If this were the only avenue available, competition would be very slow to develop. Second, new entrants could lease unbundled network elements from incumbents, and combine them with other leased network components or their own components, to provide retail services. Unbundling allows new entrants to lease one or more or all network elements from the incumbent in order to provide service to their subscribers. Third, new entrants could buy the incumbent's service at wholesale and resell it at retail. By creating the second and third avenues of entry, Congress intended to mitigate the high barriers to entering the local exchange market.
Many issues concerning all three avenues of entry remain unresolved.
Until the remaining issues are decided, local exchange competition will proceed slowly.