Federal Communications Commission	FCC 26-16

STATEMENT OF
CHAIRMAN BRENDAN CARR
Re:	Improving Customer Service and Protecting Consumers through Onshoring; Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls; Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, CG Docket Nos. 26-52, 17-59, 02-278 (March 26, 2026)
Americans get frustrated when they call a U.S. business and end up connecting with a call center located abroad.  Too often, foreign call centers have meant confusing service, delayed support, and even security risks.  In many cases, scammers get trained at legitimate call centers and either access your data illegally or take their training to a foreign robocall operation.  It is time for this offshoring to end.
American consumers deserve call centers that speak proficient English, provide clear answers, and are based here at home—not halfway around the world. 
So today, the FCC is taking action to change that.  We adopt proposals to reshore call center jobs and improve the customer service experience at the ones that remain—including by seeking comment on requiring call center workers to be proficient in American Standard English.  I am pleased that many providers already have U.S.-only call centers or are committed to doing so.  For instance, Charter recently announced that they will be onshoring the call center jobs at the cable company that they recently acquired.
The FCC will also be opening up a new front in our efforts to block illegal robocalls from abroad by examining the targeted use of fees or bonds.  Specifically, we are identifying ways to address illegal robocall scams that originate inside foreign call centers, such as ways we can take the profit out of those operations.
For their great work on this item, I would like to thank Eduard Bartholme, Mark Stone, Wes Platt, John B. Adams, Robert Aldrich, Aaron Garza, Chris Laughlin, Jonathan Lechter, Daniel Stepanicich, and Kim Makuch.