ce operation, customer service operation, service monitor- ing operations, and many more operations that fall under the service and business management scope of an OSS. 19.2 Service Providers The communication service provider that uses the OSS can be: 1. Local exchange carrier (LEC): The LEC is the term used for a service pro- vider company that provides services to a local calling area. There are two types of LECs, the ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that forced the ILECs to offer the use of the local loop or last mile in order to facilitate competition. So CLECs attempted to compete with preexisting LECs or ILEC by using their own switches and networks. The CLECs either resell ILEC services or use their own facilities to offer value-added services. 2. Internet service provider (ISP): As the name suggests, these service providers offer varying levels of internet connectivity to the end user. An ISP can either have its own backbone connection to the Internet or it can be a reseller offer- ing services bought from a service provider that has high bandwidth access to the Internet. What Is OSS and BSS? 3. Managed service provider (MSP): A managed service provider deals with delivery and management of network-based services, applications, and equip- ment. These service providers can be hosting companies or access providers that offer services like IP telephony, network management, managed fire- walls, and messaging service. 4. Long distance reseller: This is a service provider company that purchases long-distance telephone service in bulk at a reduced price and then resells the long-distance service as blocks to consumers. The long distance reseller benefits from the bulk purchase and the consumers also can get the service from a long distance reseller at a price lower than what is normally required. 5. Interexchange carrier (IXC): An interexchange carrier offers long distance services. These carriers complete