"Outside plant" refers to the physical infrastructure that is installed outdoors to support telecommunications services. This includes a diverse range of equipment such as cables, poles, cabinets, conduit, and much more. Other expressions that can be used as synonyms for "outside plant" might include "OSP," "outdoor network," "outdoor cabling," "outdoor infrastructure," "telecom network infrastructure," and "outside cabling infrastructure." These terms are sometimes used interchangeably but they all refer to the physical systems that are required to transmit and distribute communication services across long distances. Whatever term is used, proper design, installation, and maintenance of outside plant infrastructure is critical to ensuring effective and reliable communication services.