Media Contact: 
Mark Wigfield, (202) 418-0253
mark.wigfield@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release
FCC TAKES NEW STEPS TO IMPROVE RURAL CALL 
COMPLETION
New Rule Holds Provider Selecting Long-Distance Call Routing Responsible
  -- 
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2018—The Federal Communications Commission today adopted 
new measures to tackle the problem of failed or poor-quality long-distance calls to rural parts 
of the United States.  
All Americans should have confidence that when a call is made to them, they will receive it.  
Unfortunately, that’s often not the case in rural America.  A caller placing a long-distance call 
to a rural home or business may hear ring tones on the line, even though the recipient’s phone 
never rang.  And calls may be delayed, inaudible, or labeled with an inaccurate caller ID.  
These call completion problems have serious economic and personal costs, and potentially 
threaten public safety in local communities.  
Today, the FCC adopted new measures and proposed others to better tackle the problem of call 
completion and ensure that calls are completed to all Americans.  The FCC is employing a 
multi-faceted approach requiring diverse solutions and aggressive action by all participants in 
the call completion process.  
Calls originating from a long-distance provider may be handed off multiple times to different 
providers— called intermediate providers— before reaching their final destination.  This 
process is a significant source of rural call completion problems, and the FCC’s actions today 
seek to promote better oversight when routing calls.  Following implementation of these rules, 
the FCC will require providers initially selecting the long-distance route—known as the 
covered providers—to monitor the performance of intermediate providers, and to take steps to 
correct performance problems.
Covered providers must take remedial action against intermediate providers, when necessary, 
and establish a point of contact to address rural call completion issues.  However, covered 
providers will no long be required to fulfill detailed and burdensome data reporting 
requirements adopted in the FCC’s 2013 Rural Call Completion Order, which have not 
provided useful information to the Commission and have proven ineffective in deterring call 
completion failures.
In addition, the FCC is seeking comment on rules to implement the Improving Call Quality and 
Reliability Act, or RCC Act, signed by the President in February, which gives the FCC new 
authority to regulate intermediate providers.  The RCC Act requires that intermediate providers 
register with the FCC, and bars covered providers from using non-registered intermediate 
providers.  It also requires the FCC to establish service quality standards for intermediate 
providers.
Action by the Commission April 17, 2018 by Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (FCC 18-45).  Chairman Pai, Commissioners Clyburn, O’Rielly, Carr, and 
Rosenworcel approving and issuing separate statements.
WC Docket No. 13-39
###
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This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order 
constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).