etropolitan areas under the UNE pricing. The FCC spelled out a limited num- ber of conditions under which eliminating these pricing rules impairs competition. In another blow to competitors, the courts ruled that incumbent telephone compa- nies are not obligated to share fiber facilities built within 500 feet of customers with competitors. As a result, where fiber replaces copper or is within 500 feet of customers, local loops might not be available to competitors. Analog local loops have not been impacted by FCC rulings. However, as RBOCs build out fiber closer to customers, the number of analog loops has decreased. In major cities, there are fiber connections to most midsize and large organizations. Fiber is often additionally connected to suburban office buildings and business parks. Larger providers, such as Level 3, which provides retail service to commercial organizations, lay their own fiber to the business customers that they serve. Regulatory Issues The Impact of Higher Leasing Rates on Competitors As a result of these court decisions, costs for carriers that don't have their own local central office switches, fiber networks, and local lines increased dramatically. Thus, many of the incumbent telephone companies' competitors decreased the range of their offerings or ceased operations entirely. Ultimately, regional competitors such as Paetec (now part of Windstream) in the Northeast were purchased by or purchased competi- tors with services in other parts of the country. They also purchased rivals in their own territory to consolidate their coverage within their footprint. Before it was acquired by Windstream, Paetec purchased. US LEC in the South McLeodUSA, which had service in the Midwest, Texas, and the Northwest Cavalier Telephone Corporation in the East These consolidations lowered overall administrative costs, enhanced purchasing power, and enabled competitors to increase the scope of their offerings to business customers with branch offices. The Impact of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 The Tele