chemistry

Unbundled network element

Unbundled network element is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Unbundled network element rather than just read about it. In short: Unbundled network elements (UNEs) are a requirement mandated by the United States Telecommunications Act of 1996. They are the parts of the telecommunications network that the incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) are required to offer on an unbundled basis.

Key takeaways

Unbundled network element belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Unbundled network element to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Unbundled network element from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Unbundled network elements (UNEs) are a requirement mandated by the United States Telecommunications Act of 1996. They are the parts of the telecommunications network that the incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) are required to offer on an unbundled basis. Together, these parts make up a local loop that connects to a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), a voice switch or both. The loop allows non-facilities-based telecommunications providers to deliver service without having to lay network infrastructure such as copper wire, optical fiber, and coaxial cable.

UNE-Platform A UNE-Platform (or UNE-P) is a combination of UNEs that allow end-to-end service delivery without any facilities. Despite not involving any CLEC facilities, a UNE-P still requires facilities-based certification from the Public Utilities Commission to deliver services.

Availability In Telecommunications Act of 1996 sections 251(c)(3), incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) are required to lease certain parts of their network specified by the FCC or by state PUCs. According to section 252(d)(1), these network elements must be provided on an unbundled basis at cost-based rates.

FCC orders In the UNE Remand Order issued on November 5, 1999, the FCC specified the UNE to which a competitor must be provided access: "the 'loops' that connect the switches to end users, including high-capacity loops; the switches (with some exceptions), the transport facilities between switches and other networks, and the software needed to operate the telephone network". In the Line Sharing Orders (Line Sharing Order, 14 FCC Rcd at 20951), the LECs are required to unbundle the high-frequency portion of the loop of DSL. However, both the UNE Remand Order and the Line Sharing Orders were remanded by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in United States Telecom Association v. FCC (290 F.3d 415), decided on May 24, 2002; the Line Sharing Orders were vacated. The court concluded that the FCC had not considered the availability of competitive facilities on a sufficiently granular basis. The FCC eliminated mandatory DSL unbundling in 2003.

Prices Based on the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC could require LECs to provide UNEs at a cost-based price, which may include a "reasonable profit". The FCC has determined that "cost" means forward-looking economic cost and has required the states to use a methodology called total element long-run incremental cost (TELRIC).

See also Leased line Local loop unbundling Product bundling

References

External links FCC, Network Unbundling. FCC Releases Interim Order on Unbundled Network Elements. Archived 2010-12-24 at the Wayback Machine FCC cracks down on "gamesmanship" of line-sharing rules 290 F.3d 415

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Unbundled network element

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Unbundled network element claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Unbundled network element before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Unbundled network element ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Unbundled network element

In research: Unbundled network element appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Unbundled network element in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Unbundled network element is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Local loop, Telecommunications economics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Unbundled network element outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Unbundled network element in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Unbundled network element means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Unbundled network element out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Unbundled network element in simple terms?

Why does Unbundled network element matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Unbundled network element?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Unbundled network element.