Teleport Communications Group (TCG) was the first competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) in the US. It was formed as Teleport Communications in 1985 by Merrill Lynch as the private sector participant in the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's "Teleport Project". The Teleport Project envisioned a satellite earth station complex in Staten Island connected to the stock exchanges, financial services companies and corporate headquarters located in Manhattan. Microwave connections were not feasible due to the congestion of New York's airwaves so Teleport Communications decided to utilize fiber optics for a network connecting satellite earth stations at The Teleport to customers in Manhattan. However, the simultaneous advent of national fiber optic networks reduced the need for satelli