What is defined as a physical connection from the customer to the service provider POP?

The local loop is defined as the physical connection from the customer premises to the service provider’s point of presence (POP). This segment plays a crucial role in telecommunications, as it is the last mile that connects the end user to the broader network infrastructure managed by the service provider.

The local loop can involve various types of technologies, including copper wiring (like twisted pair or coaxial cable) or fiber optics, depending on the technology deployed by the service provider. Its main purpose is to ensure that customers can access the service provider's network and ultimately connect to the internet or other services offered by the provider.

Other options describe different concepts: a WAN link refers to a broader connection often used to link multiple sites over a wide area network, a network bridge connects different network segments at the data link layer, and an access path typically refers to a logical or physical pathway through which data can be transmitted, but it does not specifically denote the customer to network provider connection.