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Local access and transport area (LATA) is a term used in U.S. telecommunications regulation. Under the terms of the Modification of Final Judgment (MFJ), a geographical 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:
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
- 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.
- California
- 722 San Francisco, California
- 724 Chico, California
- 726 Sacramento, California
- 728 Fresno, California
- 730 Los Angeles, California
- 732 San Diego, California
- 734 Bakersfield, California
- 736 Monterey, California
- 738 Stockton, California
- 740 San Luis Obispo, California
- 973 Palm Springs, California
- Illinois
- 358 Chicago, Illinois
- 360 Rockford, Illinois
- 362 Cairo, Illinois
- 364 Sterling, Illinois
- 366 Forrest, Illinois
- 368 Peoria, Illinois
- 370 Champaign, Illinois
- 374 Springfield, Illinois
- 376 Quincy, Illinois
- 976 Mattoon, Illinois
- 977 Macomb, Illinois
- 978 Olney, Illinois
- Massachusetts
- 126 Western Massachusetts
- 128 Eastern Massachusetts
- Texas
- 540 El Paso, Texas
- 542 Midland, Texas
- 544 Lubbock, Texas
- 546 Amarillo, Texas
- 548 Wichita Falls, Texas
- 550 Abilene, Texas
- 552 Dallas, Texas
- 554 Longview, Texas
- 556 Waco, Texas
- 558 Austin, Texas
- 560 Houston, Texas
- 562 Beaumont, Texas
- 564 Corpus Christi, Texas
- 566 San Antonio, Texas
- 568 Brownsville, Texas
- 570 Hearne, Texas
- 961 San Angelo, Texas
- Wisconsin
- 350 Northeast Wisconsin
- 352 Northwest Wisconsin
- 354 Southwest Wisconsin
- 356 Southeast Wisconsin
U.S. territory LATAs
Non-U.S. LATAs (non-regulatory) Notes - Includes all of Delaware as well as the metro area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Half of LATA 636 occupies eastern North Dakota, the other half takes up the northwest quarter of Minnesota.
- As of 2000, all of Canada uses LATA 888.
- American Samoa entered the NANP in October 2004 and presumably was allocated a LATA by that time. Telcordia LERG data suggests that American Samoa uses LATA 884.
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