FCC: Carriers Must Better Respond to Call Completion Complaints

Coverage Type: 

In an enforcement advisory issued by the Federal Communications Commission on July 19, long-distance carriers who receive informal complaints about calls not going through to rural areas must investigate the problem and report on its resolution – even if the person making the complaint is not a customer of the long-distance carrier.

Going forward, the FCC said it may take enforcement action – including monetary fines — against providers that submit deficient responses to informal complaints. “For the past several years consumers have reported problems with long distance calls to rural areas completing successfully,” the FCC wrote in the notice. “Based on our experience in investigating this issue, rural call completion problems often arise from the manner in which originating long distance providers route their calls.” When calls are not completed, people other than the caller may be harmed, the FCC noted. “Businesses lose orders, medical professionals are unable to reach patients, and family members cannot check on loved ones,” the advisory states.


FCC: Carriers Must Better Respond to Call Completion Complaints