Facility
A physical component of a telecommunications network, other than CPE, including wires, lines, terrestrial and submarine cables, wave guides, optics or other equipment or object connected therewith, used for the purpose of telecommunications and including any post, pole, tower, standard, bracket, stay, strut, insulator, pipe, conduit, or similar item used for carrying, suspending, supporting or protecting the structure.

FDC
Fully distributed costs.

FDM
Frequency division multiplexing.

FEC
Forward error correction.

Fixed line
A physical line connecting the subscriber to the telephone exchange. Typically, fixed-line network is used to refer to the PSTN (see below) to distinguish it from mobile networks.

FM
Frequency modulation.

FMC
Fixed-mobile convergence (ITU-T Recommendation Q.1761 (04), 3.6).
Mechanism by which an IMT-2000 user can have his basic voice as well as other services through a fixed network as per his subscription options and capability of the access technology.

FMI
Fixed mobile integration.

FON
Fibre optic network.

Frequency
The rate at which an electrical current alternates, usually measured in Hertz (see Hz). It is also used to refer to a location on the radio-frequency spectrum, such as 800, 900 or 1800 MHz.

FSS
Fixed satellite service.

FTRs
Fixed termination rates.

FTTH
Fibre-to-the-home.
A high-speed fibre optic, Internet connection that terminates at a residence. See FTTx.

FTTx
Fibre-to-the-x, where x is a home (FTTH), building (FTTB), curb, cabinet (FTTC), or neighbourhood (FTTN). These terms are used to describe the reach of an optical fibre network.

Full unbundling
(Sometimes referred to as access to raw copper.) A form of network unbundling where the copper pairs connecting a subscriber to the main distribution frame (MDF) are leased by a new entrant from the incumbent. The new entrant takes total control of the copper pairs and can provide subscribers with all services, including voice and ADSL. The incumbent still has ownership of the unbundled loop and is responsible for maintaining it.

Functional (or also operational) separation
It entails establishing a new business division (kept separate from the incumbent’s other business operations) to provide wholesale access to the incumbent’s non-replicable (or bottleneck) assets, which competitors need in order to compete with the incumbent in downstream retail markets.

FWA
Fixed wireless access.