exchange

1. A room or building equipped so that telephone lines terminating there may be interconnected as required. Note: The equipment may include manual or automatic switching equipment.
2. In the telephone industry, a geographic area (such as a city and its environs) established by a regulated telephone company for the provision of local telephone services.
3. In the Modification of Final Judgment (MFJ) a local access and transport area (LATA).
4. A geographic area tariffed by a state utilities commission and served by an incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (LEC). A LEC’s franchise territory is comprised of multiple Exchanges and the Basic Local Calling Areas are defined by Exchanges. The Exchanges are generally in the state General Subscriber Services Tariff, Section A
3. The term “Exchange” denotes a geographic area generally smaller than a Local Access Transport Area (LATA) and usually embraces a city, town or village and its environs. Subscribers in a given Exchange area may be served by one or more central offices together with the associated facilities or subscribers in an Exchange area may be served by a central office located in an adjacent Exchange area. (A LATA is usually comprised of multiple Exchanges. )