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Local access and transport area (LATA) is a term used in U.S. telecommunications regulation. It represents a geographical area of the United States under the terms of "the Modification of Final Judgment (MFJ) entered by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in Civil Action number 82-0192 or any other geographic area designated as a LATA in the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. Tariff FCC No. 4."

Generally, a geographical area as defined by the preceding sentence represents an area within which a divested Regional Bell operating company (RBOC) is permitted to offer exchange telecommunications and exchange access services.

Note: Under the terms of the MFJ, the RBOCs are generally prohibited from providing services that originate in one LATA and terminate in another.

Source: from Federal Standard 1037C

LATA boundaries tend to be drawn around markets, and not necessarily along existing state, province, or even area code borders. Some LATAs cross over state boundaries, such as those for Chicago, Illinois, Portland, Oregon, and areas between Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Area codes and LATAs do not necessarily share boundaries; many LATAs exist in multiple area codes, and many area codes exist in multiple LATAs.

Originally, the LATAs were grouped into regions within which one particular RBOC was allowed to provide services. The LATAs in each of these regions are numbered beginning with the same digit. Generally the LATAs were associated with carriers or other indications in the following manner:

DigitArea/UseRBOC
0xxunused
1xxNew York & New EnglandNYNEX (now Verizon)
2xxMid-AtlanticBell Atlantic (now Verizon)
3xxGreat LakesAmeritech (now AT&T)
4xxSoutheastBellSouth (to be acquired by AT&T)
5xxSouth-centralSouthwestern Bell (now AT&T)
6xxNorthwest, Midwest, and Rocky MountainsUS West (now Qwest)
7xxCalifornia and NevadaPacific Bell (now AT&T)
8xxNon-contiguous and international areas
9xxExpansion

Since this time, however, some amount of deregulation, as well as a number of phone company mergers, have blurred the significance of these regions. A number of new LATAs have been formed within these regions since their inception, most beginning with the digit 9.

LATAs contribute to an often confusing aspect of long distance telephone service. Due to the various and overlapping regulatory limitations and inter-business arrangements, phone companies typically provide differing types of "long distance" service, each with potentially different rates:

  • within same LATA, within same state
  • within same LATA, between different states
  • between different LATAs, within same state
  • between different LATAs, between different states
Due to the general lack of understanding of the mechanics involved, many long distance companies do not explain the details of these different rates, which can lead to billing questions from surprised customers.

In order to facilitate the sharing of Telcordia telephone routing databases between countries, LATAs were later defined for the provinces of Canada, the other countries and territories of the North American Numbering Plan, and Mexico. Aside from U.S. territories, LATAs have no regulatory purpose in these areas. In 2000, the Canadian CRTC agency eliminated all Canadian provincial LATAs in favor of a single LATA for Canada (888).

List of LATAs

U.S. state LATAs

The city or place name given with some LATAs is the name given to identify the LATA, not the limit of its boundary. Generally this is the most significant metropolitan area in the LATA. Also, listing under a state does not necessarily limit the LATA's territory to that state; there may be overlaps as well as enclaves. Areas that include notable portions of other states are explained, but not all LATA state overlaps may be detailed.

LATA boundaries are not always solidly defined. Inter-carrier agreements, change proposals to the FCC, and new wiring developments into rural areas can and do often alter the effective borders between LATAs. Many sources on LATA boundary information conflict with each other at detailed levels. Telcordia data may provide the most up-to-date details of LATA inclusions.

Alabama

Alaska
  • 832

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut
  • 920

Delaware

Washington, DC

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii
  • 834

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine
  • 120

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico
  • 664

New York

North Carolina

Cities/Towns served in North Carolina include:

Albemarle, Alton, Ansonville, Badin, Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, Belmont, Bessemer City, Bethlehem, Blowing Rock, Boone, Broadband Caroleen, Catawba, Charlotte, Cherryville, China Grove, Claremont, Cleveland, Concord, Cooleemee, Crouse, Davidson, Denver, Ellenboro, Forest City, Gastonia, Goose Creek, Granite Falls, Grover, Granite Quarry, Harmony, Harrisburg, Hemby Bridge, Hickory, Hildebran Hudson, Huntersville, Ijames, Indian Trail, Kannapolis, Kings Mountain, Lattimore, Lawndale, Lenoir, Lilesville, Lincolnton, Locust, Lowell, Maiden, Marshville, Mathews, Midland, Mocksville, Monroe, Mooresville, Morganton, Morven, Mountain Holly, Mountain View, Mount Pleasant, New Hope, New London, New Salem, Newland, Newton, Norwood, Oakboro, Peachland/Polkton, Pineville, Rutherfordton, Salisbury, South Crowders Creek, Shelby, Sherrills Ford, Spruce Pine, Stanley, Statesville, Stonypoint, Sugar Grove, Taylorsville, Troutman, Union Grove, Valdese, Wadesboro, Watauga, Waxhaw, and Wingate,

Cities/Towns served in South Carolina include:

Antioch, Broadband, Clover, Fort Lawn, Fort Mill, Heath Spring, Hickory Grove, Kershaw, Lake Wylie, Lancaster, Lake Wylie West, Mill Creek, Rock Hill, Sharon, and York.

Cities/Towns served in North Carolina include:

Advance, Anderson, Asheboro, Badin Lake, Baldwin, Beulah, Biscoe, Boomer, Boonville, Broadband, Brooks, Burlington, Candor, Champion, Churchland, Clingman, Courtney, Creston, Danbury, Denton, Dobson, East Bend, Eden, Elkin, Farmer, Forbush, Gibsonville, Glade Creek, Greensboro, Hays, High Point, Hillsdale, Jackson Creek, Julian, Kernersville, Kimesville, King, Lansing, Levelcross, Lewisville, Lexington, Liberty, Lomax, Madison, Mebane, Monticello, Mount Airy, Mount Gilead, Mulberry, Nathan's Creek, North Wilkesboro, Old Town, Pilot Mountain, Pisgah, Prospect Hill, Quaker Gap, Ramseur, Randleman, Red Bush, Reeds, Reidsville, Roxboro, Ruffin, Rural Hall, Sandy Ridge, Saxapahaw, Scottville, Seagrove, Shoals, Southmont, Sparta, Stanleyville, State Road, Stoneville, Summerfield, Thomasville, Timberlake, Troy, Walkertown, Walnut Cove, Welcome, West End, Westfield, Winston-Salem, West Jefferson, Yadkinville, Yanceyville, and Zephyr.

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island
  • 130 Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota
  • 640

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin
  • 350 Northeast Wisconsin
  • 352 Northwest Wisconsin
  • 354 Southwest Wisconsin
  • 356 Southeast Wisconsin

Wyoming
  • 654

U.S. territory LATAs

Non-U.S. LATAs (non-regulatory)

Notes

External links

telephony

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Local access and transport area".

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