As used in this article, the terms ‘‘local exchange company,’’ ‘‘telecommunications company,’’ and ‘‘telecommunications services’’ shall have the same meaning as provided in Code Section 46-5-162; the term ‘‘local exchange carrier’’ shall have the same meaning as ‘‘local exchange company’’; and the term ‘‘long distance service’’ shall include interexchange inter-LATA telecommunications service and interexchange intra-LATA telecommunications service. (Code 1981, § 46-5-181, enacted by Ga. L. 1998, p. 919, § 1.)