Sec. 53.3  Terms and definitions.

    Terms used in this part have the following meanings:
     Act. The Act means the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Affiliate. An affiliate is a person that (directly or indirectly) 
owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common 
ownership or control with, another person. For purposes of this part, 
the term ``own'' means to own an equity interest (or the equivalent 
thereof) of more than 10 percent.
    AT&T Consent Decree. The AT&T Consent Decree is the order entered 
August 24, 1982, in the antitrust action styled United States v. Western 
Electric, Civil Action No. 82-0192, in the United States District Court 
for the District of Columbia, and any judgment or order with respect to 
such action entered on or after August 24, 1982.
    Bell Operating Company (BOC). The term Bell operating company
    (1) Means any of the following companies: Bell Telephone Company of 
Nevada, Illinois Bell Telephone Company, Indiana Bell Telephone Company, 
Incorporated, Michigan Bell Telephone Company, New England Telephone and 
Telegraph Company, New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, New York Telephone 
Company, U S West Communications Company, South Central Bell Telephone 
Company, Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, Southwestern 
Bell Telephone Company, The Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, The 
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, The Chesapeake and Potomac 
Telephone Company of Maryland, The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone 
Company of Virginia, The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of 
West Virginia, The Diamond State Telephone Company, The Ohio Bell 
Telephone Company, The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, or 
Wisconsin Telephone Company; and
    (2) Includes any successor or assign of any such company that 
provides wireline telephone exchange service; but
    (3) Does not include an affiliate of any such company, other than an 
affiliate described in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this definition.

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    In-Region InterLATA service. In-region interLATA service is 
interLATA service that originates in any of a BOC's in-region states, 
which are the states in which the BOC or any of its affiliates was 
authorized to provide wireline telephone exchange service pursuant to 
the reorganization plan approved under the AT&T Consent Decree, as in 
effect on February 7, 1996. For the purposes of this part, 800 service, 
private line service, or equivalent services that terminate in a BOC's 
in-region state and allow the called party to determine the interLATA 
carrier are considered to be in-region interLATA service.
    InterLATA Information Service. An interLATA information service is 
an information service that incorporates as a necessary, bundled element 
an interLATA telecommunications transmission component, provided to the 
customer for a single charge.
    InterLATA Service. An interLATA service is a service that involves 
telecommunications between a point located in a LATA and a point located 
outside such area. The term ``interLATA service'' includes both 
interLATA telecommunications services and interLATA information 
services.
    Local Access and Transport Area (LATA). A LATA is a contiguous 
geographic area:
    (1) Established before February 8, 1996 by a BOC such that no 
exchange area includes points within more than one metropolitan 
statistical area, consolidated metropolitan statistical area, or state, 
except as expressly permitted under the AT&T Consent Decree; or
    (2) Established or modified by a BOC after February 8, 1996 and 
approved by the Commission.
    Local Exchange Carrier (LEC). A LEC is any person that is engaged in 
the provision of telephone exchange service or exchange access. Such 
term does not include a person insofar as such person is engaged in the 
provision of commercial mobile service under section 332(c) of the Act, 
except to the extent that the Commission finds that such service should 
be included in the definition of such term.
    Out-of-Region InterLATA service. Out-of-region interLATA service is 
interLATA service that originates outside a BOC's in-region states.
    Section 272 affiliate. A section 272 affiliate is a BOC affiliate 
that complies with the separate affiliate requirements of section 272(b) 
of the Act and the regulations contained in this part.

     Subpart B--Bell Operating Company Entry Into InterLATA Services