Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR

Re: 	Rural Call Completion, WC Docket No. 13-39.

This decision is about a very straightforward principle.  When you make a phone call—whether to catch up with a friend or to call for help in an emergency—the call should go through.  But for too many Americans living in rural and remote areas, this isn’t always the case.  Their calls just don’t go through, they hear a false busy signal, or they don’t hear anything on the other end of the line.  Often, the problem can be traced back to what are known in the telecom industry as “intermediate providers.”  
Last year, Congress stepped in by giving the FCC additional authority and directing the agency to adopt service quality standards that apply to intermediate providers.  We do that with today’s Order.  Intermediate providers will now have an obligation to take action and ensure that calls are completed.  This will help ensure that everyone in the country has access to quality telecom services.  I want to thank the staff of the Wireline Competition Bureau for its work on this item.  It has my support.



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