(
Data
Local
Exchange
Carrier) A CLEC that specializes in DSL services primarily by leasing lines from local phone companies and reselling them to ISPs. The DLEC industry got off to a big start in the late 1990s, but ended up in trouble just a couple years later. Several minor DLECs and two of the three largest (Rhythms and Northpoint) have gone out of business. The incumbent local telcos (ILECs) have always had the lion's share of DSL customers and have increased their share since the DLEC demise. See
DSL and
CLEC.