A generic term for the local telephone company operator in a given area In the U S , the major telcos are the seven regional Bell operating companies and the leading independent telcos, GTE, SNET, and Sprint; in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, the term "telco" generally refers to the incumbent monopoly, but increasingly refers to competing local providers as well
(TELephone COmpany) A company that provides telephone services It may refer only to local telephone companies or to both local and long distance carriers if referring to the telephone industry in general