Local loop: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:23, 19 June 2019

Revision as of 23:26, 25 June 2020

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{{unreferenced|date=February 2008}}

In [[telephony]], the '''local loop''' (also referred to as the '''local tail''', '''subscriber line''', or in the aggregate as the [[last mile]]) is the physical link or circuit that connects from the [[demarcation point]] of the [[Customer-premises equipment|customer premises]] to the edge of the [[common carrier]] or [[telecommunications service provider]]'s network.

At the edge of the carrier [[access network]] in a traditional public telephone network, the local loop terminates in a circuit switch housed in an incumbent [[local exchange carrier]] or [[telephone exchange]].

== Infrastructure ==

Traditionally, the local loop was an [[electrical circuit]] in the form of a single pair of conductors from the telephone on the customer's premises to the local [[telephone exchange]]. [[Single-wire earth return]] lines had been used in some countries until the introduction of electric tramways from the 1900s made them unusable.

Historically the first section was often an aerial open-wire line, with several conductors attached to porcelain insulators on cross-arms on "telegraph" poles. Hence [[party line (telephony)|party line]] service was often given to residential customers to minimise the number of local loops required. Usually all these circuits went into aerial or buried cables with a [[twisted pair]] for each local loop nearer the exchange, see [[outside plant]].

Modern implementations may include a [[digital loop carrier]] system segment or [[fiber optic]] transmission system. The local loop may terminate at a circuit switch owned by a [[competitive local exchange carrier]] and housed in a [[point of presence]] (POP), which typically is an incumbent local exchange carrier telephone exchange. A local loop supports voice and/or data communications applications in the following ways:

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*Electric power lines.

*Cable connections used with television, internet and telephone.

*Wireless signals or local loop (WLL): [[Local_Multipoint_Distribution_ServiceLocal Multipoint Distribution Service|LMDS]], [[WiMAX]], [[GPRS]], [[HSDPA]], [[DECT]]

*Satellite connections for beamed signal.

*Optical or fiber optics services such as [[FiOS]].

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{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Telecommunications infrastructure]]

[[Category:Local loop| ]]

[[Category:Telecommunications infrastructure]]