atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Telecom Service & Providers EEL charge?

Hi Guys, we are pricing some options for going to a PRI including one from a local CLEC whose quote included an "EEL charge." The sales rep tells me it is something the ILEC (bell) charges them for access to their network since they do not have a colocation in our serving switch, which sort of makes sense, but anyone know what it stands for? Yes, I'm that much of a telcome geek :toothy:

EEL Enhanced extended link. A long loop consisting of a combination of an unbundled loop, unbundled dedicated transport and multiplexing, where required. The extended loop connects an ILEC wire center to a location where a CLEC has a switch or other network appearance.
Here is one guide on it.

thanks for the info ttech. Good to know!

Funny how I ran across this question...I too have a question regarding EEL (Enhanced Extended Loop). Question posed to me is: If a CLEC orders a point-to-point circuit from an IXC as an EEL or a UNE, on behalf of an End-User, should the CLEC be charging Special Access to the IXC?
After having read a lot on this, it appears an IXC doesn't get involved from a billing perspective due to the arrangement being between the CLEC and ILEC? Can someone clarify this...please??? Thanks!

After reading my question again, I think what is being asked is regarding billing for Special Access only, which if the EU pic'd a particular IXC, I would then assume charges apply to that IXC as access billing. But the ordering from the IXC as EEL still is a cloudy area.

wow, that question is confusing on so many fronts...

EEL is a local thing, it means your CLEC or IXC doesn't have a presence in the CO closest to you.

CLEC is a competitive carrier, they compete with the big local carrier also know as the ILEC or Incumbent (Verizon, at&t, Qwest, etc). IXC is a long distance carrier or long-haul provider.

If you order a point to point circuit from an IXC they order their own loops from the possibly 2 different ILECS (or even CLECS).

this all has nothing to do with PIC or Primary Inter-Exchange Carrier (long distance provider).

If you order a loop from an IXC they may pay EEL charges to the ILEC and might pass those charges on as a line item or simply add it to the loop charge.


I'm not sure what Special Access is, but I suspect it's just a fancy name for EEL.


The reason that UNE circuits are cheaper than EEL circuits is that your provider will have a presence in the local CO where they order a UNE circuit. They can run a cross connect to the DSX panel to connect it to their network. EEL circuits are more expensive because your provider had to have the ILEC run the circuit between COs in order to get it to a place where they can connect to it.

Special Access is the price a normal person would pay for a PtP DS1 if they called and asked for one. In Qwest-land an EEL costs exactly the same as a UNE DS1 loop and a UDIT interoffice DS1 transport added together.
CLEC's generally use EEL's to avoid using IXC's. If I have equipment in a specific CO and want to provide service to a customer that is fed from a different CO where I don't have any presence, I can order a DS1 EEL to get from the CO where I have a presence to a customer site. There's a couple caveats, it must be in the same LATA and until recently you had to self-certify that it would be used for voice in some portion, not just a data circuit.

Great Info! Like Chad B., I also agree that this term is very important to know. For future reference, can someone please confirm my personal interpretation of EEL:

It's is a billing term that represents a specific cost that is passed on to the customer for their CLEC having to 'lease' a portion of an extended circuit from a LEC, due to the CLEC not having a local presence within the requested service area?

So...Pete and djwels, if I am understanding this right, 1. EEL is ONLY a CLEC/LEC thing 2. With that in mind and the defining, a CLEC wouldn't or couldn't order P2P w/EEL from an IXC and no ability to charge Special Access charges

Does that sum it up? Is there a special tariff that lays this out? Thanks guys and I'm waiting for an answer to 5Etek-mike's question of interpretation.

Mike, that is correct. CLEC's get decent pricing on DS1 loops from wire centers they are collocated in. If they have a customer that is served from a different wire center they need to get an EEL, which is just two unbundled elements combined into one for ease of ordering and tracking.

Pomondn, an IXC isn't usually involved in EEL's unless they have a presence in the wire center and are just providing loops and EEL's like a CLEC would. CLEC's don't get to charge IXC's for anything loop related, only LD traffic related. It's possible that instead of the typical IXC loops plus milage pricing they are doing a flat rate EEL pricing and making it available to CLEC's. Some of your question doesn't fit together as to who is charging whom.