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The Telecom Landscape
Missouri's diverse telecommunications network is made up of hundreds of providers offering services that range from basic telephone service in one rural community to advanced telecommunications products spanning the globe. The system includes forty-one incumbent local exchange carriers that provide local residential and business telephone service. These include large companies that offer local service in Missouri in addition to several markets across the country, as well as smaller carriers that serve communities throughout the state.
Many small carriers are often family-owned, in some cases now by the third generation. Others are organized as commercial companies, owned by employees and other investors. Several carriers, especially those in the northern part of the state, are organized as cooperatives, owned by their customers.
Since the passage of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, competitive local exchange carriers have begun to offer local services as well. The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved dozens of new companies to offer basic local exchange service and other telecommunications services.
More than 500 companies are approved as interexchange carriers, providing long-distance service for both voice and data. Many of these companies are re-sellers of long distance service from one of several nationwide companies.
In recent years wireless communication has become very important to Missouri's telecommunication network. A number of national wireless carriers serve the state, as well as several rural independent companies.
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