Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLEC) Management Education and Training

Learn about the challenges that CLECs face

By Felicia R. Blue
As someone who runs a telecommunications business, one of your tasks is to keep up on competitive local phone carriers. You’re aware that they face challenges, such as complying with FCC rules and competing against big giants such as AT&T or cable companies such as Comcast.

The telecommunications industry is constantly changing, particularly making the transition from analog to digital technology. As a result, CLECs have to change their business models if they want to survive. Here are three ways you can learn about the challenges that CLECs face:

1. Train yourself on CLEC services through podcasts and webinars.

2. Become familiar with the challenges that impact CLECs.

3. Learn how to use reports to understand technological trends of CLECs.

 

Learn about CLEC services through podcasts and webinars

Perhaps you don't want to read articles about CLECs. Another way of getting competitive local exchange carriers (CLEC) management education and training is watching podcasts and webinars. Hear speakers discussing the challenges that local phone carriers are experiencing. You can also learn about the solutions that technology companies offer to CLECs. Speakers might also cover business strategies that local phone carriers must implement and use if they are to be successful.
Try: MetaSwitch offers informative podcasts on CLECs. You can learn about new business strategies CLECs must adopt if they want to thrive in the industry. You can also learn how Cisco is playing a role in helping CLECs to transform to the next generation networks. Xchange is a place you'll want to check for webinars on CLEC services.

Educate yourself on issues that affect CLECs

If you want to run a successful telecommunications business, it's important to educate yourself on issues that impact competitive local exchange carriers. Indeed, CLECs in the Unites States face many challenges. First, they must make sure they're complying with regulatory policies, particularly with the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). Second, they must find ways to be competitive against the ILECs (incumbent local exchange carriers), such as AT&T or Verizon. Other issues that local exchange carriers face are operational, including ordering, provisioning, and billing.
Try: IEC is a good resource to check often for competitive local exchange carriers (CLEC) management education and training. This non-profit organization focuses on challenges that CLECs encounter, such as line-sharing from ILECs. Broadband DSLReports is also another website you’ll want to check out. Here, you’ll learn how CLEC providers are griping about an upgraded technology, ADSL2+, that Qwest wants to provide to its customers. With this upgrade, CLEC companies believe Qwest is trying to kill their businesses.

Learn via reports about strategies and technological trends that CLEC services employ

Analyzing reports can help you learn about strategies that CLECs use to stay competitive and generate profits. They give you a snapshot of the telecommunications industry. You can also learn about why and how IP-based applications are replacing analog phone services. Reports don't just supply you with technological trends, but you can educate yourself on the future directions of CLEC providers, profiles of their executive teams, and financial information.
Try: Look to redOrbit for reports on CLECs; learn about the successful and failed strategies that CLECs used. The reports also enable you to learn about their future directions and market share. MindBranch also supplies reports. You can learn about the latest technological trends, including the ever-increasing desire to develop higher-bandwidth in order to deliver video application and IP-based data.

 

  • To get more information on local phone carriers, consider joining a CLECs association. You will get first-hand information on issues they face and solutions they're developing to solve them.