In telecommunications, a
shared loop refers to a loop, or
subscriber line, that is shared by a competitive local exchange carrier (
CLEC) and an incumbent local exchange carrier (
ILEC), providing both
DSL and voice service over the same line. In late 1999, the FCC passed the Advance Services Third Report and Order, allowing CLECs to gain access to the high-frequency portion of the local loop from incumbent providers. Prior to the ruling, ILECs were dismissing the notion that their lines could support both DSL and voice technology. However, it has been proven that the two technologies can coexist on the copper cables that the ILECs use.
