Telecom Decision, CRTC 97-9; and (iii) Responsibility for Carrier Specific Costs for the Provision of Local Number Portability, Telecom Order CRTC 97-591.

LEC - Local exchange carrier.

LMCS - Local multipoint communications system. A fixed wireless, two-way broad-band service operating in the 28 Ghz range of radio spectrum capable of delivering voice, data and video services. LMCS is the equivalent of local multipoint distribution systems in the United States.

LNP - Local number portability. The ability of a customer to change LECs while retaining the same telephone number.

Local exchange areas - A geographic area in which local calls generally are transmitted without toll charges to the calling or called party.

Long distance provider - A provider of long distance services, including the Stentor companies, AT&T LDS, Sprint and Fonorola.

Local switched services - A ''dialtone'' service providing switched connections from end-user customers to other end-user customers. Included in this category are individual residential and business telephone lines, Centrex, switched data lines and PBX trunks.

Mbps - Megabits per second.

Megabit - One million bits of information. The information-carrying capacity (i.e., bandwidth) of a circuit may be measured in ''megabits per second.''

Non-essential services - Non-essential facility function or service is an ILEC facility, formation or service for which there are alternative sources of supply or which CLECs can reasonably supply on their own.

Off-net - A customer that is not physically connected to one of the Company's networks but is accessed through interconnection with an ILEC's or other LEC's network.

On-net - A customer that is physically connected to one of the Company's networks.

PBX - Private Branch Exchange. A switching system within an office building which allows calls from outside to be routed directly to the individual instead of through a central number. A PBX also allows for calling within an office by way of four digit extensions. Centrex is a service which can simulate this service from an outside switching source, thereby eliminating the need for a large capital expenditure on a PBX.

PCS - Personal communications service. A type of wireless telephone system that uses light, inexpensive handheld sets and communicates via low power antennas.

POIs - Points of Interconnection. Locations where the networks of LECs interconnect.

POPs - Points of Presence. Locations where a carrier has installed transmission equipment in a service area that serves as, or relays calls to, a network switching center of the carrier, or locations in customer buildings where the Company has installed electronics and/or facilities.

Private line - Local private lines are dedicated circuits that have their starting and ending point in the same local area.

PVCs - Permanent Virtual Circuits. Software defined connections between chosen sites on an ATM or frame relay network.

Route miles - The number of miles of the telecommunications path in which Company-owned or leased fiber optic cables are installed.

SONET - Synchronous Optical Network. SONET is an electronics and network architecture which enables transmission of voice, data and video at very high speeds and has a self-healing feature not available on older linear networks in that a cut line or equipment failure can be overcome by rerouting calls within the network.

Stentor companies - The major regional Canadian telecommunications companies (BCTel, Telus Communications Inc., SaskTel, MTS NetCom Inc. (formerly Manitoba Telephone System), Bell Canada, Maritime Tel & Tel Limited, The Island Telephone Company Limited, The New Brunswick Telephone Company, Limited, and NewTel Communications Inc. (formerly Newfoundland Telephone Company Limited). Each company effectively represents a single province (with the exception of Bell Canada, which operates in Ontario and Quebec).

Switch - A sophisticated computer that accepts instructions from a caller in the form of a telephone number. Like an address on an envelope, the numbers tell the switch where to route the call. The switch opens or closes circuits or selects the paths or circuits to be used for transmission of information. Switching is a process of interconnecting circuits to form a transmission path between users. Switches allow local telecommunications service providers to connect calls directly to their destination, while providing advanced features and recording connection information for future billing.

Switched access to long distance services - The function provided by LECs when end-user customers are connected to long distance carriers on a ''demand'' basis (i.e., when a customer dials 1+). Such services are provided on an equal access basis. Switched access to long distance service in Canada is conceptually similar to ''switched access'' as defined in the United States, but in Canada the portion of the switched access charge that subsidizes below cost local residential services has been explicitly quantified and identified as ''contribution''.

Voice Grade Equivalent Circuit (VGE) - One DS-0. One voice grade equivalent circuit is equal to 64 Kbps of bandwidth.