last mile

Noun

last mile (plural last miles)

1. (attributive, idiomatic, often, logistics) The final stage of delivery of goods, etc., from a distribution centre to the consumer, often involving greater effort or expense.
   • Zero-emission zones and zero-fatality cities have eliminated the last-mile advantages of moving goods by road.2025 October 1, Gareth Dennis, “The future: a new role for a new British Rail: 2030s”, in RAIL, number 1045, page 30

   Synonyms:

   last kilometre

2. (attributive, idiomatic, often) The portion of the infrastructure that carries communication signals from the main system to the end user's business or home, often involving greater expense to install and maintain, and lower transmission speeds.
   • The problem getting to all these remote customers is still the last mile, no matter how far they live from the switch.

   Synonyms:

   last kilometre