What is a clec?

A CLEC, or Competitive Local Exchange Carrier, is a telecommunications company that competes with established local telephone providers, known as Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs). CLECs were created to promote competition in the local telephone service market following the Telecommunications Act of 1996. They typically lease infrastructure from ILECs or build their own networks to offer services such as local and long-distance phone calls, internet access, and data services to businesses and residential customers.