§  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.

   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

Subpart C--Separate Affiliate; Safeguards