Telecommunications company
A telecommunications company is an electronic communications service provider, more precisely a telecommunications service provider (TSP), that provides telecommunications services such as telephony and data communications access. Many formerly solely telephone companies now function as internet service providers (ISPs), and the distinction between a telephone company and ISP has faded as the current trend for supplier convergence in the industry develops. Additionally, with advances in technology, other industries such as cable television, Voice-over IP (VoIP), and satellite providers offer similar competing services as the telephone companies to both residential and businesses customers.
Due to the nature of capital expenditure involved in the past, most telecommunications companies were government-owned agencies or privately owned monopolies operated in most countries under close state regulation. But today there are many private players in most regions of the world, and even most of the government-owned companies have been opened up to competition in-line with World Trade Organization (WTO) policy agenda. Historically, these government agencies were often referred to, primarily in Europe, as PTTs (postal, telegraph and telephone services). Telecommunications companies are common carriers, and in the United States are also known as local exchange carriers. With the advent of mobile telephony, telecommunications companies now include wireless carriers, or mobile network operators and even satellite providers (Iridium).
Over time software companies have also evolved to provide telephone services over the Internet.