BOC The local (or regional) telephone company that owns and operates lines to customer locations and Class 5 Central Office Switches. BOCs have connections to other COs, Tandem ( Class 4 Toll) offices and may connect directly to IECs like LDDS WorldCom, AT&T, MCI, Sprint, etc. BOC may refer to the nineteen Bell Operating Companies that are owned by the seven RHCs (Regional Holding Companies) (not including Cincinnati Bell or Southern New England Telephone). The BOC role was originally defined by the 1982 Modified Final Judgement that specified the terms of the AT&T Divestiture). For Example, the three BOCs: Mountain Bell, Northwestern Bell and Pacific Northwest Bell are owned by the U.S. West RHC. Each BOC may service more than one LATA, but BOCs are generally constrained from providing long distance service between LATAs.

The local, or regional, telephone company that owns and operates lines to customer locations and central office switches. BOCs have connections to other companies, tandem (class 4 toll) offices, and may connect directly to interexchange carriers like MCI WorldCom, AT&T, and Sprint.

One of the 22 local Bell telephone companies owned by AT&T before 1984.

Any one of the 22 operating companies created by a court-ordered AT&T divestiture. Back

One of the 22 local exchange telephone companies that prior to the Jan. 1, 1984 breakup of the Bell System comprised the arm of AT&T providing local telephone services. BOCs provide about 80% of the nation's local exchange telephone subscribers with service.

There are 22 of these local telephone companies providing local services to over 80 percent of the U.S. They are owned and operated by one of seven Regional Bell Holding Companies (RHCs), which were formed by the divestiture of AT&T.

a local telephone company formerly owned by AT&T.

See BOC.

One of the telephone companies that used to be a part of AT&T before its divestiture.