The local loop assets cover the last mile or so of wire between telephone exchanges and homes.

BBC: BT bidders in talks with watchdogs

The firm said that it was working to boost capacity at telephone exchanges in the worst hit areas.

BBC: Sky logo

When there were telephone exchanges, the mind was like a telephone exchange, and, in the same period, since the nickelodeon reigned, moving pictures were making us dumb.

NEWYORKER: The Information

Baker, 39, moved to a larger house with all the amenities, but his experience underscored a simple fact that most city-dwellers ignore: Even in a prosperous country like Britain, hundreds of thousands of people still lack high-speed Internet service, particularly in rural areas, where homes are just too far from telephone exchanges to get a megabit connection.

FORBES: Untapped Market

At present, the telephone companies offer it only to people who live within three miles of one of their exchanges.

ECONOMIST: The battle for the last mile